The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09
Literary Lights and Shadons
BY s. MAYS BALL

Charles Battell LOOMS. Doubleday,
Page & Coz
Many recall the reading tour over
| America Of Mr.. Jerome K. Jerome and
Mr.. Loomis. or had the pleasure of listen
| ing to that reading when as Mr.. Loomis
now explains, so surely as he read from
Three Men In a Boat. SO surely did l
| read The Mother of Little Maude and
| Little Maude.' There are very few states
| where the story that little Miss Sober
face inspired has not been heard. and l
have found that its utter absence of sense
appeals to Yankee and westerner and
| southerner alike. One touch of nonsense
makes the whole world grin. Now when
Messrs. Doubleday. Page & Co., APP
| preached me and said that they wanted
! to make Little Maude' into a book all by
her lonesome, I told them that unless
they printed but five words to a page
and had such interesting marginal deco
rations that the reader would forget the
| paucity of text. they could hardly get
| beyond a couple of covers and a preface
| or two.
But they suggested that little Maude
might have had other adventures"
So. from the above, we can understand
| that Mr.. LOOMS cannot be held solely
/ responsible for his new book, in which
Little Maude not only has that exciting
| running away carriage experience, but
Il
been mxeo up with a shIpwreck and a lot
of devouring elements.
The little volume Is Illustrated by the
author and the cover design was drawn
by Mr.. Peter Newell.
Tales of Travel All Around the World"
by Horace A. Taylor. (Neale Publish
ing Coz
It was in response to many requests
from friends and strangers who had read
Mr. Taylor's Around the World letters
published In the newspapers that, he
says. he decided to write book
Somebody has said that there is no
story as enchanting as the story of a hui
man life.' l think" says Mr.. Taylor.
there is much more Information and in
terest in the story of a nation, with its
millions of human lives, its history,
achievements, customs characteristics
and all Its varied and vast concerns.
shall write mainly of the common people
as I saw them. of their looks, habits and
conditions; of the wonderful landscapes
as seen in the morning light or sunset
glow; of the prodigious monuments of
antiquity as exhibited in tombs and tenn
pies, palaces and pyramids, some stand
Ing, but most of them In ruins. l shall
report as concisely, as accurately as l
can the conditions and prospects of the
people, the climates. products and gen.
eral characteristics of the countries WIS.,
tied. l shall give a plainly painted, but
truthful picture of the people and scenes
In most of the great countries around
the world, where, during nearly every
waking hour of more than two years of
constant travel, / gazed upon the scenes
of the deepest historic interest, or of
! those around which the magic hand Of
legend has woven Its wondrous tales"
In 1906 Mr.. Taylor resigned his position
1 # 10 tod
States treasury, a resignation twice re-
turned by President Roosevelt, and start
ed on a trip around the world. Mr.. Tay-
lor felt that as he had worked long and
hard: that he had served as chairman
of the republican state central commit
tee for several years; as United states
consul at Marseilles. France; as United
States Commissioner of Railroads and for
eight years as assistant secretary of the
treasury, that he deserved a holiday, SO
he resigned all cares and prepared for
long one.
Far be It from this reviewer to appear
unladylike in the matter, but since this
question of holidays has been brought up.
! when one reads the list of political offices
held by Mr.. Taylor 1t might occur 20
some persons that the political offices at
Washington needed a holiday from Mr..
Taylor as much as he himself did from
/ the offices.
Nevertheless, likewise Notwithstanding.
and things of that sort, Mr.. Taylor very
properly concluded that there must be
others in this country who would and
could save, preserve and protect their
native land, also draw down the necessary
stipends thereunto pertaining. So adopt
ing for his motto, I'VE sail the ocean
blue; our saucy ships a beauty. Ship
ahoy, me lad!" Mr.. Taylor left Wash
ington in June 1906. and for two years
and a half he Travelled round and across
and up and down and under the earth.
And, when he got home. safe and sound.
me-hearties Mr.. Taylor wrote about 1t
all and this is the book, Tales of Travel,
All Around the World"
Most people seem to think that a trip
around the world is a protracted and
hilarious picnic, filed with days Of ease
and rest and perpetual enjoyment and re-
F cuperation. This is an enticing and eyre
/ gious error. Nothing could be further
/ from the truth. Travel in all the east,
! from Japan around to Europe, is dis
tressngly hard, tiresome to body and
F., brain"
| 1t is really a great relief to find, to
! read book of travel which tells the
i truth as that one of Mr.. Taylor's seems
| to do. For instance, If hotels are I'M
comfortable. he says SO: II the food Is
/ bad, the beds worse, the drinking water
there Is dirt and dust, filth and clamor,
Mr.. Taylor has written as he saw and
heard It ALL He does not call these
things "glamor' and delight In them be-
cause they are of 1.-The Orient" and
costing big pile OF money to experience,
+ to see.
! Mr.. Taylor was evidently looking with
wide-open American eyes on his two and
a half years OF vacation, and if you wish
an account of how the old world strikes
an honest American gentleman, you
should read the very interesting Tales
of Travel, All Around the World"
! "Of a Little Great Parsonage" by Ellen
M. Boult Qn The Burr Mcintosh
Monthly for January, 1900
/ Undoubtedly most of US, at some time
! or other during our living experiences,
4 unconsciously or otherwise, enroll our
names in the II Knew Him When club.
Sometimes, unfortunately quite often.
we Join the ranks of the aforesaid organ
izantion so that We may be better In
position to throw good sized brick. Tho
other times that we pay dues to the /. K.
H. w. club are occasioned from an hon.
est wish to pay a sincere tribute to sue
cess
The dues, including initiation fees and
everything. in the 1. K. Fl. w. club as
regards "A Little Great Parsonage" to-
wit, Miss Lucine Finch, always have been
paid up to the minute by this reviewer,
for the last reasons given above, namely,
to be able to pat her on the back, so to
speak, and call out, "Hurrah for a south
en- GIRL who, unassited and alone In New
York makes em all sit up and take no.