The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1900-09-08
NINTH YEARsNo.g s.....l. a IN. s... ... 80
MISS EVANS, Book.


"Over the Shoals, by Miss
Leila Mary Evans, Of Bay St.
Louis, has been well received-as
it sbouldbe. a book delightfully."-
interesting. both the plot and the
wording. The author shows sew
eral strong characteristics that
become self-evident to the reader
of the work, as one peruses and
grows deeper into the interest
that is fastened upon the mind
going page over page. 1t is Il
pure novel, replete with much
that is good, and commends itself
to IA place on the library shelf in
every christian home; delightful
ly planned and written book.
Much Of the description is beau
|tiful, yefitable gems fiitingly set.
This Is much Of the Individuality
of Miss Evans work, aside from
the moral tone that peryades.
throughout. II ~ evident slSat
she has soul Of the poet and a
heart and mind that can interpret
the rainbows of the beauties of
nature. This must be one Of the
secrets Of her ability TO paint with
pen such GORGEOUS and animated
scenes from Gods vast gardens
here below. "Over the Shoals"
should be the presager of another
production by its author, for there
lseyery reason, every indication
to believe that second effort
would bring even better re-
suits. In this her first work Miss
Evans shows not only talent but
exceptional merit, in conception
Of her characters and plot and in
execution. IN this day when the
literary world is filled with pro-
ducts that become almost drug
on the market owing to the num-
Der OF writers and the consequent
overproduction, the very fact that
a great publication house accept
ed her manuscript---the first she
had ever offered-and published
i at their own expense, showing
the confidence they hadin its merit
and their faith of the returns their
Investment would net, forms the
most substantial Of praise and in
turn the gmost complimentary.
Bay st. Louis feels proud of Miss
Evans; the people feel proud of
Iher work, and appreciate her pa
ftrlotlsm SO well displayed in the
Ilocal color that she gave her book
IShc did not soar into far-away
|climes. The plot was neither laid
in London, Paris or New York,
but principally at home, and in
her native place-New Orleans
1.-TWO localities that she knew and
lcould speak of knowingly.
Below The Echo prints a pro.
fessional criticism Of the book
| from Sundays New Orleans Plea.
Lyune, The book critic on the
IPicayune is generally severe anc
mot given to idle fiattery. This il
,Iwhy opinions from this sourc,
4 bear weight. The criticism:
d kup''The scene of this story is laic
principally in Bay st. Louis anc
New Orleans, but there are in.
terludes staged in New York, ant
the final chapter takes the reader
| to far-away Santiago. The bool
lis evidently the authors first lite
4 rary effort of magnitude, but pos
sesses much merit. The plot i,
\ interesting, and the contrasting
characters of Maize and Tillie are
livery we'll brought out. Maize /,
! the ueice of wealthy New Or
leans banker, but Tillie is tht
daughterof an impoverished coun.
7 try woman. Certain papers fal
Einto the hands of Titles mother
which supply the only clew tc
< Maizie's iudentity. Instead of re,
Turning them to their rightfu
i lowner, the woman uses them tc
| foist her daughter off upon the
wealthy banker, who, ignorant OF
the deception of which he is the
victim, rears TilIie with tender
solicitude and all the kindness he
| would bestow upon q relative.
| But Tillie, or Agalia, as she is
/ known, is not worthy of the af-
| fectionate care lavished upon her,
and her obscure origin reveals it.
self in her selfishness and cruelty.
Mazie, on the other hand, falls
Into the hands of an Irish girl
whom her mother had befriended,
aniit is all that the most exact
ling parent could desire Of sweet
ness and beauty. The Irish girl
| becomes a great prima donna, and
her ward is thus a person of con-
sequence; hence she drifts natu-
rally into the circle where TilIie
has ustirped a place. Eventually
the truth il revealed. aud Maize
is restored to the position which
is rightfully hers, while Tillie,
overwhelmed with modification,
retires to a convent. The title of
the story indicates, in a poeticaI
way, the obstacles that threaten
THESE fictitious "mariner's over
life's stormy sea-" as the author
calls them. Miss Evans shows a
good deal Of talent, and her story
will doubtless be followed by
others, In which, with added cx-
perience and practice, she will do
even better"
Says the Biloxi Review:
"0ver the Shoals" is the title
OLA novel just issued and written
lby Miss Leila Mary Evans Of Bay
st. Louis. Miss Evans is a fiction