The age-herald., 1898-03-13

Under Side of Things" seemed to me rather vapid and such a love tale as any school girl might write; so that recently when I've seen notices of Lillian Bell," the as- sociation recalled to my mind very thin, sentimental sort of literature. But with her recent books From 8 Girls Point of View and "A Little Sister to the Wilder ness," the young author must of necessity be accorded not only originality in theme, but a forceful and glowing presentment of thought which shows great talent and dis cernment. In A Little Sister to the Will derness'' Miss Bell gives a story that thrills with human interest and makes of Mag" a character full of the fine warmth and tenderness of splendid womanhood. The local coloring of the story is found in West Tennessee, where the author says: '"rheir philosophy of life is simple. They accept the inevitable, whether of good or ill, with what in Attica might have been termed stoicism. In West Tennessee, however. such an energetic term does not apply. Their sublime heights of indiffer- ence have been attained, have been foisted upon them rather, by generations of an cestral shiftlessness." In the preface the author apologies for the dialect in the story, yet much may be forgiven her along this line when it is permeated by so mucl. hunor.
 "'You want to git killed?' she asked. Nary mules in West Tennessee kicks like or NICK an Clnerdl IHty ar ugly as sin an mean dirt. Paw, he named em that-a-way ease he says all the trouble the south ever had come from one or tother of them two. He gifts power O comfort out of swearin' at em as he is 'bleeged to do constant" That the author possesses a mind of fine dis cernment this extract will prove; of the West Tennessean she says: Their one luxury tobacco Their one excitement. protracted meetings Their one ailment, chills. Their motto, Wait Their creed, T believe in eternal rest. There are many clever thoughts beautifully expressed all through the book. It's often a dis appointment, though possibly an uncon- scious one, when we read book-say good story, well told-and yet find no jewel thoughts from page to page which compel us, no matter how absorbed, to lay the book down and think over Its truth or its aptness. In this book, this Is It's greatest charm and I find I have marked many such thoughts as these.
 His faith reached out after the most in significant of trifles, for upon the least of them he had seen whole life turn" and '"There is no hatred so bitter as that en- gendered by outraged love. It has a re- fex action which has no counterpart" and "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty" This last is a Quotation but Goethe said, ITO say a thing that everybody else has said before, as quietly as if nobody had ever said it, that is, originality" Although I've consumed so much space about Miss Bell, just one word, yet, about her book. From a Girls Point of View" It is not story but is a charming running comment from first to finish of things and persons in gen eral, divided into chapters with catchy titles. It will be read with zest by all who love crisp and graceful writing and wi.l afford just an hours entertaining Si- version that many of us often need.
 PAUL PRY.