The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07
Literary Lights And Shadows
BY S. MAYS BALL

TALES From Shakespeare" by Charles
and Mary Lamb. (The Baker and Tay-
lor Coz
The Baker & Taylor Co. of New York
has recently issued a very handsome edi-
ton of "Tales From Shakespeare pic
tured by George Soper, which is indeed
a credit to that long established publish
ing house. This firm. by the way, is one
of the Oldest book publishing houses in
the United Ssctes, and in point of age APP
proxfmates the rank of such houses as
D. Appleton & Co. and Harpers. Its ex-
istence dates from about 1880.
But who will read "Tales From Shake
speare" these strenuous, stirring, twen-
tieth century days? Certainly not young
America, unless it Is collectively corraled.
and locked and brbed in room by
mamma or papa. Nothing is more pleas
Ing at times than the Lambs Tales; to
take up at odd moments and read Shake
speare's own words in beautiful extracts
and select passages is very pleasing in
deed. But young America, to this scribe's
way of thinking. is moving too fast for
enjoyment of Shakespeares Tales by
Lamb or anybody else of that caliber.
At Warm Springs Ca, the other day
this reviewer sat watching game of
cards, bridge whist, mind you, not old
casino of beloved memory, played by six
or seven pretty young girls, not one Of
whom could have been over 10, hardly II
years of age. Between hands books,
literature and so on were discussed.
Dummy, of one deal was much outraged
with a married friend in the hotel who
had loaned to her, oh, such stupid book,
yes indeed 1.-THE heroine was so slow;
she wasn't up to anything, 1 tell you'll
Then, the hero was a pie-faced mutt; he
never did see that the girl loved him
until nearly the end of the book want
something bidding in my reading, don't
your"
Eyes, indeed" was the immediate re-
Spouse from all the other card players of
such mature age! And, does the world
move?
tales From Shakespeare will long
remain a classic for old people like this
reviewer-and you? Good!
''Whirlpools," by Henryk Sienkiewicz.
Little, Brown & Coz
The author of "Quo Vadis," in his new
novel, 'Whirlpoois.'' deals with mod
ern Poland and her t-r-o-u-b-l-e-s, with
a big T.
The disconnected peasantry under
Yours for tn Revolution influence form
the backg ground of the story against
which the chief actors play their rath-
er interesting parts. The Yours-for-
the Revolution element, however. is
that one which gets in it's bloody work
and causes the tragic death of the
beautiful young violinist, a very at
tractive type Of talented modern girl
hood.
The hero, Ladislaus Krzycki-these
foreigners do have such fearful names
to read and write; there should be a
law against such names in fiction, any
how-this hero, with the loose morality
of his type has, during his earlier
student days seduced Hanka 'Sabianka,
a very young peasant girl living on his
a
ished entirely from his mind in the
liaisons which followed. After a num-
Der of years 1t Is recalled by tho will
of his uncle, who leaves bequest to
Hanka, lin whom he had taken a phil
anthropic interest. But Hanka and her
parents have emigrated from Poland
and no trace of them can be found.
At this time PAM Krzycki, the mother
of Iadisclaus, Is entertaining as guests
in the house PAM Otocki, young
widow whom she greatly desires her
son to marry; Marynia. the girl violin
list; and Miss Anney, friend OF the
young widow. supposed to be an Eng
lish girl.
Ladislaus falls desperately In love
with Miss Anney and despite the pref
erence of his mother. makes her a.
proposal of marriage. Miss Anney then
confesses that she is Hanka, whom
Ladislaus had /wronged when they We've
her parents to England, where she had
been employed In mill owned by q
charitable rich man named Anney. Upon
her parents death she was taken into
her employers home as companion
to his invalid daughter. The daughter
died and Hanka was formally adopted
by Anney. receiving her adopted faith
ers name and at his death inheriting
his wealth.
Hankas love for the man who had
wronged her had never wavered and
when she found herself alone In the
world possessed of riches she decided
to return to Poland and meet him as
one in his own station in life. Pant
Otocki, knowing Hanka's story, aided
her to the extent of having her In
vited as a guest in the Krzycki--it you
were in a hurry to catch train now
how would you pronounce that Krzy-
cki?-home. sienkiewicx. who does not