The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13

pVitlAAS'
 In her day Mrs. Radclffe's books were translated into many foreign languages and all the literary and learned world hailed her great.
 It is a singular fact that though Mrs. Radclffe's best known work "The Mys- teries of Udolpho," is out of print in this country and is as different as possible in every way from the modern novel, such circulating libraries as have copies of it find it among their very best circulating books. It is a long story and should he read in it's entirety in order to get its full flavor and d full comprehen- sion of it's beauties.
 "A<EN suddenly i'll while on a trip
 through the south of France. NJ.
 St. Aubert died in little cottage near the Chateau le Blanc, meeting his end more resignedly for the knowledge that his motherless daughter Emily was likely to find protector in the Cheyalier Nalancourt, a young man who had ac- companied him on his travels and whom he regarded as possessing every qualifca- ton for a son-in-law except, possibly, that of wealth.
 St. Aubert heard with an emotion that surprised his daughter the name of the castle near which fate had sent him to die and commanded that his body be placed in the church of the neighboring convent, near the tombs of the Villerois. the form CT owners of the deserted castle.
 He exacted a promise from his daughter that she would return at once to their modest home of La Vallee in Gascony, and destroy without reading certain pa pers which were there hidden in a secret receptacle. The griefstricken Emily obeyed her fathers dying injunction: but as she was about to commit the papers to the flames her eye fell on a line of writing that filled her with amazement, and it was not without an effort that she restrained herself from reading further. She found also in the secret receptacle the miniature of a beautiful woman, over which she had once seen her father weep when he thought he was unobserved.
 She found that her fathers affairs were so involved that she could expect hardly any fortune. and that she had been 1eft as a ward to her aunt, Mime. Cheron. a hard and selfish widow, who made her home near Toulouse
 Emily was q girl of slight and graceful figure, with a face of unusual gentleness and beauty. She had been carefully and thoroughly educated by her father. who had encouraged her in all out of door eX- ercise, and had instilled into her charac- ter a 1rmness and self-relance which he foresaw she might need sorely some day
 Valancourt was the younger brother of the Count Duvarney. He was Il tall hand some. military looking youth much at tached to the beauties of nature and Of great nobleness of character. though in- clined to something of the sreclllessncss common to exuberant youth. He followed Emily to Toulouse, where Mime. Cheron received him as kindly as 1t was in her nature to do; and the course of true love seemed to he running smooth when the wealthy widow suddenly married Signor Montoni, Lord of JJdolpho, dark and naughty Italian, who had been visiting fin the neighborhood of the Cheron estate.
 At once everything wGs turned over by Mime. Cheron to the management of her husband. and the Signor promptly forbade Emily to see Valancourt again, and com manded her to prepare to accompany him and his wife on journey to Venice. Val ancourt bcsought Emily to flee with him, but as both were too young to be mar ried legally without the consent of their guardians the girl refused steadfastly, and the lovers parted with many tears and vows of eternal fidelity.
 At Venice Mme Montoni discovered that her husband whom she had thought n wealthy and powerful noble was q man of broken fortunes, a gambler and n conspirator against the state. He de- manded that his wife turn over to him her entire fortune. She refused. and he set out with her and Emily for his cas- tie in the Apennines. his departure being hastened by a discovery on the part of the government of some of the Signor' $ plots.
 Montoni had introduced his wife's ward to a certain Count Morano and command cd her to marry him. Emily had re- fused firmly, and there had been violent scenes between the girl and the naughty Lord of Udolpho. But the Count and Montoni became enemies politically, and Emily was told she would suffer from Morano's prosecutions no more; thus it was with relief. despite certain dark fore bodings, that she set out for Gdolpho.
 The sun had sunk below the tops of the mountains when the travellers came in sight of their destination, but the vel low light still streamed in full splendor on the towers and battlements of cas- tie that spread its extensive ramparts along the brow of precipice above. Though now lighted up by the setting sun, the Gothic greatness of the castle and it's molderlng walls of dark gray stone rendered it n gloomy and sublime object As they gaDed the light died away from it's walls, leaving the huge edifice wrapped in purple darkness through which it loomed hrse and frown- ing.
 ''There" said Montoni. pointing grim ly "is Udolpho'
 The two old servants who formed the only garrison of the castle built tiro in one of the gloomy rooms. and over II Emily and her aunt sat in the deepest detection while Montoni strode np and down with folded arms and frowhlnS brow. At last he summoned Annett '. the maid who had come with Mme. Mon- toni from France. and ordered her Io show Emily the chamber prepared for her. As the girl left the room her aimt said. .Good night, my dear. in tone of Kindness which Emily had never be- fore heard her use.
 Annette conducted Emily to her cham Der rattling on with a story of ghosts