The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-07

rTOfl the LOuiSN11le COurler-JOurnat.
 E UBERT WALES, author of Bv book called "The Yoke" will
 F never become famous as lit- terateur, but he Is a most excellent publicity promoter. In preface written to stimulate the curiosity of the possi- ble reader MT. Wales asserts that he has been ruthlecsly assaulted by the prim critics of the press With the shrewdness of the born advertiser, he says he has written c terribly shocking book, and that he is quite able to understood why some O. tho book critics view with alarm the possible effect of such literature upon the morals of the public. In liter ature aote," which he submits to the critics in the hose that those who do no care to wade through the book will use it as ready made review. Author Wales coyly admits that he has ground out an amazingly fascinating novel, but asks the question, What is to be- come of us if writers of such talents deliberately prostitute their pens in the production of salacious literature?" Just what is to become or us 1t is diff fioult to say. Possibly we shall get tine
 sleeping sickness Perhaps we shall make the muscles of our midriff sore laughing at the crudity of MT. Wales amazingly shocking novel.
 Persevering persons who get to page SS before they give it up will be
 rewarded with this description of the girl to whom the hero is eventually given in marriage by his adopted mother, who is not exactly a nice person, morally considered, but who is too ludicrous In her Indian summer morality to create a profound impression save upon persons whose sense of humor is well developed:
 Cecil appeared in safe amalgama- tion of slllS and lace, and looked calm and elegant Her clothes were made to hang loosely upon her. not in q sloyenly
 manner. no- with the proclamation of high art"
 Let us follow the pini. amalgamation through an episode in which the hero figures She sits down to dinner-even calm and elegant silk and lace hero lie must worry down a beef stew or
 something nourishing two or three times a day-and the table talk runs
 along in ecsy chanres, 'the extreme
 heat of the previous summer" being the l leading topic
 After the dinner-or pernaps on the day followng-the pink amalgamation proposes a bicycle ride. The hero, whose
 real name is Maurice, and who is pink
 and white young English gentleman, fresh | from the apron strings of his adopted mother, says:
 of ,Arf0r 1ar m a l bicycle. i hope shovl1n't disgrace you | Cecil feeling, no doubt, that he will get on better with his bicycle than | with his drawing room conversation. | takes him for "a spin, although ''he | didn't succeed in hidins his reluctance
 so completely that 1t failed to reach l Cecis intelligence"
 I "Cecil whizzed past Maurice, a flash l of floating drapery,' And stopped a
 mile or so up the road to wait for the | hero. He caught up and found her | flushed, but composed and elegant" By this time," continues the tall en.ed Mir Wales, z"ne had become en- 1 thusiastic of the gem-like scenery which
 was continually breaking upon them in | some new rhase. They dismounted, but l looked at one anothe- and voted without l hesitation for advance"
 The ayes having it, they advanced, l but soon stopped, and Maurice asked | himself the question. could Cecil Gra- l hame sit on the heather. Tie thought seemed irreverent but even as 1t | passed through his mind he saw her | drop her wheel and sink lightly upon l hummock
 Maurice breathed his relief and drop ped down beside Cecil. There appeared