The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-15

ships of the herbaceous wild flowers witl l suggestions for their Identification. The ,book has s3 illustrations.
 In this volume MT. Wood has attempted and succeeded in bringing into easily
 available form a discussion of a large proportion of the more widely distributed ] herbaceous wild flowers which should SC combine suggestions for observations in ! the schoolroom and out of doors thai l 1t will make the study of wild flowers Of real interest both to teacher, pupil and the average reader-those of the lat ter interested in wild flowers.
 While the arrangement of the various species is that of grouping into fam flies these families are placed in the se- 1 qnence of the blossoming of the moro important members so that the season of | Towering may be followed in a general way.
 While the book is primarily intended for the use of pupils in schools it will be found of interest by others who de- sire to increase or review their acquaint- | ance with the wild flowers.
 ''The Bride of the Mistletoe," by James I Lane Allen (The Macmillan Co) This volume Is advertised to be the first of triology. The second Is to be an American children's story" called "A Brood of the Eagle" and the third said to be not a story, entitled The Christ mas, Tree; An Interpretation"
 ''The Bride of the Mistletoe' is dedi- cated to "One Who Knows" Someone writing recently to the New York Times seemed glad that there was one who knew what the book was apout for that cor respondent claimed to be unable to make heads or tails out of The Bride of the Mistletoe"
 Anything written by MT Allen is worth tryla{ Ia bits of anything The reader who claims to be and is well up on current literature Is Familiar with all of MT. Aliens pre- vious books of which before the ap- pearance of this one discussed "The Met tie of the Pasture" was the latest and this reviewer thinks the best. "The Bride of the Mistletoe occupies about forty hours in its action. The people are man and his wife, the pa- rents of two children, living in Ken lucky farmhouse. The man is nature student, and from the book the reader will judge him to be evidently an au- thoritatiye writer on the subject of trees. The time is Christmas Eve the wedding anniversary of the couple; hence the term which the man so lovingly applied to the woman when he brought her to his home on the marriage night-"the bride of the mistletoe."
 The married life of the couple has been happy. most harmonious up to within a year. Then comes to break the har- nony the mans secret; and about this secret and it's effect upon the people at interest is the book written.
 There are charming descriptions of nature; the explanation of certain sym bols sacred to the observance of Christi mas, with it's tree and gifts and the care fully. finely worked out study of the two characters whom the author describes vividly, delightfully."-. Then he exercises the art of probing with great delicacy the soul purposes of the couple.
 As charming bit of writing the book is a treat It leaves much, however, to the imagination.
 The book Is not ''noyeI' in the sense that is understood by the average reader. But 1t is an artistic delight in fine writ ing; the better interpretation of fine writing" being intended.
 "Poppea of the Postoffice," by Mabel Os-
 good Wright. (The Macmillan Col
 Mrs. Wright, as Barbara" has a great following in this country. She can write of anything-and 1t goes
 In this new book Mrs. Wright has taken an old, very old plot and out of it has made a touching story-sweet, very clean and entertaining.
 The plot is very old. A young female
 
 1 bitter evening with only a locket to serve as link between the life out of which she has been thrust and the new life in which the postmaster daddy mourning still over the loss of his own wife and child-seeks to rear the little child left at his door, with loving care and most generous advantage
 Of course Poppea learns little too ear ly the secret of her place in daddy's house. and then comes the struggle before the final solution of the mystery. Daddy Is a lovable old man from the beginning to the end of the book. Aunt Emmy is pleasant, Poppea most winsome and Philip and Hugh are both good fel- lows
 From this volume one can gain quite delightful picture of life in New Eng land farm town of postoffice gossip con- ferences, and of New York city even, where Poppea goes for a visit. "Poppea of the Postofhce' will no doubt please all of Mrs. Wright's admirers and add new ones to the long list of those who buy anything with her name at- | tached to it.
 1 Dykes Corners," by Clarence Oakley (Richard G. Badger, Gorham Press.)
 This story deals with village that 'is slower than a graveyard, because that has some hopes of a resurrection day" In this slow town the Hardman family 1 and its connections were the king bees socially, financially, all sorts of ways l Into this slow-poke town came young chap who was naturally immediately at | tracted by the lovely daughter of the | reigning house of Hardman. 1 But if the reader of his review will i kindly "1ist!' a moment, he or she will note that in the slow-poke town lived an | artist-one Beardsley--a very highly re- 1 spected personal, to be frank-who had invented a magic box which always showed up the past life. of the sitter to | 1t. The youth who loved Florence Hard man and was trying his best evidently to | marry into so great family, sits before the magic box" It Is all off for the youthl
 The magic box" shows that in the youths past life he had wrecked the heart of another girl who loved and trusted him..
 With this bit of evidence. gratuitously offered by the magic box It's owner. 1 Beardsley, begins to get busy. He Her | lock Shomes out the matter, and-saves Florence and her family-don't forget the | family!-just in the nick of time from the ruinous grasp of the aforesaid youth. | The book is amusing in that 1t has a serio-comlc strain running all through it. "Old Friends" Literary Recollections of
 Other Days, by William Winter. (Mof-
 fat, Yard & Co)
 This Is book of great interest, con- stituting the literary "reminiscences of | Mir William Ninter for vaara and yao rs