The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-30
BY PAIL ply.

BY PA
1.-THE Mortgage on the Brain" by Vincent
Harper Published by Doubleday Page
& Co.
| Mr. Vincent Harper has made his initial
effort in literature in the publication of
.The Mortgage on the Brain and it's
/ originality of conception is more pro-
, nouneed since it is known that his novel
was written before the strange case of
multiple personality investigated by Pro-
fessor Bots sidis of Harvard, which
aroused SCIENTISTS all over the world.
was published.
| The book is an absorbing novel of null
| tiple personality and goes somewhat
deeper into the mystery of human charac-
ter than DIR Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" The
author lends an exceptional interest to
the case in that the. subject is the beauti-
| full Lady Torbeth. And 50 interested
does the hero become in her extraordi
] nary representations which, however, are
! only revealed towards the close of the
story, that he submits to a number of
| hypnotic experiments in order to assist
the scientists in restoring her to her nor
mai individuality 1t is an audacious
theory, but is worked out with sinGularly
| plausible schemes And yet the proposed
cure for this marvellous display Of double
| personality is a splendid example of the
authors power of arranging a lot of well
sounding phrases which convey no intel
| igible mental image to the reader. For
| instanee
Little by little, then, the less noto-
| rious, but lnfiniteiy greater thinkers and
| investigators have laid seige to the cita-
| del OF man brain, and the result is that
with the possible exception of some sort
| of hypothetical consciousness, found
necessary as temporary scaffoldin8
| upon which to stand, all of mans mental
attributes can be shown to be nothing
| but states or modes or functions, as the
| case may be, of purely physical sub
stances acted upon by ether waves or
| other forms of that universal series of
vibrations which we call life l see that
| you now begin to perceive the connec-
| ton with Lady Torbeth's case, which
possibly is more than the reader does
| but fortunately the story is an entertain
ing piece of fiction is not dependent upon
| the elucidation of the scientists theofles'
| Through Isle and Empire" by Robert
d'Humieres Published by Doubleday,
Page Il Co.
In a predatory letter by Rudyard Kip
ling he thanks the author for his book
on the island and the empire, and
writes:
Your comments on the army seem to
me very just Above all, you have put
your finger upon one vital point OF our
training when you speak of the men
who understand that they must not UNI
derstand | think that is at the bottom
of many of our successes and our failures.
| 1t Is the first thing we teach our boys.
In the introduction the author writes of
his work;
cit has no pretensions to academic har-
mony, to historical impartiality or to So
Geological serenity. 1t is a collection OF
Impressions"
This is cheerful news to the reader, and
henceforth he settles himself more COM
fortahly, since he is warned that he need
not be on his guard to combat impossible
theories, but need only listen to the good
natured comments OF a Frenehman on
the ways of his Anglo Saxon brother.
The full scope of his observations leads
him through the empire: out wherever he
leads the reader is a willing and delighted
follower 1t is not book to read with
feverish Impotence or in search of ex-
eitable action. But a book to delight the
thoughtful reader. The gentle rythm of
the style is amply described in the open
ing lines:
The train bears us toward London,
through the fat fields of Sussex, and l
feel these grassy meadows where herds
of cattle Craze; from these gently undu-
lating hills where stately trees stand
grouped in clusters, from these bright
brick cottages set betwee. d garden and
a tennis court The simplicity, the ease
| of this serene countryside are found
again in the conceptions. the actions and
doings of these men Theirs are souls
| in which certainty has built its nest;
this landscape explains and annotates
them
The authors comment upon the vast
possessions of England in the cashier
empre-is especially beautiful, interest
ing and Illuminating
THE Purple Parasol' by George Barr
McCutcheon. Published by Dodd, Mead
& Co.
Exquisite and dainty in it's setting, with
illustrations by Harrison Fischer, and
decorations nv Charles r. Falls "rTha