The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20

commonDlaces, and directness and charm
CT narration lies the success of the story.
Reconstruction in South Carolina" 1865
1877, by John S. Reynolds. Published
by the State Co.
The contents of this volume, "Recon-
struction in South Carolina" was first
printed in weekly parts in The State"
Columbia, S. c. The chapters have been
revised and added to and are now pre-
scented In permanent form. The initial
chapter takes up the professional govern
ment. established just after the collapse
of the government of the Confederate
States, and extends through the reorgani-
cation of the democratic party in 70
The entire period, including the Kuklux
troubles, are treated very fully in detail
and yet in a most readable and entertain
ing manner. At the conclusion is a chap
ter entitled Review and Reflections"
which gives succinct summary of the
whole: and an index which makes the
volume of special value.
IN Vanity Fair" by Eleanor Hoyt
Brainerd. Published by Moffat, Yard
& Co., 1906.
Miss Brainard calls her volume I'm
Vanity Fair a tale of "frocks and fem
inity," and as the reader may aptly
guess. such a tale could have but one
setting. and that is Paris, for the pre-
face. The author writes: Grave issues
are tangled in the game of fashion-mak-
ing; but the world through which My
Lady of the Chiffons dances lightly to
gay music reelSs of frivolity and the story
of the fashionable Parisienne and of the
haunts in which she obtains may best be
told perhaps. by snap shots of the inner
courts of vanity fair" So to Paris we
go while the author beguiles us with clev-
er descriptions and chats about a variety
of interesting things not included in the
guide-books. Her chapter on THE Ty-
rants of the Rue de la Paix' is excep-
tionally dexterous. She writes: Let no
one speak lightly of the French froclx."
and then in comparing the French fash
ion artist with that of the American says
of the former: Here Is no mere curt
chronicle of the modes. The writer's
rhapisodies put our spring poets to shame.
Called upon to describe creation in pink
taffeta, he dips his pen in May morning
dew and invokes the muses. He scars
upon the viewless wings of poesy and
soaring sings impassioned chants of
praise; he culls his SMILES from all the
realm of beauty he draws upon history
and fable he winds up with a fervid
apostrophe to fair wonderland not one
of his French readers smile. They see
no extravaganza in his periods. The
pink taffeta was from Pauuin. Upon
what shrine could fowery tributes more
fttingly be laid?" She writes intimately
of WORTH Tourney, Drian, the youthful.
the AIaison Drecol and other monarchs
of the Rue de la PaiX' and their ia
nous ateliers Then the reader has n
peep at "Auteuil' at the height of the
season. where new modes are exploited
before they are shown at Paris. THE
Fine Art of Dining affords a most de-
llghtful chapter: followed by an intimate
peep at 1.-THE Sport of the palace of
Folly" at Monte Carlo. The book Is most
delightfully."- written and is bright and
spicy.
In conclusion she says: paris would
miss les Amercaines If thew should sud
denly lose their interest in French clothes
but there's no danger of that event Paris
is the fashion center and will continue
to be the fashion center. As for our
women. each year they grow more ar
dent In their Nnrshin of the vanities