The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-08

Daskam Bacon. GIarper & Brothers).
Here is Binks again. He HGas loved by
many and admired by quite the same
number from Maine to California in
1.-The Memoirs of a Baby
Bnks is a little bit older and is sup
posed to be much funnier very much
funnier, but that is a question for each
individual reader to decide for himself.
Binks is a good sized boy now and has
a little brother Thomas These two, to-
gether. rival "Heen's Babies in small
boy characteristics. The father and moth
err of Binks are almost as remarkable
as Binks himself, while Aunt Emma is
still in close communication armed with
her suggestions for raising children.
The most interesting, the best piece of
work done by Mrs. Bacon in her new
book, is that which shows the boy Binks
in transition; the wicked Binks, who
grows sulky over gunea-hens and elopes
with small disciple of Christian Science.
Binks can be taken in large or small
doses; this reviewer would advise the
latter A little of Binks, Off and on,
like the proverbial but long delayed an
gels visits, few, far. in fact there Isn't
any between will go long way
though that little of Binks or of the an
gels, WOulu Dc ucdIllly chJoy oDic.
1.-THE CroSsways,' by Helen X. Martin
CThe Century Coz
This is strictly a study of the woman
problem as worked out in a Pennsylvania
German community to which a native
doctor has brought his wife, a southern
girl of excellent family.
The difference in point of view as ex-
emplifed by DR.. Kuntz and his tenderly
red wife leads to what threatens to be
domestic tragedy. The tragedy seems
unnecessary, but quite inevitable. The
two love each other devotedly and their
cause for quarrel assumes the rather
sordid shape of battle of generous I'M
pulse against inherent cold-bloodedness
of the Pennsylvania Dutch to the nth
power. The struggle Jean has to adapt
herself to the crude ideals that force her
to the kitchen and make a drudge of her
there, a struggle in which her very physi-
cal makeup is totally against her. shows
the great inner strength of this southern
woman pitted against the Dutch; .
charming woman with a sense Of humor
as we'll as honor, both of which, and her
fipeness are in striking contrast to the
self-satisfled egotism of her lord and mas
ter.
Mrs. Martin has in 1.-The Crossways'
done her best work Her character work
is handled with master strokes and she
achieves her fitting climax through a
process of psychological evolution that Is
worked out with artistic effect.
Love conquers even the Pennsylvania
Dutch after a while; even If you can't
imagine such a thing Mrs Martin will
show you how it was done. THE Cross
WAYS, is first-class, better even than Mrs
Martins "Tillie," which is saying quite
q lot
.The Snare of Circumstance" by Edith
| f. Buckley. Uittle, Brown & Coz,
A haunted house, mysterious murder
a misplaced suspicion, a mixture In iden-
| tity. An elderly criminal evolved from
a RESPECTABLE citizen and the retribution
| that we are told always comes: but does
Tito the man who chooses the devil for
his affinity; these, all these, are the FAC
| tors in "The Snare of circumstance that
holds the interest.
| 1t is a rapidly moving story of adven-
ture and detective work, with very
charming, quite lady-like love story mat
goes far to lift the book above the av-
erage of it's sort. While the book Is
based on worn-out facts and circum-
stances which snare, you can see the
suggestion of DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde In
it. the book will please those who care
for excitement in their reading, snares,
detective work and things of that sort.
The volume is nothing extra. though.
| 1.-THE House of the whispering Pines,
| by Anna Katherine Green. g. p. Put
| Mans Sons)
You talk about thrillers, those books
| that keep you up all night to finish and
| then cover your head with sheet wher
you turn out the light! Take look a,
1.-THE House of the Whispering Pines
| il you have ears, eyes or mind to thrill
| Mrs Rohlfs (Anna Katherine Green)
| doesn't write literature, she may not
wish to, for that matter. But she does
/ make her mysteries so alluring that one
| throws literature taste to the winds and
| simply reads for the thrill that you arr
| sure to get from her books.
The mystery OF 1.-The HOUSE or the
! Whispering Pines Is as horrible as ons
/ could wish for. and that's quite con-
siderable in this 1910; involving cele'
brated trial for murder, most surprs-
Ing form of rescue at the eleventh hour
and a remarkable confession. A greai
! many of the situations, you Will know
arc simply impossible; but what's thu
| difference II the thrill Is there7 Viewee
even in the light Of cold reality, Mrs
! Rohlfs creates an atmosphere that
| makes the most wildly impossible. UNI
real things seem plausible and the mos
blatant melodrama leaves the mind un'
moved since the hold of the story. Its
grip is such as to somewhat paraiyzt
/ the hypercritical faculties
For . sincere unvarnished tale Of mys
terry and awfully queer. creepy thing
that grow out Of gruesomsness' "Th'