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

peculiar combination of state reasons that brought Wi1helmina, her sister Char lotte-nicknamed Don't Care-and the handsome heriditary Prince of Bayreuth
 into relations so curious that they seem improbable. We read of the magnanimi-
 ty and the bravery of the rare, gentle Margrave of Schwedt-the Gentle Knight of Brandenburg-and the romantic events
 preceding Wilhelmina's marriage. which
 Mir Major tells us, occurred with a. few exceptions substantially as described. This is pretty love story. It is clean
 and bright at times; 1t is an above the average specimen of the historical nove'
 and those who care for such reading will
 be delighted with MT. Majors latest
 work. MT. Major always makes his nov els interesting, which, after all, is say ing-much, as Adolph. the Margrave of Schwedt would put 1t.
 Northern Lights" by Gilbert Parker. (Harper & Brothers)
 This Is new volume of, no doubt old stories, written by Sir Gilbert Parker way back wonder, before he reached that strength, that power exhibited in The Right Way" occasionally exhibited. very often in 'The Weavers."
 Sir Gilbert has put morals and things on to many of these short stories, against which there should be, unfortunately,
 
 one wishes to be moralized at or preached to through the medium of a short or even a long story.
 The gifted author explains that the first five stories in this collection are
 reminiscent of border days and deeds"
 They deal with traders, squaw-men, half
 breeds and some of them are interesting,
 but not to injure you.
 Sir Gilbert, to quote further, says: '-rhe remaining stories cover the period since the Royal Northwest Mounted Po- lice and the Pullman car first started the early pioneer and sent Into the land of the further north or drew him into the quiet circle of civic routine and hum- drum occupation
 Not one of these stories will bore you. on the contrary The point is. that if you expect in Northern Lights" something of the power of "The Right of Way" you won't get it; you will be disappointed; but If you wish to read of the great northwest, written about by a finished artist, you will be pleased with North ern Lights,'' but hardly enthusiastic. '"The Trimming of Goosle," by James
 Hopper. CMoffat. Yard & Co.)
 You will be struck with the great dif- ference between this book, an allegorical tale. and the great prison story, '9O09. " in the writing of which MT. Hopper col laborated.
 ''The Trimming of Goosie' is about
 man who began to have unrestrainable desires to flap his arms and crow As he repressed this inclination to crow and flap his arms, wings began to sprout on him. His wife kept the wings as they grew trimmed down to impracticable size for while, but finally his desire to soar was no longer to be resisted, there fore he ran away to cabin in the sf- erras, beside lake, where he spent his days flying and swimming. His wife fol- lowed him Clear the old bachelors say, "Of coursepD-and she made him more comfortable in the cabin until there was nothing more to eat, when upon the scene appears Bison Billiam, who offers Goosie big salary to fly in the Hippo drome In Blliam's permanent show there. Goosie finally accepts the offer, Sut he had to submit to having his wings trim med to a shortness that made flying too difficult to be a pleasure.
 There are little bits of humor through out the book which at times makes the parable sparkle. There are, too, some very pretty, very unusually good descrip
 tions of the far western country in the Sierras, where Goosie had such a good time-sad to relate-away from his wife.
 who wished to keep him trimmed all the time, poor chap.
 ',The Key of the Unknown" by Rosa
 Nouchette Carey. q. P. Lippincott CoD
 This is simply another one of those clean, wholesome. refreshing novels 30 of
 which Miss Carey wrote in 40 years of a busy life.
 It deals with Joan Leigh, an attractive
 English girl, who is left an orphan when
 quite young. Her only brother is a youth
 ful curate with some talent and a prom lse of making a name for himself. Lady
 Mary Boyle, a very distant relative of the Leighs. who is a wealthy widow, adopts Joan. The girl grows up with Lady Marys niece and nephews, who live on the adjoining estate. Quite natu-
 rally one of the nephews, Craig, falls in love with Joan Leigh and Joan returns his affection. And right there 1t is that the trouble begins. For Lord Meriton, Craig's father, wishes his son to marry an heiress, because his eldest son, Lord Josselyn, has been bit wild, spent much
 money and ruined his health. Craig, as
 the next eldest son. may come into the title and his father wishes to prepare
 him for the future Therefore Joan Leigh Is sent away, Craig is coaxed. threatened and plead with to give up Joan, but nothing doing-good old Craig! Joan, on the other hand, will not consent to be- come engaged to Craig unless Lord and Lady Meriton consent.
 It IS now the paTsHtS are WoH over that we read in '"The Key of the Unknown told in Miss Careys best style. This is the last story written by Miss Carey, just before her death in last July;
 s',e had trs. finished the novel when death occurred.
 "ve-onica Plavfair," by Maud Wilder Goodwin. Iittle. Brown & Co.) One day Veronica Playfair, who had lived all her life in a small. uninteresting, but picturesque country house at Somer- set, England. when some wealthy neigh bors were going out to hunt she begged her mother to let her accompany them. It was on this hunt that Veronica met Sir Miles Harrington. a very polite and wealthy young nobleman. Shortly after ward Veronica went to London. where she | came in touch with many old friends of | her mother-Alexander Pope, Lady Mon- | tagu, Dean Swift and other people of re- | nown. It was in London that Veronica | met Benjamin Franklin, who though at l first despised by the rich. was soon found | to be a man of unusual wisdom and pru- | dence.
 | The story gives us a glowing picture of | London in the 18th century, with beauti- 1 ful women. the wit, the quarrels, the love- making, all that enables the writer to
 bring London of those days closer to her readers.
 III L L.