The age-herald., 1899-01-29
A GOOD BOOK
 AND A GOOD MAN
BY LUoIEN JULIEN wALKER

| review of Miss Howard Weeden's beautiful
 book. shadows On the Wall" MT. Cole
 mans able review led me to an investiga-
 ton on my own account; and after careful
 study and mature reflection I am convinced l that 1 have known in literature nothing
 sweeter and in art nothing more exquisitely l beautiful than Miss Howard Weedens | book. In the vast heap of stuff called lit-
 erature shadows On the Wall" glitters ! like a diamond in a mass of rubbish, real
 jewel in muck-p.le
 1 would not seek to trespass upon the province of my gifted and honored eol- l league, MT. Coleman; but cannot refrain l from paying my little tribute to what he so aptiy designated as Miss Howard Weed I ems Beautiful Book" That book is treasure that will gladden. million hearts. | It strengthens the bounding affection of the southern man and woman. born under the
 old regime, for his and her old black
 ma mmy and it teaches to southern youth | and to the world something of the tender
 rela tions that existed between the slaves
 of the dead years and those who owned l them as personal property. Myself, I reminded of old Aunt Sally i the head cook, and of Aunt Harriet, whose StdAWdIt SOn HOW pueS HIS trdue III 1 min gham, far from the old plantation; of Aunt Ca'line, and of Jim and Randall Matt Jack and Green of my earliest years. Aunt Sally used to sit in the kitchen door and smoke her pipe, looking benevoently | through her brass-rimmed spectacles, and | forever stating some blunt fact of life fol-
 lowing it up with her ceaseless ejaculation, | Shores you is born to die!' Dear old Aunt Sallyi The sweet odor of her clay pipe with the cane stem has followed me | all the years throughout my journeying in | many lands. At banquets in London, at | dinners in Paris, on the promenade in Viz enna, in the catacombs of Rome, at feasts in St. Petersburg, the odor of Aunt Sallys | pipe has come to me in the hour of merriA ment and reflection like the essence of a spirit from the unseen! It was that which | brought me to be a humble votary of the | briar-root pipe.
 Pardon mel It is to this train of thought that Miss Howard Weeden's beautiful book brings me. The frontispece, so to speak, of Miss Howard Weeden's book is a por- | trait, done by Miss Weeden herself, of her old black Nanny, and it is perfect Above the dear old black face there is a halo, and
 
 know in art. It is living reality, the black face upon the white page: Black as if ebon Rest had found Its image in my Nanny!
 'The Old Boatman" is perfect Talking of his old master in exquisite verse, Rome says:
 He's passed Heavens River, now, an soon He'll call across it's foam:
 You, Rome, you damn or nigger, loose Your boat an come on HomeP' ''Aunt Judy and "Lizette" are remarka- ble productions:
 But all de same you talks too much To suit me bout Lizette;
 Some gent'mens' nigger gwne get hurt About that same gal yet!
 It would not be fair to quote further from Miss Howard Weeden's book. It would be folly to attempt a reproduction of her won- drously faithful pictures. The book is quite the most beautiful-might say the sweet est?-that have known in the wide range of my love for books
 It is a perfect work of art and poetry, if one may draw a sharp distinction be- tween the two. It appeals to all the higher emotions, and sets to ringing those chords within the human breast that twere best to keep ringing all through the years The book is sure to find its way into hum dred thousand homes, and to every home
 1t will go as messenger of light and love.
 Miss Howard Weeden has bu lded better
 than she knew. She has placed under ob-
 ligation to herself every lover of that which
 IS true and at the same time beautiful.
 Truth, alas, is often hideousy ugly. Miss Howard Weeden gives it to us in faultless
 beauty.
 Harking back to the Hon. Daniel Cole man, my quondam consular colleague, he is a man with soul for the beautiful and the essence of sober refinement He is a man of the world and man of broad and deep information. He is a scholar, and his views are broad and enlightened, generous and wde-expanding. His like we seldom know in these days, and that is a pity. Calm, unobstrusive, far ar-seeing benevolent and generous, he is always the gentleman whose friendship is treasure. Study has made h.m accurate; travel has broadened his mind and ripened hls sound judgment.
 MT. Coleman was born i'll Alabama Athens and all his life has been spent in an atmosphere of enlghtment. lis father DaAIel Coleman the cider, was Tor many years Juuge Of one ot the old Judicial clr- cults, anu was afterwards elevated to the supreme bench, which he brlllanIly aaornSu. All the peopie delighted 70 bon or Judge Coleman, who ions since paaseu to his fathers in the unseeable. Daula! CoieA4aI the younger, wAoin we are now cons-aSlins, was n Io,2 elected stace seu- atof loI tAe district then composed oI Liule- stone and Laude4asIe counties and he bore himself WILL censpeuous ability in lne stormy sessions o1 lAC general assenOIy III 1o.--io-lt winning distinction by Als couraSev ability and .roaaness of inIoruid- ton. subsequently, ne Was for sIA years statS solicitor for the oId Filth judicial cir- cut. and in that capacity was emlientiy successful. Early in lie he married Miss Le eIt, oI Huntsville and the first born of this union. brilliant svn, LeVert Cole man. Will three weeks from now graduate high up in his class from the United States 4a ttT