The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-14

great story, wonderfully. graphically 1 told.
 ''The Autobiography of Neurasthene." by Margaret A. Cleaves, M. D. (Rich. G. Badger. Esq)
 "The Autobiographv of a Neurasthene'
 as told by one of them and recorded by Margaret A. Cleaves, M. D., is the life story of physician in which the actual conditions are related The work is writ
 ten, the author says, with the definite purpose of removing if possible the sting and opprobrium which the essential neu- rasthene bears because of the long contin- ued pose of the neurasthene, who does not exhaust neuronic energy, but poisons | 1t by his way of living.
 In the case told of in this book the phy scian broke down absolutely after years
 of mental strain. When she went to an other physician she was told that she had sprained her brain. But she proved that by proper use of will power a neuras-
 thenic may still lead a useful life without the utter collapse so disastrous to the | majority of nervous subjects.
 Dr. Cleaves' main object, namely to convince physicians that neurasthenia. while apparently lacking in a physiologi- cal pathology is none the less a definite disease which can be helped by proper treatment. is no doubt successfully ac- complished in her convincing book here discussed.
 ''The Cash Intrigue" by George Ran
 dolph Chester. (Bobbs-Merrill Co.)
 This new book by the author of "The Making of Bobby Burnit," will not add to MT. Chesters reputation. The book lacks convictions; it is another of those | thrillers, the chief condiments of which seem to be lot of dynamite thrown in from time to time, requiring stirring and "Hot Water to Serve" up crisp and awe inspiring to readers. The dynamite Is thrown in ths new book all right but not judiciously cast about. The result ts that the book, to this reviewers way of thinking, and he liked 'The Making of Bobby Burnit,' is pretty poor stuff. The story in sections has been running in the Cosmopolitan Magazine.
 It tells of young chap who In five years makes &, ,0oo 900, then decides to en- list Henry Breed" the richest man in the world in leash intrigue through which the hero and Breed may become owners not only of all public and private utilities in the Untitled States, but the federal government as well. You are likely to read the book after you have
 begun it. particularly if you paid s1.50 for
 it, but it will be a great waste of time,
 really There are so many good books.
 not particularly those published these days, although there are many good ones published now, in which one can find entertainment, that all should steer clear of wasting that most precious thing in the world. namely, time.
 There Is love in the book, or, as the westerner would call it, much ''luv'' in this volume, centering around a neurotic creature, granddaughter of the richest man in the world and another pretty girl who Is very poor though healthy.
 MT. Chester should let economic prob lens alone stick to what he has been doing so we'll that is books, stories such as he has been writing for Saturday Ev- eniny Post and. for instance 'The Max ing of Bobby Burnit."
 '@rhe Southerner," novel, being the
 autobiography of Nicholas Worth.
 Doubleday, Page &s Co.)
 This novel 'Bhe Southerner," written by a man who was born since the civil war and sent forth anonymously, is one of the big productions in the literary game of 1909. There are many things in 1t that to the south will seem harsh, coming as they do from a southerner who openly criticises much of the memories, relics and ideals of the southland' put through the whole book resounds the tone of truth, a desire to put things straight; a desire to help the country the hero loved and a great hope for the future
 
 give a true picture of southern conditions as they appear to southern-born man who had been trained at Harvard and thoroughly cut a-loose from certain southern opinions without losing his loy- altv to the land of his birth-the land which is his own and in which he lives and works and hopes to upbnild with much affection for his country. but with out much of the way of the average southerners ideas of doing things.
 The writer makes fun of the continued activity of the Daughters of the Confed- eracv: he strives to show how that body as well as the United Confederate Vet erans are used by designing politicians Not only that, he takes up in detail and shows the use to which. before the pas sage of the recent disfranchisement acts in the southern states, the race issue was used thoroughly and successfully to put many worthless men in office and worse-keep them there.
 The book is one that all southerners should read, not only because 1t deals with questions of the moment In this section. but because it Is a wonderfully strong literary production.
 It can be seen from a reading Of the book that the man who tells this story may be of the mental bias or lack of it, from the fact that he had no relatives in the Confederate armies. His father de- clined to fight for the south, but operated some manufacturing plants for the Con- federate government. Therefore the au- thor of the story. having no intimate connection with the southern losses in battle, murder and sudden death, can be understood, in a measure, when he fails to realize the grip of those memories on the southern people who have lost so much in the great war.
 In any event '"The Southerner' Is one of
 the big books of this year, not only for Its strength. it's able construction and liter
 ary polish, but its intensely interesting
 plot, which while mixed, possibly with g. bit of preaching (not mucD will hold the
 reader from the beginning to the end or the novel Then. too in hps 'Ieave Talk
 ing' at the end of the novel, Nicholas Worth says to us: "If any reader of what have written shall find anywhere a single word ot bit terness, I pray him to rub 1t out. For have not meant to write such word Sv-npa thy for all, and TOT all federation; pity for many and for some affection; against ignorance and arrow-mindedness war to the end; but bitterness towards no human creature.
 'Nor have I ever meant to complain. | for complaint furthers no man on his
 way. If the world does not please us, the least we can do is to try with cheer