The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-27


 tho reflective kind to please in the most satisfying way the reader who has am- 1 pie leisure and inclination to enjoy its subtle hlmor and the drollery of its dai- que situa lions The author a; oEce wafrs 1 the reader that the names both of men and places are not real--so that the rela- l ton of incidents must be for literary en- ioyment purely without even the accom- panying guidebook propensity Mr. Crockett q we know gave up his life work in the ministry to devote all his time to literature The present work bears evidence of thoughtful, careful at tention to- all details. While it's enchant- ing descriptions of characters, and places and its delicately portrayed situations give to the story great distinction and lit erary charm.
 Denis Dent" by Ernest W. Hornung;
 Frederick A. Stokes Company MT. Hornung you may remember Is the author of "The Amateur Cracksman," Rallies" etc, and as a writer of sea- stories and of life in Australia, has done much creditable work. In his former stories there was always freshness and vigor and sprightlness which made them thoroughly enjoyable. Denis Dent, . published dul ing the past year is not en- trely lip to the standard of the author s best work.
 It is a story of mining life in Australia The scene then shifts to England. There is q very absorbing love-story between Nan and Danis which Is the central hu- man element of the story and around the recital of which all other characters re- volve. But it is too conventional to arouse in the reader more than a listless interest," while the characters are too colores to demand the readers serious sympathy in the evoutions of their destiny.
 "When Love is Love" by Kate Langley
 Bosher; Neale Publishing Comany.
 You may trust a woman to write a 'problem' novel and even when Hove is love hazard the success of it all by in troducing some problematcal psychoogi- cal perpeXitv. Even in her own love af- fairs the feminine nature is too prone to phosophze about 1t and to ieopardize her happiness in seeking to solve va rety of psychological experiences. She so often tries to trace protestations and ac- tions-favorable and unfavorabe-baok to the motive which prompted them and thus places the lover at a disadvantage from which he may vainly try to eXtrieate him self. For you know 1t is oftentimes ex- eeedingly difficult to tell why" we say and do particular things-and especial ly for the 'sterner sex to do so satis- factorily
 In this particular volume-'When Love Is Love" the mooted question is divorce. And while a captious comment might be that without this pestiferous subject we would have had really delightful story yet maybe there would have been no story without 1t. and this is an im- portant consideration. The principle char acters are four sisters. natives of Vir- ginia, who through fortunate circum- stances-an nheritanee-ensconce them selves most delightfully."- at "Spinstervilla" on the Hudson and the story promises well. Soon. however. the problem arises and Virginia struggles to decide whether she will be justified in marrying a di- vorced man. Of course their mutual love is strong and it would appear irresst- ible; he. too, is blameless and his nobil- ty of character unquestioned. Possibly the solving of such perpexites does not promise well for the story, and yet, the fact is that in spite of this the book is not only readable but clever and enter tainging. It draws out from the reader responsiveness" and this is one of the surest tests of the merits of story just as 1t is one of the most satisfying tests of human beings in real life.
 The author, Mrs. Bosher. is a native Virginan, now of Richmond. In her story she possesses, being southern woman, a broad sympathy with the past. At the same time she envinces a keen insight in- to the perplexing phases of present social conditions.
 Listen to the concluding lines of the story
 Virginia said: e. If it were only you and I, 1t would not matter so much, perhaps; but we are telling all the world to do likewise if they so desire-and I dare not-I dare not send such a message to the world!'
 Livingston moved from the railing against which he had been leaning, and took Virginia's hands in his.
 |" The message you send 10 the world is the message God meant all women to send, Virginia he said a little un- steadily. It is a message for men to be better men, and l would to God l were more ready to receive it. Some day per haps l may see this as you do. but as yet l am in darkness-I do not see it yet You have taught me however, and the gentleness of his voice caressed her richly that if love be love 1t will stand all strain, endure all tests--if love be love And ours Virginia-our love-r
 There was no faltering in the face she raised to his
 "'Is love- she said bravely. Our love Is love "
 This Is the end but the reader so un- consciously wonders-what happened next?
 
  "The Yoke"i by Elizabeth Miller: The
 Bobbs- Merrill Comany.
 It requires some elasticity of thought to leap at one bound from the former story with all Its present-day problems to the incidents of "The Yoke" which took place during the time of Rameses IL. fourteen centuries B. C. It Is the story of the exodus and contains a very charming romance of the days when the Lord re- deemed the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. The volume is in seribed to Percy Miller, my brother, who constructed the plot" Though remote in regard to time the events here amplified and made vivid are always of peculiar and intense interest. The style of the story is graceful and easy. the descrip- tions are graphic and beautiful and the characters portrayed with unusual dis trictness and Individuality It is a story that Is in every way satisfying, for. in our reading of fiction while 1t may be for pleasure and diversion primarily, it is we'll to combine instruction also and an uplift that comes from stories that are eminently worth while" In the authors note she says: "The Pharoah lived with A triple purpose; the perpetuity of his