The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-19
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
PAUL PRY.

L PRY.
 terful powers of word-painting never ap- peAred to better advantage than in Ca briel Tolliver;'' and in this sustained piece of fiction gives greater evidence Of thought and power than in his former short sketches.
 His diction is suggestive and foreefu1: his sentences short, energetic and terse end his style so clear-cut and vigorous and full of wtnging grace that the reader is held spell-bound with eacn succeeding line.
 The chief charm of Gabriel Tollivern is the character work, and while the marvellous creations of the book are such as we have known and loved in MT. liar ris's forr.er books, yet here he seems to have given his riotous imagination full play and hls read srs cannot fail to be arazed at the result.
 Some are drawn boldly and with a few telling master strokes, as in the old school statesman, Merriweather Clopton, in the shade of the silver maple reading his Virgil or Horace; or Dr. Darlington the typical village doctor; or Abe Good lett, who played even with the yankees when they hanged him. and of whom his old servant said, ''Yo' keep yo eye on
 i'm" he used to say to his colored ao- quaintances. Keep yo' eye on i'm, an when yo' see his under-jaw stichn' out, des turn yo' back, an put yo' fingers in yo' ears"
 Mir. Goodlett's friend, Mir. Billy Sanders Is sketched with fuller detail and In his inimitable humour and homely philoso- phy, Is one of the best and most lovable characters in the book. They are almost too numerous to mention, but readers , will long remember the kindly sympathy of neighbor Tom1in, the sly good heart of Silas Tomln, whom even the author confesses would not be consistent in his ShylocA proclivities, the ferry passion of Major Tomlin Perdue and the courtly Grace of Judge Albert Vardeman. And. yet, fine as they all are, they cannot equal the feminine portion, for with his women characters, MT. Harris has done his finest and best work. He eems to know intimately and well every pulsing emotion, whether in the breast of the gossiping Miss Polly Gather, or sweet old grandmother Lumden, or charming Mrs. Claiborne or Mrs. Darlington, until the wonder Is how he ever learned so much of maid and widow.
 In Man. Mir. Harris has drawn an ex- ceptionally charming heroine. We learn to admire her first as the fair captain of her little negro regiment but we never forget the dear little tomboy in the very proper grown-up lady. Even Nan asked herself a thousand times why she should now begin to feel hy of Gabriel, and why he should be so self-conscious, he who had never thought of herelf with any degree of eriousness until now. 1t was all puzzle to her As 1t was with Nan, so it was with Gabriel. As Nan grew shy and shyer, the newly-awakened Gabriel grew more and more and more timid, and the two oon found themselves very far apart without knowing why For long time Cephas was the only con meeting link between them. He was d shy little rascal, this same Cephas and he found in the situation food for both curiosity and amusement. Gabriel, of course, Is the hero of the book and is a fine, manly young fellow. His introspec- tive nature leads him rather to the en- joyment of solitary rambles on his be- loved Bermuda fields. And he seems never so happy as when enjoying the companionship of the friendly inhabitants of the woods. "So Gabriel confined his communications for the most part to his old and ever faithful friends, the woods and the velvety Bermuda fields. He walked about among these old friends With lively sense of their vitality and their fruitfulness He was certain that the fields knew him as he knew them and as for the trees, he had feeling that they knew his name as well as he knew theirs" Gabriel and Nan loved long in silence, but the sympathetic bond between them was very beautiful and runs through the story like golden thread, holding in proper adjustment all the di- verg1ng friendships and interests of sleepy, unprogressive Shady Dale"
 Nan has tried very hard to evince only a casual interest in Gabriers imprison- ment and his many misfortunes; but his final return sweeps away all barriers and the meeting between Nan and Gabriel gives occasion for some of the subtlest and tenderest portions of the story. Ga Driel Tollfver" Is a strong fine piece of work and to be enjoyed to the utmost should be read thoughtfully and slowly in order to extract its greatest beauties and charm. Fortunately the story has no illustrations for the beautiful text needs not such illumining. The volume appears in substantial red cover. and Is dedicated to James Whitcomb Riley"