The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-10
REALM OF BOOKS
BY PAUL PRY.

tablished reputation for tnoughtful able | work in her two previous stories, When | the Land Was Young" and Maid of | Athens This new addition to Miss Me- | Laws works is heralded with pleasure, | especially by all southerners, from the | fact that the author Is a native of Au- | gusta, Ga, and so by training and affilia- | tion is prepared to handle the vast sub | ject of the welding of the nation after | civil strife; having of course, ample op- | portunities for sympathetic study of con- | ditions in this section. Lafayette Me | Laws is the daughter of Gen. Lafayette Y, MvLaws, and to his memory her new | work is inscribed. After the death of her | parents Miss McLaws resided with the | late Mrs. Jefferson Davis in New York | city, who looked upon her as her ward.
 In "The Welding" we follow the career l of David Twiggs Hamilton, the ambitious | son of a Georgia Cracker, who receives his education through the generosity of Alexander H. Stephens. But incidentally the author begins with graphic pictures of southern life before the war and dur ing the progress of her story she deals inteigently with the great events of the next few years-the fugitive slave law debate in Congress, Daniel Webster's 7th of March speech, Alexander II. Stephens anti-secesslon speech election of Jefferson Davis, the firing at Fort Sumter Robert E. Lees decision, etc
 Then with broad, masterly strokes the author portrays the strength and weak ness of conflicting sectional interests in national politics, and finally pictures the welding of those interests into the promise of a united nation.
 A large view one may say, and yet it only forms the setting and gives the necessary atmosphere to the life history and romance of the hero. It Is splendid story of large interest that is sure to win a wide circle of readers and ad- mireF.
 "Toilers and Idlers," by John R. Me
 Mahon Published by Wiltshire Book
 company. New York.
 In this story of "Toilers and Idlers' Is rich young New Yorker named Rensen, tired of life, wanders through the East Side and goes to work in an iron foundry
 which he discovers to be his own prop
 erty. He keeps at work incognito, finding the lower half of life interesting. He sees poverty and working a common 1aborer he hears unfavorable opinions of himself as employer expressed by the men. Then Rensen lays plans for sys- tenn of philanthrophy. A dramatic meet ing with Madeline Tenny, a country girl, lends interest and zest to the story, and throughout all is considerable humor as well as much of the grimy satire of metropolitan life. It's romance and tone of sincerity commend it the reader.
 Arizona Nights by Stewart Edward
 White. Published by The Mcclure Com
 pany.
 It is a pleasure to meet with writer so in love with the outdoors as Mr. White and more than anything else he seems to be a lover and tramper of the forest. With his first work, "The Blazer Trail" the author won a high Ia f,ln 1pl1t fI readers and an individual place in Amer jean literature. And since then his many voumes-"The Mountains" "The Forest" and lastly '"rhe Mystery has but added to his laurels
 Now. Arizona Nights is presented to the reading public in choichest attire of the publishers art. The color llustra- tions lend great attractiveness to the stirring events of the text The strong Individuality of his character creations almost seem to belong to that of another realm but their stirring adventures ap peal to the reader and interest and divert him with increasing force the stories proceed "A Chld's Life of Christi by Mabel
 Dreamer Published by Dodd, Mead &5
 Company
 Eminently suited for gift book for the Christmas holidays is this "Chld's Life of Christ" which is so exquisitely presented. The type is clear and good and the color illustrations by Eleanor -Brickdale are very suggestive and thoughtful While the black and white prints from famous pictures, are always help in emphasizing the text i The story Is simply, but very attractively | told and the work will undoubtedly be | a valued addition to child literature of this class. ITaoY nf fI,n latr n h
 lshed by the Mcclure company.
 'IIeart of the West is made up of | the funniest stories conceivable by that | prince of writers. O. Henry Stories so | inbued with the spirit of ozone and | freshness of the wide vigorous west that | they not only enthuse the reader but | imbue him completely with their own l buoyancy and delight. A few lines taken l at random which give idea of the | originality of the characters are the fol- l lowing:
 "Ill tey you what you are. Webb | Yeager'
 What? asked Webb, with a hopeful ] look in his pale-blue eyes.
 You're a prince-consort."
 "Go easy" said Webb I never black guarded yon none."
 'Its a title" explained Baldy "p among the picture-cards; but it didn't take no tricks. I'll tell you, Webb. It's Il brand they're got for certain animals in Europe. Say that you or me or one Of them Dutch dukes marries in q royal family. We'll by and by our wife gets to be queen. Are we king?. Not in a million years. At the coronation ceremonies we march between little casino and the Ninth Grand Custodian of the Royal Hall Bedchamber. The only use we are is to appear in photographs and accept the re- sponsiblity for the heir-apparent. That ain't any square deal. Yes, sir Webb VOL re a prince -cOnSOrt "American Indian Fairy Tales" by Mar
 garet Compton. Published by Dodd, |
 Mead & Co.
 American Indian Fairy Tales" is q | reprint of these stories in most attrac- l tive form. The setting, border illustra- l tions, etc, make the book especially | tempting for a gift volume. The ma terial for the stories was gathered from l government reports of Indian life in the | Smithsonian institution. and from the l folklore contained in the standard works | of Schoolcraft, Copway X Catlin.
 There are some dozen and half tales, l all imbued with the witchery and charm of the improbable and fantastic. 'The Story of a Cannoneer Under Stone
 wall Jackson by E. A. Moore. Pub
 lished by the Neale Publishing company.
 It would seem that there is an almost limtless number of books written and published relative to the Hate unpleasant ness,' and yet not too many we may be sure. for each has an individual message to bear that no doubt throws a flood of