The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-18


 scenes laid in Scily, Rome and there abouts, which was reviewed and highly praised in this department. 'Marotz" was all right. It would particularly interest those persons of the Roman Catholic faith, but to anyone the book would appeal thoroughly.
 The new book "Dromina," is even more interesting, better written than was 'Marotz"-and that Is saying a great deal 'Dromina" is bog book. containing a big story There is really enough ma terlal in "Dromina" upon which to base at least three ordinary novels.
 Dromina" Is the name of an Irish castle In which live the family of an Irish noble man. There is the lord of the castle, two sons and a daughter and a cousin, the william of the story. There is also an aunt, of French connections, an enthusi- astic worshipper of Marie Antoinette. All these people are deplorably poor In spite of their rank and the state they uphold in the very face of destitution.
 There comes into the countryside, little way from Dromina, a Gypsy band. The king of the Gypsies Is Ludovic and in him the French aunt recognizes the lost Dau- phin of France. Louis XVII, son of Louis XVI and Marie Antionette.
 And old Gypsy woman, Roma Ludo- vics foster mother, is secretly endeavoring to win back the throne of France for Ludovic though it does not become known for some time among all the people thereabouts, just who Ludovic really is.
 Meanwhile Ludovic has expected to marry and the woman selected Is a Gypsy princess of Spain, by name Carmen Ludo- vic is disposed, however, to favor the Lady Ethena, the daughter of Castle Dromina, beautiful and very charming girl.
 Just at this point the scene of the story shifts to permit the following of the for tunes of Ethena's brother Henry, into Spain, where he was sent by Ludovic in the marriage negotiations. Henry dis covers that Carmen does not wish to marry Ludovic and so he falls in love with her himself, and there Is a beautiful love story right there Henry takes his Gypsy wife back to Dromina whence they go to America, later to the West Indies.
 The reader follows Ludovio, who has married Ethna, all over the continent of Europe, pushing his claim to the throne of France. Ludovic plays a very unbe- coming part towards his wife and is sud- denly killed in the streets of Paris by an assassin, just immediately before the revolution following the regin of Charles x.
 The scene of the story again shifts to
 
 nina, with his Gypsy wife, Carmen, are now immensely rich and with one son, Enrique. This one son at the age of 16 dreams of Utopian kingdom and de- termines, upon the policy of Napoleon III, to secure one. The boy Is only Is years of age but In company with his step- | uncle 'Lope"-great character Is Lope!- he goes to the island of San Deigo" and | there, after variety of adventures, estab- fishes through the power of his fathers s immense wealth and his own idomnitable will-the kingdom sought. Young Enrique then invites his father and mother Gin California; and his grand father and Lady Ethna in Ireland to visit his empire, but just before the in- vited party from Dromina arrive at the l island the boy-emperor is killed. There is such a variety of characters that one will wonder just how the author differentiates them one from the other. But 1t is all done delightfully."-; every char acter stands out, for the author has avoided the slightest confusion. The book Is winner-thats all It is and never will be "best seler''-a good sign of its real worth. But to the lover of the real good things in literature, real literature, not Melln's Food or Grape Nuts, "Dromina'' will delight thoroughly. It is a book one would care to read l leisurely. MT. Ayscough knows how to write. Result: "Dromina" Is one of the | gems of a season of books which taken altogether have been much below the average
 ''The Whips of Time" by Arabella Ken ealy. Qittle, Brown & Co., This book describes a psychological ex- pertinent wherein a child of a murderess and a child of nobility are exchanged in their cradles-a strange, not particularly inviting theme, eh?
 The physician who is guilty of this changing in the cradle business is strong believer In heredity and no sacri- flee is too great for him to undertake in behalf of science. hence the story. Neither of the changed children have to face poverty but when 23 years have passed and the question of ancestry be- comes an issue of importance they nat urally feel the blenlish caused by wicked parent.
 All of the characters in the story are out of the ordinary, particularly Mrs Beau mont the Dukes Lady" who, though cherished and treated with marked af- lection, is cut off absolutely penniless at the dukes death.
 Alma and Joan, the two principal char acters, naturally. though apparently mere acquaintances are false to the world, as strong love binds them together like sisters. Why? Couldn't tell you!
 The book is very unusual The entire idea Is peculiar, leading the reader deeper and deeper into strange plot totally un- like the average worn-out fiction theme. The book is worth reading.
 "Ridgeway of Montana" by William Mac
 Leod Raine. e. w. Dillingham; Co)
 Some short time before this reviewer. in 1904, went to spend some months up in the Catalina mountains, 3S miles from a railroad north of Tucson, Ariz, MT Raine who had been staying there Cat the village of Oracle), pulled his freight, as they say in the west Ever since then this reviewer has followed MT Raine's literary success (books and magazine writings) with great deal of personal in- terest
 The latest novel written by MT. Raine is a good one, rather on the thriller, wild and woollywest order but it was intend- ed to be that
 "Ridgeway of Montana" carries a good. exciting story of adventure. political in trigue, love, a bit of tragedy-much of everything that happens in ''The Coun- try That God Forgot"
 Waring Ridgeway, the hero of this novel was the owner in Montana of an independent shelter and some small mines with which he openly defies the Consoli-