The age-herald., 1901-09-29
qhs Book to Be Among the
 October Publications dWO WOMEN cOLLABORATORS
6omething of the Literary Work Of Grace McGowan Cooke and Annie
 Booth Mckinney and Their
 Success at Collaborating.
BY ANNIE kENDRlcK WALKER.

BY ANNIE kENDRlck WALKER,
 Literary interest is centered just at present in the forthcoming publication of Mistress Joy: A story of Natchez in 179S,'' by two brilliant Southern women, Mrs. Annie Booth Valentine Mckinney cf Knoxville, Tenn, and Mrs. Grace Me Gowan Cooke of Chattanooga, Tenn. The book will be brought out early in Octo- Der by the Century Company cf New Fork. which is preparing for an enormous sale. They believe that 1t will lead all their other works of fiction in ti4e com ing year. Indeed it is anticipated that '.Ntistress Joy will be the largest seller ever brought cut by this house. Aside from these general prophecies will be its popularity throughout the South, since tne South--Natches an1 New Orleans furnishes the scene setting for the story, while the prominence and popularity Of the authors assure a general interest in the book from all sections of the country. The Southern set in New ork became intensely interested when 1t became known last spring that Mrs. Mckinney and Mrs. Cooke were East for the pur- bose of placing their book. and when it became known in the literary set that the Century Company had accepted the story It's authors were talked of even then more than the literary idols whose books had gone into the hundred thousands; and when the story was told that one of the leading publishing companies in Bos- ton had accepted the book, but this ac- ceptance declined by the authors because this firm could not bring out the book until. January. every one stared at each other increduously. Then 1t was an- nounced tha, the authors hao conferred with the Century Company in New York. tat the book had again been accepted, and that the Century people would bring it out i'll october. Since then A-istress Joy has been the most discussed young woman of the day. Pages are being written of her in the newspapers, and it is said that at all tho fashionable sum lner places Mistress Joy was the theme of absorbing interest. That she will actu- ally arrive during October makes the story of the collaboration subject Of in tense interest, and every line written re- rardine tho authors $ eagerly read. But it is the motif of Mistress Joy to which the literary world is now turning its at- tcntion.
 While the book is in no sense religi- ous novel, 1t deals most plcturesquely with the beginnings of MetIodism in tho Southern wilderness of our country.
 When the Wesleys came to America more than a hunured and hIty years ago, they landed at Savannah, their minstra- tions wore .n Georgia. rifty years later. at the time of tnis story. Georgia was still claiming the greater part of the Mis- sissippi province The contrast secured by these writers who have used little bafid of primitive Methodists TOT a DOT tion of their characters. and who. car ryng the story to New Orleans. have given Us the strong comparison of lrench-Creole Catholic society in it's gay and opulent phase one hundred years ago is very remarka -,le.
 The New -rleans scenes. with the ad- dition O. bonny Methody. 'Mis -ress Joy is most charming. But while the surface sparkles there is a deeper inner signi- ficance to this portion of the story. Nils tress Joy" who thought she hau a call to become a preacher of the Word, Is here in New Orleans testing herself amid the gayeties of the world lest that call prove a false one. The history of her spiritual growth, while 1t is not thrust upon tho reader. underlies everything That she becomes better, broaoer. mo- bier woman. because sl.e has seen and known life and it's realities is in conso- nance with modern thought
 Ut is not alone members of the Me-no- dist church who will follow t..-s subtle thread in the SCOTT with eager interest line history of the doubts, the dlsillusion- ments. the growth O. one soul, Is the his- tory of all. Those who have thought at all upon religious subjects will find this note in Mistress Joy a welcome one
 Altogether the book is not only of ab- sorbing interest, but most uplifting and rsfreshing.
 Unlike most historical novels. Mistress Joy has strong psychological motif. while not lacking in action and plot. The real strength of the book. beside the love interest, is that the heroine is drawn to stand for type, the development of the old narrow Metnodism of a hundre4 years ago to the broad church of today. which gives tremendous opportunity for psy- chic treatment
 Louis Philippe was in Natchez, Misss-