The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-09
Literary Lights and ShadObs
BY s. MAYS BALL

"sEBAST1AN." by Prank Danby. CIhe
 MeMillan Co.)
 Most people know that Frank Danby In real life is Mrs. Julia Frankau. sis ter of one of the collaborators of 'Floro= dora" and that brother now being dead, we cannot with propriety hold him re sponsible.
 Pigs in Clover" the book which really made Prank Danby well-knoWn 10 tile reading world. was d very strong pre- sentation of London and South African conditions, as was "fhe Heart or d Child" able to portray 10 us deighttnlly the heart of an innocent London girl who went on the stage and finally mar ried a somewhat wooden=headed young lord or something or other.
 In her new book Frank Danby Jdevotes, at least in the first part of 1t, a great deal more to the mother of her hefo' sebastian" who was known as "Nanes- sa." than 10 the hero himself. In the first part of the new book "Vanessa' is by far the most important creature in it, and at times seemed most unwilling to give the poor nero, "Sebastian,9 any opportunity at all. In the final half of the story, however. Sebastian" finally revolts as it were shoots off a few pieces of artii- lery and deserves in a measure the title
  even with the artillery shot off, it Is aVanessa" who remains finally the lead ing figure in the neVel, and there IS really no great kick coming on that account
 The story really begins when 'Sebas- tian' was a child and extends over a number of years, up to the time when Sebastian gets into his twenties or SUD- posed majority.
 Vanessa Randall, a famous author, af and psychological fiction creating her pen fiction and so on very much. sometimes too much, right out of her own head as she really knew very little, didn't care to know much, of real men and women.
 "Sebastian's' father was a business man. whose firms business was the man ufaehlre of handmade paper-the firm had been in this business for years. No doubt "Vanessa" used lots of that paper manufactured by her husbands firm who can tell?
 As Vanessa's father had been very sue cessfu in the writing of books she was wee bit set-up about her own writing, and the intellectual tradition of her fam fly. Vanessa, therefore. decided that Se- bastian should in time-not a long time, either-carry forward the intellectual tra- ditions of her fathers family Vanessa despised her husbands business, and had for him neither love or any sympathy. As it sometimes happens in cases of this kind, Sebastians father dearly loved Vanessa who despised him; he loved her in silence, though but fairly worshipped his son. Sebastian.
 The test came, as it is always likely to come similar to death and taxes, when Sebastian. worried to death over his fathers i'll health and cares in business, decides that he will enter the sordid (de- spised by his mother) papermaking bus mess Vanessa was so thoroughly ashamed of this decision that she comes near deciding to leave both father and son-"she had been misunderstood" and she does go away for a time.
 It is up to this point that a reader of a review should be interested. After this point the action moves rapidly and sim liar to all books written by Mrs. Julia Frankau-is more than worth while, even if sebastian was never mind what Sebastion was-at many times.  'sE.luslve Isabel" by Jacques Futrelle.
 (Bobbs Merrill Co)
 Jaeques Futrelle formerly lived in At lanta where he was known as. and also designated himself as. plain Jack. Since - his real success in the writing of books { he has not changed; he has not hyphened ! his name-stiH it is Jacques (not made in Paris. France.) if anyone should hap q pen to inquire of you. But on the Atlanta Journal-but there goes the "I Knew Him t N hen Club" against which there is, if there ought not to be, a law. Anyway Jacques has written a good story. The plot is original and daring, supposing as it does an alliance between the Latin countries of Europe to re- gain their brief prestige on the Amer ican continent and a very charming young person whose name and purpose remain hidden from the reader for number of pages She was mixed up with vast in ternatonal intrigue and plays ping-pong or something or other with such wee bits of men as ambassadors and other import ant governmental heads
 The scene of this story is laid in Wash ington which we are told is the draw