The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-31

lions of q Sherlock Holmes. An interest," ing idea of the psychological state of mind into which Mir Murray had fallen, how ever, may be surmised from the following: T find little in life that's worth getting warm or impassioned about" said Daven- port. something half wearily, half con- temptuously.
 Have you lost interest in the world to that extent?" asked Larcher.
 Tn nt5 present environment"
 "Oh. you can easily change that. Get Into livelier surroundings"
 Davenport shook his head.
 My immediate environment would still be the same. my memories, my body, this machine, as Hamlet says; my old, tiresome. unsuccessful self" But if you got about more among mankind.-not that I know what your habits are at present, but l should im- agine'--Larcher hesitated. You perceive 1 have the musty look of a solitary" said Davenport. That's true of late. But as to getting about, man delights not me to fall back on Hamlet again-at least not from my present point of view
 Nor woman either?" quoted Darcher interrogatively.
 Now who will doubt that Mrs. Wilcox would have prescribed for MT. Davenport, breathe deep"
 The story is all-ln-ail an exceptionally clever one; 1t has more shortcomings, to be sure, and his women are scarcely up to the standard of what we demand in our fiction-being rather colorless and passive.
 It is interesting to note the evident 1 pleasure that paragra phers seem to gath | CT from little squibs about Marie Coreln. Not one of them seems to take her or any of her efforts seriously. In recent | London letter W. l.. Alden comments somewhat facetiously upon the wisdom of Shakespeare in selecting Stratford as i the place of his birth, knowing that Marie Corelli would live and write there. l With some effort, however, he comments Miss Corelli upon her work in "The Avon Star" in her efforts to preserve Stratford from distinction. He says Miss Corelli | deserves all praise for fighting against 1 the vandalism which would tear down old Stratford in order to put up a Carnegie | library, and the chances now seem to be | that in this fight she will be successful"
 Miss Coreli, who lives at Stratford, Is editing "The Avon Star"
 There have been many valuable works 1 on art published recently; one of the new est added to Duckworths Popular Libra ry of Art Is the Leonardo da Vinci," by George Gronan. There are forty-four pictorial illustrations to help the student of painting to understand the genius of the creator of Mona Lisa" Of the Mona Lisa'-at once the delight and the despair of all beholders, Dr. Gronan says: Before Leonardo, an artist had never tried (perhaps had not dared) to portrap a woman's smile The artistic charm of the Mona Lisa will not re- veal itself to any casual eye. So 1t IS less familiar to the public than many other works of art, not to mention the fact that public opinion has failed to give it the place that is its due. It requires long-very long-lnspection. At length something in the picture begins to live. Next the smile on the lips Is seen; then there is a slight. subtle, somewhat mock ing quiver about the eye. The more one fingers. the stronger becomes the impress l sions."
 After MT. Craigies new novel, "The Vineyard" has made its run as a serial in the Pail Mall Magazine, 1t will be published simultaneously in England and America. The scene of the story Is laid in a modern English provincial town.
 MT. Quiller-Couch's new book, The l Adventures of Harry Revel," has Just | been published in this country. A com mentator. speaking or tne racr, says. MT. Quiler- Couch is one of those fortun- ate men whose wares are of sufficient value to the publisher to make it easy 1 for him to obtain copyright in America Tn accordance with the law of simultaneous publication"