The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15


 Published by Dodd, Mead & Co.,
 In "The Patriots" Cyrus Townsend Brady has written a romance that will be read with pleasure by every southerner. It will be enjoyed as a story of human love and sorrow and suffering, for it Is primarily a love story. But great and genuine, too, will be the interest in the story of the Last Hope" which the author has essayed with a tenderness and devotion of purpose that is all the more gratifying when one learns that the author was born amid the roar Of battle, the son Of a brave northern soldier, trained while yet the bitterness | engendered during the conflict fingered in the memory"
 The whole romance revolves about the personality of Robert E. Lee and the temper and spirit of the work in this ] relation has value and fascination for 1 southern readers chiefly that is unbound | ed In the preface the author writes: T have shown Lee in some of the su- preme moments of his career; when he declined the chief command of all the armies of the United States to become major-general in the Virginia line; when he took upon himself the blame for the fruitless assault at Gettysburg: when he would fan have led his men into the jaws of death. the workable mouth of hell at spottsylvania. and, last ly where character is most terribly tried, In defeat at Appomattox. In ev- cry situation he was a great a domi- aI,or I been somewhat lost sight of in the study of his career but il fairly glows with all that Is high and noble and true. The Bayard of the south exhibits the charac- teristics of the Christian gentleman to the full. His is a personality to be studied In his greatness and in his sim plieity he is an enduring inspiration to true manhood for all America-the world even"
 The author takes a broad expanse of canvas for his scene of action but so perfect is the historical atmosphere and so true the perspective that oftentimes Whole armies and wide expanses of ter ritory are vividly unfolded to the mental vision of the reader.
 The prelude is particularly happy and pertinent, giving as it does such an inti- mate and beautiful picture of General Lee just previous 10 the demands of
 
 cludes with General Lees reply to the legislature of Virginia which had just created him maior-general and command er--in chief of her forces: Trusting to Almighty God. an approving conscience and the aid of my fellow citizens, 1 de- vote myself to the service of my native state, in whose behalf alone will 1 ever again draw my sword'
 Mir Brady says: "It Is only the voice of ignorance of malice that dares to call this man a traitor"
 In the initial chapter of the story we find the hero with his friends students at Harvard and it is a fitting introduce tion since these in whom the ove-story is centered are creations of the authors fertile imagination Swiftly and natural ly the incidents of ther lives flow into the swift current of hostilties already begun. Henceforth the plot is unfolded with rare ability and power; truthfully and with such fidelity to sequence of ac- tion that not an extraneous thought or sentence is found in the book The in- terest in the story is well sustained from first to last; the technique exceptional and the character work masterly and individual.
 Too much praise can not be bestowed upon "Fhe Patriots" as a piece of fiction that is sure to win a delighted and nu- merous audience. The dedication is in- teresting to Alabamians. especially. "Ded- icated to John Barnett Knox of Alabama, | an American indeed whom l am proud | to call my friend.' While the loyalty and admiration and the devotion of the | author to the work undertaken can only ! be appreciated as it is expressed and evolved in the story in it's entirety yet | a few sentences must be quoted here. ] He says of the army of Northern Vir- | gnia which have so many tributes of admira ton from him: "'rhose Virginians of the valley the knightllest race upon the continent, were | about to attempt a deed which should l be celebrated in song and story. which | for hardihood and courage was never to be surpassed. They were going to charge and break that waiting blue line. The fate of the Confederacy was to be | determined then and there. And | the sun sank to rest amid rising banks | of lowering clouds that presently plotted | out the stars. As night fell the floods | came and the rains descended and beat | upon that earth as if they would fain | wash from it's surface the red stains of | quarrel But not all the waters of the | mighty deeps could erase from the | records of men the story of that great !