The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-04
BY PAUL PRY

uOW It's appearance Is ali aGNOlhpiiSAASh AoSt
In the current number of the Atlantic
Monthly is published the opening chapters
of the first successor to Prisoners of
Hope" which has now reached such fiat
tering sales and popularity.
ITO have and to Hold,' will prove a
worthy successor, as anyone who reads the
few opening chapters will be prepared to
affirm. Miss Johnston's first book, "Pris-
oners of Hope" was accepted and imme-
diately published in book form. This was
a deserved compliment to an unknown
author, for we often read that first books
are accepted by publishers many, many
months before the author has the pleasure
of seeing the fruits of his labor in substan-
tal and profitable form. With this fiat
tering circumstance, though, in Miss john
ston's experience came also the assurance
that they desired to purchase all further
work from her pen. Consequently it was
with substantial encouragemen that they
desired to purchase all further work from
her pen. Consequently it was with sub
stantial encouragement that this now-pop-
ular and well-known young author started
upon her new task. If readers are annoyed
that they cannot enjoy ITO Have and To
Hold in it's entirety, but must perforce
wait from month to month for each sue
ceedng installments, Miss Johnston's
friends here in Birmingham will at least be
pacified by the assurance that it is more
profitable to the author to have her work
appear first as a serial.
ITO Have and to Hold" like its predees-
sor, is laid in Miss Johnston's own province
-Virginia-and promises to give a delicate
yet perfectly truthful description of life in
the colony at the time The opening scenes
are wonderfully smooth and natural and
the reader slips into the interesting recital
of life in the long ago as easily as if he
were one of the actual representatives of
that life. The style is graceful and winning,
the sentences terse and full of thought and
meaning all emphasized by diction that
Is exceedingly choice and impressive. One
of Miss Johnston's most individual charac-
teristics, however, is an ability to depict her
scenes with vividness and elearness. which
presupposes their actually. This pictorial
gift is orr of the highest in writing imag-
inativN 'rratives and is one indsputable
proof tl.>a the story teller is born and not
made,
Chapter II of ITO Have or to Hold is
delightful example of Miss Johnston's
ability to produce pictures broad in scope
and reaning in few well-chosen master
strokes of the pen. In this chapter the re-
Election of Percy beginning with the de-
scription-"The wind was fresh and favor
able and we went swiftly down the river
through the silver mist toward the sunrise.
The sky grew pale pink to the zenith; then
the sun rose and drank up the mist. The
river sparkled and shone; from the fresh,
green banks came the smell of the woods
and the song of the BIRDS etc.-gives us a
dainty example of the authors exquisite
powers of description and further on proves
her knowledge and full mental grasp of the
historical events and scenes she undertakes
to-describe.
Tt does not take an unusually discerning
mind to predict a splendid success and pop
ularity for this worthy successor of "Pris-
oners of Hope" and 1t is with peculiar
pride and qualification that we note this in
creasing success, and hope that Miss john
ston will give us many, many more as
charming and captivating as the opening
chapters of ITO Have and TO Hold"
The Century magazine celebrates the
early summer days by appearing in an out
door cover, with contents to match its sug-
gestive outdoor sports. The initial article
by the favorite writer-Dr. Henry Van
Dyke-is entitled "Fisherman's Luck"
full page half-tone of the father of the
sport. Izaak Walton. precedes the article
which is embellished by border of conven-
tional design, showing all manner of ar
ticles seen or used in connection with out
door sport. The article is not only enter
tanning to an unusual extent, but is appar-
emily written with SO much enthusiasm
that it will more than likely enthuse the
reader and make him long for just such ex-
periences as Mr.. Van Dyke has so much
enjoyed He says: 1.-THE people who always
live in houses and sleep beds, and walk
on pavements and buy their food from
butchers and bakers and grocers. are not
the most blessed inhabitants of this wide
and various earth. The circumstances of
their existence are too mathematical and
secure for perfect contentment. They are
boarders in the world. But when man
abides in tents, after the manner OF the
early patriarchs, the face of the world Is
renewed. You watch the sky with lovers
look, eager to know whether it will smile
or frown. When you lie at night upon your
bed of boughs and hear the rain pattering
on the canvass close above your head, you
wonder whether 1t Is a long storm or only
a shower" The truthfulness of the authors
reflections and observations I am sure will
be admitted by those lovers of sport who
have enjoyed these camps in the heart of
nature where her moods are even genu-
inely felt and observed. And especially
where the feeling adds "But how good
the supper tastes when it is served up on
tin plate. with an empty box for table
and roll of blankets at the foot of the
bed for a seat"
1t is difficult to fill a short space with
anything like adequate mention of the early
summer magazines when they are so nu-
merouS and filled with Sucn NUMBER or
thoughtful and readable articles. Selec-
lions of this kind must necessarily be in
fluenced by the personality of the reader
and the chances are that what would at
tract one reader would\be of the least pos
s'ble interest to the NEXT one. However,
the editors of the magazines of the present
month seem to appreciate common
characteristic which no doubt belongs to
all readers, and that is a proneness for
something amusing something light and
airy of touch which will not make too
heavy a draft upon the mental capabilities
of the reader. The lazy hours are upon
us when one intuitively yearns for the
hammock and short spicy articles that
match the mood and the surroundings.
1.-THE Puritan" answers such needs as well
as any other 1t appears this month in
cover happily suggestive of the great events
of this season of the year, namely: Our
sweet girls graduation day. However the
coloring could scarcely have been more
atrocious than 1t IS
There are a number of interesting