The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
Literary Lights And Shadows
By $. WAYS RAIL-

=
Lady Merton. toloniste by Mrs. ffluiii-
ph7ev Ward Gpoubleday, Page S@tso. }
Mrs. Nfr1's new book known in this
country a Lady Merton. Colonist. and
published IN ENGLAND under the title OF
Canadian Born las recently been is
sued from The press n fter running serlallY
in America. ii is therefore the proper
Thing. certainly tae easiest and less dis
aerreable HING and If YOU wish 10 slime
&c q literary light, reflected or otherwise;
and -those-blessed stand. as it We're
ioo Join The crowd of admirers of Mrs.
Ward Who. en- lnasse from Portland Me.
10 roltand Ore, viii soon he telling us
OF { premier novel Of the year yea. de-
cace. Mrs Ward writes every year or so
il'~ ,.omier novel of that decade, aud the
f-'l is thai In producing SO many high
C, a literary productions, she is COM
-. to be careful 10 avoid stepping on
- IN. premiers. her books are sent
fo..a But in the humble opinion of this
retin ser she will not be compelled to do
m - dodeinE, Or. sidle-stebpinga of agx-
~ md songs Of praise. cat least Z Ie-
sar.qdl for Lady Merton Color =
1'ER. is to say, that YOU or this reviewer
wor,.i be as happy as the prcverbial sun
ho5cr Ii We could write a book Is good
a& ~Lady Merton, Golonist but, fortu-
natdv for US we are not but Mrs. Ward
in ,;sder discussion. You see, We are
tai6 by lots of high brows. vino are not,
nv The way, being followed in literary
matters at the present moment. as tho
Ys.:ish say. by this soribe-that Mrs.
Ws.ed Is not only the greatest ever in
TT she is the greatest living woman
nj ~alist writing in the English language
toda.. but that, to be in it, to be con-
sidered as something of a near high-b brow
oneself. YOU must get In the push prais-
ing Mrs Ward and her kind Wherefore,
accepting those 'ablurbs" literary re-
rarding Nrs Ward we have a right to
expect and usually do expect something
out of the ordinary from her pen.
AS a frst-class guide a sort of Baede-
Lar n, thea Ca ma dian Pacific rsilway..from
Montreal west to antouver. containing
full dissertations l., lovely trees. noun
tains lakes TO saw nothing of gophers
alongside the railway track, Lady Mer-
ton colonist." is all right enough. AS a
dissertation ar tract on the false theory
that love levels all ranks in these or any
davs Mrs wards hook covers the ground
fulIv' foo. You know that love doesn't
never has. and never will level all ranks
Socially that we NAV "live happy ever
after; hut n seems to be within the pro
,,ince ~ noveIists 10 write of things i'm
probable. and please us-iconoclasts that
ne orc
rrba n1ot of this novel concerns itself
wifi LADY Merton. a Young English.
uo,,,an ~ tbe ar,stocracv who. having
roarr,ad Marion an arn,v OFFICER Is left
r,dou shortly after their marriage
a. his daoth IN Africa LADY Merton
~ n.yer loved Merton very dearly,
.lau - r,,do1bood seems IN have
49, -, ,,,itl, oonsiderine, the nrono
IT. % -, p,,,oh clio had missed Inv not
,a.s,,~ .fa-ton. hv not having ma rried a
80 sha ,,igb+ have loved strenuouslv
- r,,oiisb neonle ever love that way
r.d-, Merton represents English society
=
s,,...s.l - rafned uoyoanhood. such as
- - ,,nou., rest how to draw. 2
NJ, NJ. We ma'u T., a,irad nerhans to dabble in
.i,,.,s, ;, h,,t nc r,atteri she Is NOT dis
o4ar,ted ,,,ith EngIand mr. her people. O,
~, ~ sn,rit ~ adventure. on the
iun -. s,,a has Inherited all Europear
co,i.i al >, s ,,,,nrvs and annreciates italy
cuilure Gnu hnu no. .nd noetrv she is &C.
,'nir,as ,,ith al the members OF parlia.
is sornatbing Of a little siste,
a. tha =, hinet. most of Mrs. Ward /
sua,,as ara that If thew are in society
80 ali
go tba story of "T,adv Merton. Col.
.1'.t :, onsns orr heroine had beer
.iassad ~ receive and encourage the suit
a,,it,red english gentleman of n
Y,bo USUALLY is engaged in -translating the
iiiau ~ =. 3t,t,e n fsittinp from archaeo-
1877. CONGRESS- 10 congress with no re-
los.oa ,ar,,, done TO ANYBODY concerned
~. This pentleman's Intentions
49, Marion invites him to join her in
,-aIid hrotber and herself on a trip across
Canada in search of health for the poor
sici. how. The average reader, it is safe
70 SOW will agree that Lady Merton was
a SORT of chilly proposition when 1t came
a love-that is, one can see quickly that
she Is incapable by temperament or the
lack of 1t, of the 'grande passion" She
~ To- ayoh Of dyrat1
t,re: she was merely trying to arrange I
pleasant. diverting trip for the sick
brother. On this trip. Lady Merton en-
counters by chance George Anderson, the