The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-29
"GRES ELDA.''
BY Marion Grey.

Herbert b. Turner & Co. of Boston.
have discovered a new and rising str
in the literary armament, ma young
lady who shows in this, her first book,
remarkable talent which with mature
years and study should give her no
small place in the literary world.
Charles Warren Stoddard. Phi Ii.
D.. author, poet, and traveller, whose
Islands of Tranquil Delights Is de-
lighting the literary elect, and whose
South Sea ldyls" has become an Amer
lean classic. says of Miss Grey's book:
"A dainty volume containing the story
of a fororn little orphan, with much of
the gypsy in her nature and love-hunger
in her heart. There is something of the
charm of Graham's Golden Age" in the
telling of this simple story; something
Of the simplicity of the Pilgrims Prog
ress.' II is told with the freedom and
freshness of youth and a humor that Is
delightfully."- naive"
Miss Letherby, the maiden aunt. does
not understand the very spontaneous lit
tie person who Las come to live with
her:
Miss Letherby's voice shook with
emotion. Grcselda, could you live here
with me and be happy Greselda's eyes
wandered all around the room before she
spoke.
"'And read chapters every night, and
wash all the time and never bang the
door, or pick the lilies or yell when |
make believe the corn is a big forest
and I'm an Indan-and-' she stopped
for want of breath to finish, then, with
brief pause she said. No
OF course there is an attic for the
child to mouse in: There were a dozen
trunks there Gresclda would have said
shapes. for beside a huge, square, dusty
looking thing whose iron corners We're
indeed threatening, stood a small one of
worn leather, void OF everything like the
dingy foreign tags pasted on the formid-
able looking neighbors. 1T seemed to say
as plainly as trunk could say any
thing. I'm the stay-at-home of this
family"
GreseldG. is writing a story, as so many
imaginative children do; she might be
own cousin to William Henry, the let
ter writer. We cannot get too much of
Greseldas story and hope for more of
it by and by In one chapter she says:
"rhe minister's wife asked me If l
liked this place. She said of course l
liked to be with Aunt Letherby. / said
that sometimes l liked 1t awful we'll but
most always | just liked it,
pretty soon the minister's wife came
back and she had a doll in her hand.
She gave it to me and kissed me. | liked
the kiss / liked it lots better than the
doll"
I'VE went out into the garden and the
minister's wife picked a big bunch of
sweet peas and gave them to me and
kissed me again. Those are the first
nice kisses I've had since-I don't know
since when"
Il don't like dolls much. They look at
you the same way all the time and they
can't talk, I'd rather play with the bug
family, because they can move even If
they can't say anything"
This cnapter isn't entertaining
Il used to like to read better than
anything else. Why! I'd sit by the hour
book in my hands and the people In
IL creeping into my heart, and forgot
that there was such a thing as trouble
il the world. That was before l got such
an awful bitter taste of il"
81 wish I could be in story Just
think how funny it would seem to be
only an inch high and drawn on page.
Well, she is In a story, perhaps for the
first time. and we are sure It's not for
the last time. She's only an inch high,
and drawn on a page with artless skill
and it is as funny as we can think, but 1t
Is also altogether delightful.