Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-05
GOSSIP FROM BOOKLAND.

There seems always to be some particu-
lar line of study that catches and holds
the attention of the reading public, some
topic of especial interest about which
clubs and magazines and reviews alike
all write and rave.
The Napoleonic craze, as we may well
cali 1t, latterly The earnest and serious
perusal and study of our own history, and
now a wild interest seems to possess us
for all works which in any way relate to
Joan of Arc. Indeed, her history and
beautiful spiritual life seem to claim a
greater amount of interest, just al pres
ent, than any other
Our famous humorist, Mark Twain, has
been caught in the eddieS of that en-
thusiasm for the Maid of Orleans which
has swept over the literary world. Ii is
said hat 1t has long been known to the
nearer friends of Mark Twain that he
was growing weary of the role of hui
moriSt which the world seemed dster-
mined to fasten upon him forever and
that he was ambitious TO prove his ability
as a serious writer. l don't know why
this should be, for Samuel j. Clemens is
our greatest humorist, and has laid per-
ennial, if not eternal, treasures in his nu-
merous books. What, more could mortal
man ask than success in a chosen line OF
work? Yet Mr.. Clemens starts anew and
asks that we receive him seriously. The
mystery that has envelopsd the author
ship of the personal Recollections OF
Joan of Arc during it's publication as a
serial in Harper's Magazine has IN
measure enhanced its interest, and the
final revelations that it is from the pen
of Mark Twain has drawn many an ad-
miring reader to second perusal
While Mr. Clemens has twice before
essayed fiction of historical cast, 1t is
only with the Personal Recollections
of Joan of Arc that he challenged criti-
cism as a historical novelist properly
speaking. The story of Joan of Arc will
never lose its fascination, and one could
never tire reading her story. She is one
of those unique figures in the worlds
history so human, yet in some respects
so removed from human that they seem
like links between God and mankind
whose lives reveal something deeper
than what we call natural law. OF the
nuthor q recent critic said: 1.-THE creator
of Tom Sawyer is something far more
than mere man of letters, even a great
one; he is something far more than
mere humorist. even thoroughly genial
and whole-souled one-he is great
writer. Like Balzac himself he can af-
ford to let the critics have their say
about his style, in the consciousness that
he has understood and expressed the
workings of the human heart"
Now apropos of the workings of this
some books that we never can become
quite convinced of the real, earnest love
of some particular character of the
work? Is it a lack of sympathetic inter-
est in the reader, or is it lack of subtle
workmanship on the part of the author?
There are some stories where the whole
affection of the reader Is poured out in
sympathy and intense interest for each
sorrow of the heroine. This is not the
case with "Mariory Moore" a story by
the English writer, Adeline Sergeant
She starts out by quoting those tender
lines from the pen of Thomas Moore:
Disguise our bondage as we will,
IT'S woman, woman rules us still.
And we agree with her. She proceeds
on this hypothesis to write most cred
table story, with style simple and
moving, and with characters in whom
we are more than ordinarily interested,
but for the life of me l never could be-
lieye Marjory really loved Archie
LeVerne, even though she acted as II she
did, and was true TO him almost to the
end mourning his sad and untlmely end
for two years before she consented to do
what the reader wanted her to do all
along-loye the other man. There must
be a lack of ability on the authors part
to faithfully depict characters, at least
in the strength and earnestness in which
they are drawn and conceived Marjory
impresses the reader all the way through
the story as being weak and lacking the
nerve anu lHlEnlHeSS cdlCulaleu u ilil-
press one with her genuineness.
The scene of the story "Marjory
Moore" is laid in England. 1t is by far
the best work Miss Sergeant has done,
and We are always glad to meet her on
the familiar ground of English home life.
No one better than she can picture the
little ms and outs of family jars loves
and sorrows. 1t deals with the musical
career of Marjory Moore, a young peas
ant girl. who seemed very talented and
promising, but somehow. like her love
for Archie we never quite believed she
could play the violin as well as the
author would have us. Mr.. Felix Hyde
didn't seem to have any other concern or
Intent all the way through the story than
just to love Mariory, play the part of
the protector for her and come financial
ly and in every other possible way to her
aid when she needed it. and this, too in
spite of her worthless husband. But has
not our dearly loved poet told us "all
things come round to him who will but
waltz IT is altogether a pleasant,
natural story: interesting to such an ex-
tent that ones attention is held from
beginning to close which u.s. possibly
more than can be said for many tales OF
fiction of these latter day times.
Ii authors are to be judged by the de-
mand for their writings and the income
with which their pen provides them M
Emile lola is probably entitled to claim
the foremost place in the whole literary
world. 1t is at least certain that no other
living novelist addresses himself to so
cosmopolitan, so universal an audience,
and yet notice that the French acad-
envy has again declined to give Monsieur
lola seat in their august body. Recog-
nzing that he is a writer of distinctive
originality and force, and conceiving the
academy to be a representative body in
the fullest sense of the term, it seems
hpmethlng like injustice that this prom
1hent author should so persstently be
excluded.
Laura NJ. Hanson has contributed a
volume of exceeding interest in her
sketches. which she calls "Six Modern
Women" In these the author has taken
up for study varied types of women of
today. The Learned Woman" is repre-
sented by SoTya KovaleyslIy, 'crhe Mod
ern Woman on the Stage" by Eleonora
Duse. the woman Naturalist" by ANA
lie Skram, the "Womans Rights Wom-
an" by Edgren LETTER while the other
women studied are George Egerton and
Marie Bashkirtseff. These sketches are