The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-19
= HE leading fiction contribution In
Lippincott's for March is story
by Capt. Archibald w. Butt.

- HE leading fiction contribution In
(0 Lppincott's for March is a story
by Capt Archibald w. Butt.
entitled Both Sides of the Shield" The
scenes of the story are laid near Angus
ia, Ca, and faithful picture Is given
of life in the rural districts of the south
just after the war. Captain Butt knows
the people and incidents which he de-
scribes. His story is beautiful in theme
and so we'll executed that ones eyes
moisten at his tribute to the courage,
the newborn hope and the fine old nobil-
ity that characterized the aristocracy
of the south left impoverished by the
civi, war Somehow, the poetry and the
romance of those days Is ever fresh
and more interesting as time goes by IL
needs only a trained hand to play upon
ones very heart-springs by describing
the chivalry, the .lathos and the hidden
tragedy of reconstruction. In fiction there
Is no more fertile field than that offered
by the sunny southland, both before and
after the war. Captain Butt has written
a pretty story and one that appeals very
strongly to southern readers.
The amusing story now going the
rounds which relates how the miners Of
Goldhelds. New, had great sport at the
expense of man who dared to appear
in dress suit again calls attention to
this, the most ludicrous apparel ever de-
vised for human being. What could be
more absurd than a man In swallow
tail'' hopping about on a ball room floor
like some over-grown sparrow or mon
strocity that cannot be classified. The
modern dress suit" has no claims to
faver save the fact that 1t Is "the thing
and must be worn regardless of its awk-
wardness Some day we will probably
ortgrow the dress suits but today we are
in their power
Those who are in touch with the politi-
cal situation assert that Elihu Root of
New York Is a presidential aspirant who
is already strongly in the race. although
he has not admitted that his eyes are to-
ward the White House. From his record
In public and private life. there Is no
reason why Mr.. Root should not make
first-class executive. but how about the
democrats? 1t seems to be taken for
granted that they will not have even
'look-in'' and gossip is confined TO leaders
in the republican party who are thought
to be after the presidency. The demo-
cratic donkey has apparently been slum-
bering peacefully ever since that disas-
trous landslide which engulfed one Alton
Brooks Parker.
Perhaps you have visited lonely spots
where the atmosphere was heavy and de-
pressing, where the world seemed gloomy
and your thoughts were weighed down
by a strange subtle sadness. There is
no place where the vanity of life Is so
apparent as in one of those little country
churchyards In the rural districts of the
south, removed from the haunts Of men
and away from the worlds mad strife.
Here lie sleeping perhaps several hundred
good people who lived out their simple
lives and then went the way of all NOR
tally. There are no handsome monu-
ments to awaken admiration, no flower
beds and well-ordered walks TO please
the eye. A few white shafts rise here
and there like sentinels, in other places
the grass grows rank and cedar trees are
scattered about in promiscuous fashion.
Burials are not frequent. Pehaps fresh
mound has not been added for twelve
month. Here and there the touch OF low