The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-05

secretary of the navy, Hilary A. Her bert, Miss Herbert was one of the most brilliant women in official life in Wash ington, and as the youngest of the cab met ladies was central figure in the ex- elusive set
 Her social position gave her the oppor- tunity of meeting the most eminent men | and women of the country, and had she lived the literature of the day would, no | doubt, have been enriched by her me- moirs.
 Miss Herbert was among the American women presented at court, her beauty and briliancy making her distinctive | figure in London society, in addition to the homage paid her py reason of her official position in the society of this country.
 In speaking recently of Miss Herbert, Mrs Samuel Will John, who knew her personally, in discussing her appearance, said:
 As memory lifts the veil of a golden, sunny distance, fair tender blue-eyed and golden haired girl of sixteen sum- mers is revealed to me. I am again in the presence of wonderful charm and graciousness of manner and striking per- sonality. There, too are repose and dignity of character, depth of thought that claims your attention.
 Years pass, the girl becomes a woman; death robs father and sister of this lovely companion, but not before she im- presses her intellectual self upon the pages of a book, and I again meet her in this book taking her place as a writer in historical literature.
 "A fiower-lilxe being, too, was Leila Herbert, rare and frail, upon whom the dews of few mornings rested too heav- fly. In her death the heart of the south land was touched.
 Tn speaking of her book Mrs. John l said that 1.-two pronounced welcomes greeted this interesting and instructive work. one from those who had known and admired the gifted writer, the other from those who were privileged to ex- perience the charm of her unique lndi- yiduallty. The marked simplicity and purity of expression which at once claim your attention lead you to pursue each page with deeper interest. As you read, the fascinating writer seems at your side vividly picturing this home life as one she had shared The world being fa- miliar with the public life of all great men, loves to turn aside from the strife of politics. roar and din of battle to the quiet and beauty of the inner life, where catching a glimpse 'soothes the restless spirit, and banishes the thought of day This repose the spirit finds after the pe- rusal of The First American
 Tt fills long felt want in our Wash ington literature. The Extracts from Her Diary as preface to this book. for originality and depth touch upon the philosophers thought. Thus she says:
 When one is raised to high position. all ones false friends rush to the front, half ones true stay behind. and all those who have real claims nourish hope one can not fulfill
 |" T believe that only love has eyes: God Is love, and God sees ali Love sees all and love alone sees ail'
 !" Before father came up I knelt down and prayed that his success would not bring me to the hardness of heart and selfishness and regardlessness that I had seen 1t bring to so many wives and daughters of successful men In Washing ton
 Throughout these extracts you are impressed with her deep religious thought and also with that sweet mel ancholy that, akin to the great Madame dc Staels is inseparable from all noble minds"