The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-03

undainted death The author has named
her conception 1.-THE Sovereign Remedy"
that is gold" and yet she strives
through the presentation of her unique
hero-Ned Crittenden, Lord Black
borough. to prove that it is no remedy
at all He endeavors to show his con-
tempt of this remedy from the first few
pages in which he dramatically sends all
his gold sovereigns into a placid little
pool in old Wales in order that a fellow
traveller and he may begin a weeks holt
day on an equal footing. And In the
end we read: His gold signet ring, he
flung away into the little pool, which,
collecting the surface drainage OF the
very summit. brimmed up below the rock
to overflow in a tiny stream. Tie tried
to make duck and drake of 1t as his
last constitution to the sovereign REM
edy. but he failed and he smiled at his
failure" Up to a certain point the DOCK
is of the finest in its conception ana
in the telling. The author evidently has
some religious views and she fingers
bit along the way to exploit these, but
that is possibly permissible. The human
interest of the story is adroitly conceived
two men. one wealthy and the other
poor. accidentally meet and find they
possess the same name ana becoming
good comrades call each other Ned. and
Ted. Ned throws away his gold and
they start evenly upon holiday TO-
gether Later they both fall in love
with the same most delightful creation IN
the person of Auro Graham. Honesty OF
purpose i'm each continues and they agree
to WOO as honestly. The description OF
the motor car ride to the lovely castle
of Plas Atom and the party gathered
there at luncheon is exceptionally well
written and the celebration of Aura
Dist birthday and the poetic picture of
~. q 10, inn IF hA hero.
Inc to love is exquisite beyond descrip-
ton: il Is spiritual and beautiful. But
when in one moment she confesses her
love for Ned and in the next refuses to
marry him hecause-"I will tell you the
truth, because you are certain to under
stand-I should be afraid of loving you
too much. III don't want to love like
that"
SO Auro agrees to wait two months to
give Ned an answer and returns to her
humble home and later IN the same day
engages herself to marry Ted and does
so in less than five weeks, very much
to the surprise of Ned, who is compla-
Gently waiting for the expiration OF the
two months in order to renew his suit.
All this may be very fine, but it is GER
tainly very incomprehensibe, very in
congruous and certainly Verq "unortho-
dox" To love one man and marry an
other for no credible reason is not the
WAY surely of the usual love story what
was left for Ned to do when he finds
II out but die with the name of "Auro'
on his lips--it Is art for arts sake and
SO he does il very decently and in order
with only few utterances about the
unchristian greed of gold" The reader
must feel that fine. strong novel was
spoiled in the making by some 'vagary"
In the moral vision of the author.
"Where the Rainbow Touches tho
Ground" by John Henderson Miller,
Published by Funk & Wagnalls Co.
Where the Rainbow Touches the
Ground" deals with Kansas life and in
cidentally with the cyclones common in
that region. Mr.. Miller. who is a Mis-
souri, author of exceptional power. has
drawn the quaint sturdy kansan in a
picturesque style The story swings
around a strong plot and contains much
homelv philosophy. One neighbor said
to another = Doctors all Use hocus- pocns
only they don't let the people kn>S it.
If they can help it.
You don't mean it. do Won" Yes,
do mean it. too. Lots of people don't
understand the doctor when he uses
hocus-pocus. Not long ago Mr.. Kinsey
was sick and the doctor said. Hes got
the australia in the epigastrium.
know that's what he said for | was
there and wrote them right down my
self That scared Mrs. Kinsev awful
bad and she followed the doctor TO the
door and asked II Mr. Ktnsey was really
ms bad off as all that. He said 10 her
that she needn't be scared and he said.
''hell he all right il hes not allowed to
get the comatose state" l went home
just then. and after l had went she