The age-herald., 1902-03-02

Many of the literary successes or the .a. nave baen heralded by such original methods of advertising on the Parl oi ,,,h,,sbers and journals that success mas cone to mean to the casual reaoe'
 ,,,astion of enterprise rather than hterary .,rtb That this is not always true pears oreater evidence of the true merit oi "oiN t,at needs not this hollow ana ooistei o"S .,,,,,,or+ If the advance orders for MISS 1a,,,,sto,,s latest work were so large that the first edition was placed at the extra ordinary figures of 125.ooO 1t IS because tba story has been read as seriai anu appreciated for it's true worth. bE hia"' the publishing of Audrey in oook io'ii ;s considered the great literary event or the year; and it Is difficult II not weir ,toh ,n,nossible to be temperate in eN- ,rassion and praise where the work IS so snlendid and the success so phenomena' Miss Johnston in her first work rrisoi- era of Hope" carried the country oS storm and if the reviewer felt 1t neces
 sary to make a captious remark II was summed up in the expressed oeliet that the young author could not duplicate her first success. But she did and ITO Have o,d to Hold" was even more successful and popular. In her third work also, Miss Johnston has proven her mastertul hoio upon the life and times of the Old Do- minion One of the successful features of life today is the ability to specialize, and 1t is as true in literature as In meoi- cine or science. The author who can spec i ialize and treat one locality or one period with truer aim and art than another IS ! the writer that will certainly reap deserV- i ed reward. Miss Johnston writes or WIT l einia in these early days with commence an ease that is born only of complete | knowledge and mastery of the place, tht
 time and the people. There nave peer | readers of her former books who nave
 expressed the wish that Miss Johnstor
 would try her facile pen upon an entirely | diAferent style of fiction, but with the l advent of Audrey I am sure none would | have her leave her chosen field. Only
 genuine love and sympathetic insight coupled with knowledge could so permeatt the story with the very atmosphere ol Colonial Virginia as to preserve the veri'
 ties of time and place.
 In Audrey Miss Johnston has mad' a distinct advance We would not have l where she stands so supreme, nor would we have her enter the oftentimes unproflt- able domain of realism. Many readers enjoy novels of adventure and the recital of rapidly recurring incident which SC i strongly characterized Miss Johnston former work. It seemed indeed, only 8 | captious pen that could criticize the au- thor for what can scarcely be termed a fault In Audrey she has held in check her too exuberant imagination and the result is most gratifying. We have here a novel of emotion and character rather than a novel merely of romantic adven- lures, and imagination quickened by emo- tion is vivid and the result Is strong hearty enthusiasm. If Miss Johnston pos sesses one gift in greater perfection than another I believe 1t Is in her ability to present a distinct, vivid picture to the mental vision. To be able to visualize is one of the highest forms of literary art