The age-herald., 1900-04-22

ans work in the group of great novels, and is masterly as any one of them, In some details even greater Neither Weir Mitchell Winston Churchill nor Paul Lei cester Ford has the picturesque style of this southern woman. She paints back ground to her figures so alluring, so reais- tic that one longs for spring, to sail up the James river and see the country she has immortalized Today, Jamestown is but a site, and the unbrol1en forest she paints with the fidelity and beauty loving eye of a Corot, is hewn down for busy cities to take it's place. Yet there is an allurement about her style that brings it to the read CTS vision as surely as if it were painted on canvas. Still, the book is not made up wholly of beautiful description In the for est and fort, on the river and ocean live and breathe men and women, who have been called from the mists of 2S0 years ago to become as real life itsef. Historically the story is flawless. Figures, well known in our nations history, play their roles in the thrilling drama, and every incident tells of the authors close acquaintance with the history of her state, fair Virginia Miss Johnston must have spent years of study before writing such a story this, not only on history, but in ancient records and on everything that pertains to the knowledge of the American aborigine. Her heroine, fine strong, beautiful Lady Joce- lyn Leigh, is head and shoulders above fords Janice Meredith, who is as weak and coquettish a heroine as romancer ever pictured. Miss Johnston's heroine charms constantly by her womanliness She is heroic, pure imperial, gracious and loYable, lady in the finest sense of the word, and full of dignity as Janice Mere dfth is of wayWardness. Jocelyn Leigh is q hSure, which if I mistake not will take her place in history beside the few great heroines of our few great novels It is a line thing that n ne pbo given us such a woman
 IN SPEAKING OF AMELIE RIVES, a former Mobile woman referred recently to the fact that the world at large had lost interest in this beautiful and gifted woman. She knew Amelie Rives quite well at the time that they had lived in Mobile and in recalling the success of this Vir- ginia woman, she spoke of the quiet life or the Princess nowadays, that she is passing at her old home, Castle Iill'' in Albemarle county, Virginia, while her hus- band. the prince, paints the portraits of Washlngtons S beauties in a typical studio of refined elegance at the national capital The Mobile woman recalled also the idea that prevailed quite generally in Mobile and, indeed in Virginia. that Amelie Rives was the original of Barbara in ''The Quick, or the Dead"
 She indeed went so far in defense of the Princess as to recall Amelie Rives' own words in her denial of such an imputa- ton.
 Barbara" she confessed was beautiful, but her idiosyncrasies are such man would care to accuse herself of, and in describing her she was convinced of the existence of morbid creature. hysterical. sensitive, interpretive. an egotistl to her finger ends. although an unconscious one. 'sWhen I think" Amelie Hives is quoted as saying, "the misconstruction which has followed its appearance I am reminded Of a purported fact which was once mentioned to me. The statement may be utterly un- true, but the smile remains opposite. Some one told that milk and rattle snakes' poison are identical in the quality fand quantity of their ingredients, and that the only way in which scientists explain the harmlessness of the one and the viruence of the other is by supposing some subtle difference in the juXtaposition of the molecules in each fluid. Now. 1t seems to me that some critics. when they shake the milk of my human kindness about in their own minds disturb it's atoms and force them temporarily into a poisonous relativeness.
 .Iow blessed a thing it would be H peo- ple would only understand that while spades are spades, still one need not al ways picture them as standing in mud They may be used more eHectually than any other tool for improving the soil about the roots of the Tree of Liberty. so that 1t will bear more abundantiy and better frult If seems to me that books well meants stronglv written and from clean heart resemble mirrors wherein every one who reads sees his own reflection. The pure will see purity-the foul minded, foul- ness"
 ALABAMA HAS THE PROUD distinc- tion by the recognition of the world of let ters and worshippiug public in regard to the work of three of her daughters-Mary Johnston Leila Herbert and Howard Wee den. That the contribution of these women to American literature are the foremost productions of the year, would furnish a subject for several brilliant chapters. It is true that the names of these three Ala