Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-28
GOSSIP FROM DOOKLAND.


 ular, but he is celebrated It took him the space of generation to assemble anything that could be called public. But public he now has, and there are many here as in England who think him the leader among the living writers of fiction in our language-the leader, the master, the king beyond contestation of his throne.'
 And now this writer who has forcefully won his way to his reader's heart and claimed such high regard for his work and art has written new work entitled "Lord Ormont and His Arminta," book that is deci dedly questionable and immoral, and yet has failed to meet-with the usual con demnation, both private and public, by the English which. has been the fate of other books whose moral tone is no worse.
 The story is the same that has been treated many times before. man of 50 marries young girl beneath him in posi- tion, but the possessor of great beauty. The opening chapters show us Aminta and a school friend carrying on quite roman tic clandestine love affair. Then they are soon "separated, - and after becoming the wife of Lord Ormont Aminta eventually discovers her youthful lover in her hus- bands secretary. All this Is common place enough, and in the hands of Iola would not be tolerated for @ moment, but, cried down with righteous wrath by the British matron. But ln the insidious treatment lies the snare, the careful em- phasis and impression made of Lord Dr. mont's ability as soldier, yet not wholly recognized ability, which had soured his nature and made him callous to the opin- ions of his fellow peers and indifferent to their opinions of his marriage; the unin- tentional failure of Lord Ormont to give Aminta her true social status-she is Lady n,v-x] brto otla no Tor The thing lacking seems to be that she has not been presented at court, and has failed to be duely installed at Lord Ormout's family home; and so for these omissions she de-. cides to leave him and choose for a partner the secretary, a man of her own age and station in life; and right here the unpar-a donable act lies that a writer of MT. Mers- dith's recognized ability and standing should choose subject coarse and per. ncious in suggesti ons and deal with rela-s tionship pronounced by God and man to be vein as to make it all appear mysJifying, natural and proper. People have become so accustomed to half knowing and only guessing about what MT. Meredith is writ ing that the great right minded public does not yet appreciate the pernicious character of his new book. q
 After many years spent in France and Spain, Washington Irving gave us books '.which are at the same time the delight of readers and the despair of critics, - and one of the most delightful of these was an imaginative and romantic work, entitled ssThe Chronicle of the Conquest of Ora. nada,'' which he gathered from the manu- scripts of Fray Antonio Agapida. A later work was tThe Alhambra' a''-works which for easy elegance of style and grace have no superior among prose writers, and yet ar W q who is not unworthy to follow in the foot steps of this leader.
 "In the Shadow of the Alhambra, or the Last of the Moorish Kings" is q work recently published and written by resident of Knoxville. Tenn. In the pre- face the young author tells us that this historic romance is the outgrowth of years oftravel and close study on the continent and in the east. depending largely upon old Arabic writers, being familiar with information. The greater number of the characters of the story are historical.
 There is no class of literature more de- lightful to read than history, and when coupled with the romance which truly de. hneates history secures two fold purpose of instruction that is highly entertaining; and in this present work, "In the Shadow of the Alhambra," is chosen a period of history fascinating in the extreme, and the chief features of the eleven yeArs war of Ferdinand and Isabella against the Moors are delightfully."- set forth. and the author writes with the authority of careful rs- search.
 For nearly 800 years the Mohammedan kingdom had bean able to maintain itself against Christian foes in this faiF province, Granada, and while perusing this work We A l. -rk Rv1v, s,n1x nI< imity to Christian neighbors they had drawn largely for many virtues they pos- sessed, and had become the center of art and culture far in advance of many coun- tries of that period.
 The historical setting is perfect and the unities that we are told belong to the wor- thy book. The stern old Moorish king, Iben- -Hassan, claims our attention in the first few pages, while our sentiments and interest cluster around first the favorite Wif the yOang .,a Sas boy; then the noted, is'the ohaste'' sul- tana Ayeesha, mother of the ill-fated Boab- dil, wins our regard; then the poetic and delightful maidens, daughters of the strong, lion hearted Yarfe, and the cling ing, tender Jewish maiden and tho heroic Musa win our ardent friendship, until we quietly sigh through our sympathies that the nobie-h hearted M0ors we have. learned greatly to admire must leave the scene and make room for @ higher civiliza-s tion and nobler religion. tb
 The plot is good, the style terse and vivid,- and ones interest is never allowed to flag The reading of the book will give proft,i instruction and pleasure 10 every reader. No historical writer has handled this epochI in history with more precision or greater success. The press work is excellent, and tue cover is tastily embellished with the Moslem scimeter and crescent. The work is very affectionately dedicated to an infant son who passed away. sa,.. i,
 st#t k'i
 .'Both mother and daughter hastily left the harem and started for the housetop. On the way Im-Ahmed asked: sroward what point do they run, Hareefatf' i;1.