Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-09
GOSSIP FROM BOOKLAND.

There happened to fall into my hands
 this week an advanced copy of book
 which it is my pleasure and pride to say is
 by Birmingham young woman; one
 whom we have seen grow up among us and
 blossom into rare and true young woman. hood. 1 speak of Ruby Beryl Kyle and
 the ''first fruits of year's labor, "Paul St. Paul, Son of the People, Miss Kyle
 has been an earnest and ardent worker
 along literary paths, having given forth
 at an early age fitful flashes of an original l genius, and in her first book, "Paul St. 1 Paul,o this promise is verified and as- sureo, and a most remarkable and strong 1 work is the result.
 It can safely be said that HPaul St. Paul'' | will be a great success, and commend the | book, especially to all thoughtful Birming- | ham people who love and appreciate what | is original, distinct, able and new. How
 ever, one will find that one reading of the | book does not suffice. It Is bewildering | and confusing; one is oppressed, alarmed
 and apprehensive over the powerful | and yet terrible doubts and irreligious
 denunciations which fill so large portion | of the book-and it is matter for very seri- | ous regret that such gloomy, false and | horrible views should have presented | themselves before the soul of the fair young | literary devotee, calling for admitlance and expression, and that they should have been admitted, accepted and given forth, | carrying with their expression blightng | and baneful influences, until one is over- | whelmed with the terrible doubt and won- | ders, Do such beliefs dominate and rule the | mind and soul-for they are one-of the | young aut hor? or, as we ardently hope, | are they only means to an end--that end | to delineate the upfruitful and wrecked soul of St. Paul, proving the blighting and soaring influence of his narrow, carkng | beliefs.
 
 Cpon a more careful reading we realize | the perfect conception, execution and | beauty of the first half of the book and dis cover among many of the pages ''a spark | of the neVer-dying flame of psychological | analysis,'' richness of sentiment and | fancy which Andrew Lang calls the essence | of the primitive and eternal canons of fc- tion.
 The story opens with an exquisite simie, IA Star and Heart. ''
 tout of the slushy depths above soli- | tary star crept eastward and paused not | until it had journeyed far beyond reach of | the greedy cloud curtains. In it's infinite l majesty 1t sat and contemplated the strug- | glng world and all things below. It was caught finally in a maze of hissing com
 cts, and withdrew it's jewelled light for | spaco.'
 St. Paul is discovered to the reader alone
 in his room at the Actors inn in the | mighty city of London; an actor and ready l to admit in his solitary and dreary musings: l "The year, now fast slipping through l Times greedy fingers, was rife with pleas- | ure for him, and full of ambition's s dearest l consummation. Success, fame, tickle god | dess, had remained steadfast by his side l through the vcissitudes of an uncertain l career. In his first venture the golden l doors of the artists heaven flashed open to admit him, and the charmed purse of 1 Prince FortunatuS fell into his outstretched l hand. .'
 | rbere is little St. Paul has to say for | himself, and when he does speak his words | are common place enough; the descriptions of him are many and numerous, and de- l lneate the character of his soul to be | doubtiug, morose, solitary, self contained | and above all swayed by amoition. To the reader it will appear selhshness is his para | mount trouble, intense aud supreme self l ishuess, withdrawing from all social aud l healthful intercourse which but too often l renders the human soul introspective and | cynical; and so when his grand passion and | love for his beautiful ward is described 1t | seems to be but very weak, mild attach l ment, failing to impress the reader with 1 much sincerity and truth in St. Paul. l Perseus Montrose is a fair, redeeming | creation dominated by love, wholesome | and pure, and yet with heart made rich ! and true by the beautiful love of the artis- | tic and the ideal. La Montaigne is in- | tended as foil, dia abolical and scheming. | but above the portraiture Of her wicked 1 schemes arises the insense of noble feelings | ana uct1OnS. In9 Cll1naA Tedcueu Dy Iue | heroine's marriage in the middle of the | book somewhat destroys the unity of the | work, and suggests lack ln the concep- l tion of the plot and subsequent execution; much of the work that follows might be l criticized from the standpoint of fiction, | failing in the sense of being necessary to carry on the plot of the novel or to de- | lineate with greater truthfulness the | characters of the book. It does serve. | however, admirably to prove to the public q 3a 9nl r,ofi oh hor l rich and fertile imagination, and we are | told tho gift is so rare and none so price, | less as powerful and productive imagina- | tion;' her astounding depths of iDforma- | tion aud wide reading, suggesting mira culous memory aud power of assimilation which, while we realize many evident | faults in this first work, gives ample and | sure promises for still abler work in the | future, wrought by greater experience and | facile skill.
 All the magazines are out in bright holi. | day attire that reminds us the time of good | cheer will soon be upon us.
 Harper's Magazine appears in an entirely new and unique cover-a light olive green tint, and on The front page is represented a | Greek temple, with blue sky in the apex. | In this sky shines the star of the east; on l each corner of the temple angels with | folded wings proclaim with accord ''Peace | on earth and good will to men.'' | There is short story called 'Paola in 1 Italy," by Gertrude Hall, in Harper's that l will be enjoyed from the fact of it's weird- | ness and strange earnestness, 50 unlike the l usual short story.
 | The December Short Stories has some l eminent authors on it's title page. ''The Wooing of Wanda, an Old Time Xmas | Story,'' by Edgar Fawcett; "A Three | Volume Novel;" by Anthony Hope, the | author of ''The Prisoner of zenda, D that has been so much commented upon and 1 discussed. The authors name is Anthony 1 Hope Hawkins. He was born some 30 1 years ago in the heart of old London, and l Is graduate of the University of Oxford. Scribner is one of our--best magazines,
 and the Decem Der number is very attrac- l tive. One of the leading features this l month sis by Robert Grant, the bright, shrewd author of Reflections of a Married l Mar." and Is entitled 'tThe Matrimonial l ToGSne Benefit Association, o and all those l who enjoyed the delightful philosophy of
 l the former work will find the same charm