The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-31
Young Authors Best Work
PAUL PRY.

.The Mystery of Murray Davenport" ky Robert Nelson Stephens. Published by L. c. Page & Go.
 There Is large number of young au- lhors who have achieved an enviable rep ntation In literary fields during the past few years. Most of them are college graduates. who drifted first into journal sm ard after an encouraging success chose literary career as their life work. No one among these has evinced a more pronounced talent and seriousness than Robert Nelson Stephens. Many readers will recall with pleasure his earlier stories, "Captaiu Ravenshaw," Philip Win wood" t'The Continental Dragoon," 'eThe Gentleman Player" and others.
 The scenes of several of his stories are lad during revolutionary days, and some among the past and distant days of for eiga lands. While his earlier work did not lack .hc crude ness that almost neo- essarily belongs to an inexperienced writer yet his work always showed tal- ent and carcfulness in preparation. and above a.: 1t held promise of better work to come. MT. stephenss latest story. The Mystery of Murray Danven- port" fulhlls this promise in a most pleas ing way, and all readers will at once agree that 1t is by far the strongest and best work the author has yet done.
 
 Not orly, though, Is "rhe Mystery of Murray Davenport" the authors best work. but the story itself deserves strong Cor tt 4e Ia ,la and enjoyable story.
 We demand different requisites of our books at different seasons of the year In the early. languid, summer days, even the most captious reader asks no more than to be diverted and entertained. This Mir. Stephens's story will do in an en- tiroly pleasing and satisfactory way; and the ingeniousness of the plot fingers with the reader and keeps one pondering over tho unique developments in the history of Mir Murray Davenport.
 MT. Stephens, in this story makes a new departure and places his scenes in New York at the present time. So far as I know, 1t is the first story he has written of modern life, and in giving it the setting of the gay metropolis he shows grasp of his subject and a comprehen- sive survey of details which so strongly marked his previous work Two char acteristics in the present story distin- guish the work. and it is difficult to decide which is the more important. An origi- nally conceived plot, ingeniously executed, is certainly prime requisite for the sue cessfu story, but strong and individual characterizations seem of almost equal importance. The plot of Murray Daven- port'' is clever and skllful, and while 1t is possessed of an originality and newness that is most extraordinary it does not offend the probabilities" and that is all we demand in our authors.
 The characters are strongly individual and most adroitly portrayed.
 The unmistakabe talent of the author is evidenced in the drawing of the con- trasting personages of Murray Davenport and the unique MT. Bagley.
 
 In the interesting llfe-story of MT. Davenport we trace the influence and trend of modern thought, and two new theories are utilized in very clever way in the analysis of his development. One is the possibilities of advanced physical and surgical operations; the other belongs more especially to the new thought move- ment.
 It is not unlikely that MT. Davenport s mental attitude may have been influenced by the incompatible Ella Wheeler Will cox and her subtly hygenio and spiritual theories.
 It is just as impossible to betray a hint of the motif of the story as 1t would be, for instance, to divulge the manipula-