The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Robert Ingersoll said that Shakes peare drew no perfect men. But what momen." May we not go him one bet ter in regard to James Lane Allen and say what men! as well as what women.
 Mir. Allen has, like Shakespeare given us ideal women, but with his men we have a community of gentlemen.
 Probably the most important contribu- tion of the south to civilization is it's social ideals. There has never been else where a large community of men and women which has made gentlemanliness and ladylikeness the most exclusive aim of their culture.
 As all nations have in some way. per verted their worship or been false to their standards it can not be thought singular that the southern idea of Il gentleman could not always and under all circumstances be considered perfect one of the civilized world, but the im- portant fact Is not the abuse of it but it Is that they have had and have an Ideal
 This ideal has in practice had a prodl- gious effect. It has disseminated itself among all classes until the blacks even distinguish men by their character and conduct rather than by extrinsic things
 The southern idea of a gentleman, though frequently supposed to be so, 6s not based on birth nor blood, although much is made of good family, nor does 1t refer especially to polish of manners, though these receive a 1arge share of at tention The ideal is one chiefly of the .f Rta PaH ah sedffroehts. agent mess, courtesy and conduct above lfeanness.
 In these days of irreverence and cyn- icism, 1t is a notable thing to find a writer like Mir. Allen, who firmly and honestly believes in the perfectabiity of human nature. believing that men and women can be good and pure and true and above meanness.
 Mir Allen has emphasized this social ideal in his community Of gentlemen, and insisting that we can not have desira- ble world or approach completeness until men are gentlemen
 There are very few writers of today whose lives and works are so inseperably interwoven, who in their books give so much of themselves as Mir Allen.
 Four miles to the south of Lexington is the house in which MT. Allen spent many of his boyhood years and which he has described so vividly as the home of Adam Moss in "A Kentucky Cardinal and "Aftermath" The pike which runs out from the city passes through the richest part of the Bluegrass regions
 The country Is dotted with these great stock farms from which have come the famous race horses of the American turf. About half way out on the trip to the home of Adam Moss there stands on the high ground to the left of the turn pike the old home in which MT. Allen was born. A little farther on is the toll gate. and beyond a bad breaking off from the turn pike to the left leads to the house surrounded by trees of holly, juni- per. fir and the stoSm-beaten cedars."
 In this community of gentlemen we find Gordon Helm, whose father was about his model for a gentleman, but he should be false to the admitted pro- gress of the times were he not an im- provement on his father. And since his father had, as judged by the ideals of the old social order, been blameless gen. tleman of rural bluegrass kind, with farm, spacious homestead, slaves, leisure and a library-to all of which except the slaves. he would himself succeed upon his fathers death-his dream only took the form of becoming a rural blue-grass gentleman of the newer type, reviving the best traditions of the past, but put ting into his traditions with all his fel- ! low-creatures an added sense of justice and certain energy of leadership in all