The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-27

thing that MT. John Fox writes of the Kentucky mountains has about it the
 freshness of the rhodehdrou. the eragnance of the trailing arbutus, the strength of the mountain laurel. These six stories, though not quite up to the high water park of Little shepherd of Kingdom Come" are full of fresh- ness and strength.
 The story that gives the title to the volume Is one of forgiveness for iEa- jury. The mountaineer. just freed from prison, is intent for revenge on the man who has caused him to be i'm prisoned. but the sight of his old love. now the wife of his enemy. turns his purpose and sends him away from re- svenge. With the memory of the prison chaplain's voice in his heart he turns to the frontier ranges repeatlng' kts- venge is Mine. saith the Loru
 ssThe Army of the Callahan" IS. s humorous story of how schemin . fellow almost had himself eaten out 2. house and home by the army ne nas created for self-defense. hS has' As.. atetsofl' fs probably the best Of the. slk sscriss that make up the volume. Tns others. .srhe Pardon of Becky Day thA ac.risis for the Guard" 'Christmas pT,eht with satan" are simple little plots fIecked out with good local coi- or.
 s'C.hrfstn1as Eve on Lonesome anu other stories" by John Fox.
 The Rivers Children. Mrs. Ruth Mo- Emery Stuart has threaded some good bits of dialogue and some picturesque scenes of the Mississippfs shore on very slim thread of plot Indeed. the pretty incidents and bits of sketchins may be hardly said to be even held toe gethsr by thread, so little have they to do with any development or any thing like a plot. They are rather like d lot of pretty beads unstrung ana tumbling about in joyous confusion De- tween book backs. as Q childs un- threaded head needles rollicks around in q box.
 The story of the propitiation of "old Lady Mississippi" with a diamond ring is a good short story to itself. The young husband was drowned, his hodv was not yet found, his young widow was not consolable; A wlpoW without a grave is like wind In Feb 'uary--crying always forever aroun de house wid nowhere to go, an. Tn her eyes are all kinds of weather. Bff! It is a great consolation, grave. It IS a halfway station between de home an de church; an widow she need dat--for vile" And so the Great River gave a corpse for diamond. ..An' my DO sister Eclectic had her consolation-an' we had one fine funeral"
 Very attractive is the story of Old Hannahs unhappiness at feeling her unfitness to bring up Marse Harold child: She's gittin' tall. An you know, Isrul, you an me we ain't htten to raise Marse Harors chile. She's big enough to study quality manners an white behavior. All Marse HaroP g fam'Iy's chillen knowed ali de fancy high steps an played scales on de pic amer wid bofe hands at oncst, time dey was tall as Blossom is--an' dey made dancin' school curtsies, too. taken notice, Blossom is sort O shy, an she Rettin' so she'll stand off when any body speaks to her-I sho'~is pestered to see her gittin' shy and shamefaced like DO folks. Modest manners and upright behavior is her portion. l know 1t by heart, but can't show it to her. Very fetching, but exaggerated is the story of Blossoms many and de verse baptizingsy The coming of Marse Harold is very tamely told after the long waiting, and the father seems lit- tie moved by finding his child. The story runs idly back and forth, from before the war house parties. into since the war poverty, through following by progress, without. consecutive mould ing. The description of the old garden with It's cape jasmine borders and stately oleanders and glorious magno- Iias makes one long to be back in Gods good country. The sketches of Creole life and living are fetching, as Mrs Stuart's descriptions always are. Taken as a series of essays on life about the mighty Mississippi, the nt- tie book Is a very attractive one.
 The Rivers Children, by Ruth McEn. cry Stuart.
 The Law of the Land.-Mr. Emerson Hough has written a very strong po- litical novel of the South. Mir. Hough is a Western man and comes to his task without prejudice for either the Northern or Southern view of the negro question. But he has as his book shows made a deep study of today's condi- tions. He evidently feels strongly on this great problem and he believes that the South Is misunderstood and unap= preciated. Apart from the relation of the war of white and black there is 6 romance of excellent intent, Miss Lady, the heroine thereof, will win many hearts. The life of the Mississippi Del ta is we'll depleted.
 The old "Ba'r hunter" Colonel Cal Blount is a rough diamond. His love for Miss Lady is a sparkling gIint of the glory that polishing might have given to his crudeness. But Miss Lady's refusal does not chill his heart or his great and protecting friendliness for her. And it's No. Miss Lady, it's NoP' said the old planter-"Yes, child: yes, Miss Lady said Calvin Biount. gently. ''but then, but then! I never did know much. but I'm learnin'. I'm man enough to know all about what you mean when you say but them Come. it's all over--I won't stand in your way, and I'll help you all I can. I'm done tallxin' about this, now and forever" So the ColoneIs romance is over, he 7 lives to love again. howbeit it Is more Madame Delchasse's cooking than her charms that he loves. It is a wise man who marries a good cook. The Colonel shows in the early pages Of the book that he loves the good things that so to the support Of the inner man. Hear him ask the young hero