The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-09

John Lane has just published story
of the stirring times of the John Brown
episode Immediately preceding the period
of Mr.. Winston Churchills THE Crisis
in Frederick Blount Motifs novel entitled
Before the Crisis" The picture drawn
is of the turbulent days on the Kansas
border that preceded the secession of the
Confederate states. The events related
took place in the campaigning along the
Usage and Ossawatomie at time when,
as some one has said, one political fac
ton there was framing laws without ma
terially contributing to order, while the
other was exacting some degree of order
without much regard to law. The open
west became naturally the dueling ground
of the two national purposes before the
initial rupture at home. John Brown,
"ossawatomie Brown" to use the swing
Ing name he bears in Stedman's poem,
adding as he did to the unhesitating part
he played in the turbulence of the west
ern bordere, his extraordinary attempt
within the territory of the destined Con-
federacy to enlist the instant use of
lOTC6 Ill lut SuPpOlb VI aDOlllAoh oNiAef
ment, has always remained an engross-
ing figure and bone Of contention In
historical study. Mr.. Mott presents him
with his small but well disciplined army
as somewhat of another Cromwell; and,
prominent in the story, as In the place
and time he exercises q directing infiu-
ence upon the love motive which per-
vades the tale.
John Lane has added to his FLOWERS
of Parnassus'' a series a small book Oh
sonnets by Elizabeth Rachel Chapman,
entitled "A Little Child's Wreath" The
author was born at Woodford, Essex, In
February, 1850. Her family was connect
ed on both sides with the Gurneys OF
Earlham, whom Mrs. Richie Miss
Thackeray) in her book Of "Sibyis" de-
scribed as ordained to a sort of natural
priesthood. Elizabeth Chapman was of
that company of devoted spirits. This
wreath" was consecrated to a little
nephew tenderly loved in whose grave
she now lies. Miss Chapman's writings
were published between the years 1881
and 1897; at the early date Master of
ALL" her first work, and at the latter
her last, Marriage Questions In Modern
Fiction" Perhaps her best known work
is companion to "In Memoriam," which
drew the praise of Tennyson himself.
In 1887 she published volume Of verses,
1.-The New Purgatory and Other Poems"
"A Little Childs Wreath" was published
in 1894 and reprinted In the year follow
ing. Mrs. Alice Meynell contributes an
Introductory note to this reprint, and w.
Graham Robertson has drawn several
striking illustrations.
The topics in 1.-THE Studies of a Book
Lover" now being published by James
Pott & Co., are critical and biographical.
The author, Thomas Marc Parrot, pro-
fcssor of English in Princeton university,
attempts to Indicate for Matthew Arnold,
for example, a place beside Tennyson
and Browning. and to explain the limita-
lions Of Gray's genius. Among the bio
graphical essays are sketches of DIR.
johnson and Goldsmith Essays from
Millions works have been selected and
arranged in such fashion as to permit
the poet to give his own account of his
life. There is q brief note on the roman
ticism of Scott, and the volume concludes
with a paper on certain aspects of
Browning.
Mrs. Craigie, the novelist, who is bet
| ter known under her non de guerre OF
"John oliver Hobbies" is publishing, In
this country, through Messrs. Scott-Thaw
| company. a lecture she gave before the
Ruslin society of Birmingham. England
The lecture is now printed in the form OF
a small volume with the title, THE Sci
| ence Of Life" 1t is an attempt to treat
| the subject from the religious stand.
point, and deals with It by means Of a
contrast between the lives and teach
ings of st. Ignatius Loyola and Tolstoy
1 ~.1a tn kIov
! verse which Messrs Scott-Thaw com
nany win publish on the first Of October.
| The authoress, Miss Grace Constant