The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-31


has recently been published and is now on
sale Mrs Mary Jolly Van Hook needs no
introduction to Birmingham people, who
have known her so well since her girlhood
days. Possibly, though, they have not
known her before as an authoress and the
writer of dainty little songs.
Love Songs is a collection of rhymes
and verses which have come direct from
the heart, so full are they of tenderness
and loving thought. The poems are upon a
variety of subjects, but all are filled
with human sympathy that the reader is
touched and interested and fails to be crit
zeal where love leads the way. The book
is attractlvely bound with heavy paper, and
the print is exceptionally good. The Illus
tratfons, too lend an added interest to the
volume, and are thoroughly in keeping with
the spirit of the text
Mrs. Van Hooks many friends wish her
success In her literary work, and trust she
will continue to give US many more Love
Songs"
The holiday magazines are in, and bear
the stamp of the first month of the New
Year. And as we cut their sweet-sscented
pages and imbfbe their valuable contents
we feel that life promises well for the new
year of 1900 Advance posters for the lead
ing magazines have enumerated the almost
endless attractions of these monthly publ
cations for the coming year, and surely the
January numbers bear satisfactory evil
dence of good faith.
One of the most gratifying announce
ments is the appearance In ScrBbner's of
J. M. Rarrie'S sequel to Sentimental Tom
my" Tommy and Grizel." Three chapters
of the new story are given, and they bear
evidence of the hearty enjoyment to follow.
The initial article in Scrtbner's is of very
great interest; 1t Is "Oliver Cromwell" by
Governor Roosevelt. This first installment
gives the times and the man, with excellent
illustrations upon the text. The author
treats in a careful and able manner not
only the life and CHARACTERISTICS of the man
Cromwell, but also the peculiarties of the
period of time In which he lived. The Feb
ruary number will deal with the famous
"Long Parliament and the civil war. Jesse
Lynch Williams, the author of that delight
full little volume 1.-THE Adventures of a
Freshman" contributes an article entitled
1.-THE Walk Uptown in New York" Aside
from the value of a most readable article,
the Illustrations are complete and full of
intense interest.
In the Cosmopolitan a catchy and breezy
little article by Edgar Saltus is headed 10y
the caption, 1.-THE Delights of Trying to Be
Somebody Elise" There are a number of
excellent illustrations of notable people in
historic characters assumed for some fan
cy fete. One gives the Lady Warwick
she appeared ait her own famous ball at
Warwick Castle. The author says of this
delight which guests experience in trying
to be other than themselves "There is no
harm in that On the contrary we cata-
logue it among the commendable emotions.
Tt is an aspiration; an escape into the ideal,
a flight from the commonplace of the every
day existence, the dressing of self in pages
of history and spangles of verse-the merg
ing of an identity into the gracious and
the debonair.'
Some Impressions of Berlin" is an en-
tertaining and instructive article by
Charles De Kay, former consul-general for
the United States. A. II. Quiller-C Couch,
more Familiarity known as O." contributes
a short story entitled 1.-THE Lady of the
Ship" The article this month of the series
on "Modern Education IS contributed by
M. v O'Shea, president of the National
Child-Study associate The theme of the
article is encouraging the mental powers
of young children, and is full of suggestive
points. However, most valuable and per-
tnent note which, no doubt, all mothers
and fathers will appreciate, Is appended by
the editor, John Brisben Walker. 1t is up
on the old hard problem to solve-tlat of
just how TO differentiate between allowing
the child to be unruy and disobedient, and,
on the other hand, not unnecessarily curb
ing the child's will or dampering those
powers of imagination which will count
for so much in after life.
Tn Frank Les1ie's the article of the month
is very complete one about the Paris
Exposition of 1900" by Com-Gen. Ferdi-
rand w. Peck. America at the Paris ex-
position Is the leading thought of the arti-
Gle; the building and the display that this
country will make. He is right in his state
ment that the United States has one of the
best situations of the exposition grounds
for its building, but the size of the building
appeared to one American visitor in Paris
last summer as entirely inadequate to the
,fv-xr h tr,n ilrn
creditable display of our eountry's re-
sources However. the author says that
France has been liberal to this country in
the matter of space, for, Notwithstanding
that the space areas for exhibits at Paris
are so limited no less than fifty-six nations
will exhibit there next year. The article is
full of information in regard to the details
of our exhibit at the exposition, and con-
sequently is interesting, being smoothly
written. On the first page, where one is
more than likely to overlook it, Is an ex-
quisite little poem by our loved poet, Rob-
ert Lopeman. 1t is so charming that it.
must be given here:
PARIS
Paris sparkles as she lies
All unbosomed to the sun;
For the prize within her eyes
Battles have been lost and won.
She is naughty, she is vain;
In her arms the serpent Seine,
And with wooing, cooling wies,
Paris dazzles, Paris smiles
Paris hath mighty heart,
Siren of the cities She
Nobly welded unto art,
Music, marble poetry;
Needless, happy, night and day,
She doth dance the years away.
=. With her graces and her smiles
Paris loves, and dreams, and smiles
The initial number in the Strand Maya
zine is one. of special interest, and Is one
of series on illustrated Interviews" The
present subject Is "Sir Lawrence Alma
Tadema, r. A." OF him the writer says:
'tOf the glory that was Greece's and the
grandeur that was Rome's, there is no
greater living exponent in pictorial art
than Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Many
visitor to the annual exhibitions of the
Royal Academy, looking upon his vivid
realization of daily life in the ancient clas-
steal period, with it's graceful women and
stately men, its brilliant sky, cleaning
marbles and gorgeous flowers, must have