The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-12

William c. Oates of Alabama. on ac- count of his splendid services to the Con- federate cause and for so many years as Congressman and then Governor of Ala bama, gives the work especial interest as being the fruit of his riper judgment He gives a general review of men and events which are either personally known to him or known through his immediate associates. In the preface General Oates explains his position. He writes:
 "I had then, young as I was opinions of my own, many of which, however, by reflection and the mellowing influence of time, have undergone changes. Wherever state a fact as within my own knowl- edge, 1t Is literally true but many of the transactions 1 relate are on information which l believe to be true, whether 1t pertains to civil administration or mill tary affairs. No two men can participate In a great battle and see 1t just alike. ! Whoever undertakes to record historic events should endeavor to do it truthfully rather than entertainingly at the expense of the truth"
 In the initial chapter of the work the author writes of "The Causes of Seces- sion and War; and maintains justinca- tion of secession. He quotes at length the paper by Commodore M. F. Maury on the question whitten as a vindication of Virginia, and in the authors opinion the clearest and most conclusive statement ever written. From this chapter the scope of the work opens up, and he next writes of Proposed Co-operatlcn," "Fhe Provisional Congress" Military Affairs" etc. Under every heading and subject treated the author has given a list of participants which makes the work in- valuable. As In the chapter on "The Eff teenth Alabama Infantry Regiment" Of course though, the text becomes more interesting to the general reader after these preliminary statements, as 1t were are completed and the author Is well launched into the relation of the rapid events of the war. Familiar events they
 may be, but of never ending interest to the people of the southland at least, and especially as personages beloved and revered pass rapidly across the pages for after all ''man Is the subject of every history
 Such volume is an incalculably val uable addition to the literature of our country and of especial value to tho youth of our own southland that they
 may have the events still dear to it's
 memory clearly and truthfully placed before them.
 | An April instalment of Mir. David Gra- | ham Phillips serial story, "The Deluge ,,
 now running in Ainslees Magazine, lands | the reader right in the middle of the | plot, where anything may happen If
 there Is anyone who has read this story thus far and fails to look forward with
 the kcenest anticipation to the further
 developments, he is certainly entitled to
 the distinction of being classed among
 the most unemotional sort of novel read CTS.
 l Robert Kitchens. author of successful
 new book, f'In the Garden of Allah" has
 a very attractive story in Ainslee's fos
 April, called ''The Spinster" It Is, moro
 than anything else character study;
 but at the same time there is plot enough about 1t to make it very interesting read
 ing. and worthy of its place in an ex-
 ceedingly good table of contents.
 There has been a substantial increase in
 the circulation of the Popular Magazine
 since the first of the year. which is no doubt largely due to the appearance in
 its pages of H. Rider Haggard's extraor- dinary novel of adventure "Ayesha," the
 companion story to She" In the April | issue this story reaches what Is perhaps
 It's most interesting stage, and as a com | plete synopsis is furnished. new readers l VIII pc aDle 10 enJoy IL without having
 to send for the back numbers Besides | "Ayesha" there are three complete nov
 els. eight short stories and four serials, | including a new one in two parts, enti- | tied From the Deep Sea-" by Henry c.
 Rowland author of the widely known book, Sea Scamps."
 l F. Frankfort Moore, whose ''The Jes- samy Bride" was widely read, will have ! his new novel, Love Alone Is Lord" brought out in this country by c. P Put | nam's Sons. The same house is also pre- | pairing for issue a new volume of essays
 by Mnot J. Savage, "Lifes Dark Prob- ! lems.'
 The leading fiction contribution to Iip-
 Dncotts magazine for March is a story by Captain Archibald w. Butt, entitled Both Sides of the Shield" The scenes and incidents of the story are located near Augusta, Ga Aside from it's dis tiEct literary merit. the story is inter- esting to southern people. A more ex- tended review will appear later.
 Brick block Third ave. and