The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-06

place so agree With the ln- cident recorded that it seems a natural thing that 1t should be so. It is not sufficient to say that he was a lover of nature he seemed to put a soul into nature and make 1t a character in his story. Especially is this true when he takes us to the Hebrides, where he knew every little bay and every rocky island, and where his spirit seemed to find its fullest sweep and his heart it's truest home.
 An old skipper of one of the vessels plying among these misty islands once said to him: Well, MT. Black, you need never starve, any way"-the skipper seemed to regard mere writer Of books as one who generally stood in danger of such catastrophe-"you can always make a living as pilot for the islands"
 No one since Sir Walter Scott has succeeded in so accurately portraylng the fealty with which Highlander regards his chief, and no one ever has been able to. write so much about sun sets and salmon fishing as Black with out boring his readers. In "A Princess of Thule all of Blacks characteristics as an author are strongly marked and 1t is pervaded from cover to cover with his own peculiar charm.
 TIE who undertakes the acclimati-
 zation of plants must know his 1 | business in order to succeed. The first requisite is that he should understand thoroughly the nature of that which he seeks to make thrive and grow healthy in foreign soll. Even Frank Lavender. the dilettante artist who was living on his aunts money, knew this. Nevertheless, ne conceived that 1t would be an easy thing for him to transplant Sheila Mackenzie from the Hone shelings and the misty islands" of the Hebrides, where she reigned veritable Prlhcess of Thule, to the heart of London SO ciety. She would take the same com manding position in the London oraW ing rooms, of course, that she held Ill the domains of her father, MT Mac kenzie. whom people in the Highlands called the King of Borva.
 Iayender's friend. Ingram, clerk In the Board of Trade and now on ms vacation, was not so sure or thls. | tell you, Frank" he would say, you do not understand that girl But Lavender was twenty odd and Ingram was forty, and twenty-five listens Wltn good natured federation to advice or all sorts-a little annoyed and consiuera- bly amused by 1t.
 Ingram had come to the little island where old Kink Mackinzie reigned pe-
  for his vacation; the quaint life lhere attracted him. together with the sal mon fishing and the shootings and haa he not seen leila grow up and dlo not her face, Drowned by exposure to wind and weather. and her blue eyes under their dark lashes, filled Wlth .ie deep mystery of the sea- flt often De tween his vision ana the recoio9 oA s Board of Trade?
 When he brought Lavender along wluh hin, me summer the young artist Tell III love at once with the girl with the soi' eyes. who could fish and sail poal' "no established schools. looked after the poor and was sort of Lady Bountliul over seer to her father, the king. lnsIai" watched the love-making with sigh'
 The two Englishmen were guests or old Mackenzie in his stone house on the hii- side overlooking the bay of Loch hoas' There was a vast eXpanse or sea Nisipie, grim mountains, bare heaths and roehs islets. all of which took on a thousand tints and colors in the wonderful sunsets and delighted the heart of the artis''
 The very room in which the hys'ic princess sat was strange and Wonoerlul' napered with impossible Tyrolese lano- scanes covering even the doors But LaV- ender saw nothing incongruous Tn Whoie chalet disappearing to give entrance 'o Duncan, the gille with smoking salmon or Sheila's cousin, Ma1rl, who Wateu o' table with the potatoes
 When Sheila said ferry Tor very and made use of other tricks of Gaelic accent and construction, Lavender thoupht he had never heard the Engnsn language pronounced so beautifully. one told him more about duck shooting, hsn- ine and sailing in five minutes than ne ever had known before in his whole hle' and got him interested in ner enores eo make the people put glass in ther "ih- dows
 ..you are not in love- said Ingram one night 10 Frank ''You only think you are How about that American widow you were raving over last season-Mrs. LOT raine, [ think her name was?
 ..Bother Mrs. Lorraine exclaimed Frank. "I tell you l am going to marry Sheila and take her to London. ohe .oio me I might ask her last night. And want you to help me out with the oid man like a good fellow.
 "All right" said Ingram with a sign
 The King of Borva was big, oluff. hasty old man. who considered hlinseii a diplomat and governed his people anso- lutely As matter of fact ms ntte stratagems were as transparent as glass and his 300 subjects obeyed him. first, because he was their hereditary ruler, and. secondly, because they loved him and wofshipped Sheila.
 He was as fond of discoursing on the difficult art of governing as any other monarch. He was fond of cheerful songs, and all the songs of the people were or drowned men and of farewells, and when he told John the Piper to play, that lugubrious person would make his pipes skirl out "Lochaber No More or 'Maer- imnons' Lament" So when Sheila sat at the piano and sang with Lavender the English ballads a collection of which the young man had brought along. Mackenzie listened with delight.
 As the two were singing that eve ming the old man said to Ingram: They sing ferry well together" It was a love song they were singing, and In- gram replied: "Ah, yes; of what should vo,ng people sing but of making love? suppose Sheila will marry some time"
 ..yes. that is so," answered the King ..Of course, Sheila must marry"
 And do you not think you see before vou one who might take charge of Shei- las future?" said Ingram, plunging
 The thought struck Mackenzie for the
 Eh. what, My sheilal'' he cried.
 What is 1t, papa?' said the girl, turn ing. around.
 .Go on with the music. Yes, 1t is fine outside Mr. Ingram and I will walk outside. Go on with the music"
 Ont there in the mystic yellow twilight which covered the northern summer night Ingram and Mackenzie walked and talked. and Lavenders cause was we'll pleaded All that the old man seemed