The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-17

'4The Heart of Rome"-by F. Marion
 Crawford Parker's News Stand.
 feel sure a large number of the sterner sex, who agreeably allow themselves oc- casionally to be drawn into the vortex or Birmingham's social life, will sympathise with Mr. Crawford in his unfortunate ex- perience. A somewhat garbled aneedote of the first meeting between Miss Mary L. Wilkins and Mir F. Marion Crawford has lately been related in literary circles. It seems that the two authors met at crowded reception, but in spite of the eff forts of the lady who was introducing them, MT. Crawford failed to realize Miss Wilkins's identity. The lady repeated Miss Wilkinss name. first, simply as Miss Wilkins, then Miss Mary Wilkins, then Miss Mary E. Wilkins, then Miss Mary E. Wilkins, the writer of New England stories. but all to no purpose. Miss VII kins. who is the most modest of authors, was only very much amused. The incident was laughingly repeated and MT. Craw- ford afterward explained that, despite all the repititions, he had failed to catch her name In the chatter of the crowd
 INCiHinuS llc ul Il gentleman WnO once asked why people screamed so loud at re- ceptions-as if they could ever be heard if they didn'tl
 But apropos of Mir Crawford we may charitably surmise that though present in the flesh his thoughts were far away in old Rome, evolving delightful new ro- mances for our amusement and entertain ment. His latest story, The Heart of fe jlIgt ha xuh MT. Crawford writes so delightfully."- that 1t is difficult ever to write of him with captious pen,. yet his latest is scarcely up to his usual standard. Possibly his pro- posed work upon Pope Leo and his drama now on hand are receiving his best and most careful attention. Although MT. Crawford has written a large num- Der of stories and no doubt has written many of them hurriedly, yet there is al- ways one characteristic which Is espe- cially noteworthy in these days of exceed ingly loose morals in many pieces of fic- ton. Not only are all his characters strong, honest, and truthful but there is more. a high altruistic spirit seems to pervade every written page which exerts a wonderful and inspiring influence. No doubt 1t is the result of the authors own integrity and faithful. religious tempera- ment. but it Is a commendable and beau tiful quality. Hall Cane, whose stories are familiar to the reading public, has an extraordinary and peculiar habit of making his women take the initiative in love-making, and we condemn him for 1t. 1 am sure readers of MT. Ora wford will assert that he is the last author of such acquaintance likely to be guilty of such an offence. Yet MT. Crawford in his Heart of Rome has an equally repre- hensible incident. He places his hero and heroine in a really extraordinary and awkward situation and then calls upon the poor little Princess Sabna to act un- womanly. The reader may know from the cellars may be under old Roman pal aces, but even then the proprieties of the situation will not permit such an act.
 The best part of MT. Crawford's stories in the past has been the little bits of philosophy that we come across now and then apropos of some thought of the au- thor. We miss this in The Heart of Rome.' though there is one clever all fusion to Russia. The author says Rus sian diplomatists have ways of finding out things without attracting attention, which are extremely great and wonderful. Also. if Russia puts her paw upon any thing and declares that 1t Is the property of Russian subject 1t often happens that smaller people take their paws away hastily" Tn Cecilia" Mir Crawford, while writing a story of modern Rome in- troduced strong element Of occultism and the old doctrine of the transmigra- tion of souls Though he gave us at the same time fine, strong story. In "The Heart of Rome MT. Crawford employs the cheaper elements of a Host river'' and a hidden treasure as the motif of his story.