The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-30

TO apply rigorous critical standard
 IS the only just way of approaching an extensive subject. Yet if we discard that
 body of writing which, though sincere, is beset by the stupenduous sin of mediocri- ty, if we remain persistent in dwelling l only upon that writing which affects or
 has influenced southern thought or cu.-
 ture, we shall find, perhaps in some cases
 to our surprise. that the development Of
 southern letters has not been insigni1- l cant.
 | "The greatest hindrance to d clear un- derstandng of this fact has been, un- doubtedly, the provincial manner in which that literature has been regarded | by the people of the south in general" | As MT. Moses puts 1t, it has only been | of recent years. very recent years, that
 a comparative method has been adopted The culture of the south was, during the old regime. well nigh fixed by the con servative lines of a classical education. But the new outlook changed all this; I to that culture which the south has all ways had, larger interest is now added, which transcends sectional barriers" "The Literature of the South supplies | the demand which has long existed for thorough-going consideration of the posi- | ton occupied by the south in American 1 letters.
 | MT. Moses valuable volume Is separated into divisions coinciding with the various periods into which the history of the south may be divided-the colonial, the revolu- | tionary, the ante-bellum, the civil war period and the new south-in order that | the close connection existing between the | life of the section and It's literature may | be clearly traced.
 | The leading figures among the histor- | ians, orators, editors, novel writers, and | poets are dwelt with and their literary product analysed. From Captain Smith | to the present-day authors the course has been discriminatory followed. | This department has often been asked | for list covering the best books for | literary club, or something of that kind l There has not been book issued In many a day which a literary club needs or | should demand first of all from It's book seller quicker than "The Literature of | the South" .
 | MT. Moses treatment of George w. Ca
 ble, Booker Washington, Sidley Lanier | particularly DuBois, Thomas Nelson
 age-"undoubtedly MT. Pages residence in Washington has had some appreciable affect on his last story, John Marvel, As sistant,' Mrs. Wilson-if one could only
 quote or even list the authors, but space! | Sufficient is it to add that MT. Moses book Is the best yet seen by this reviewer, l and. good gracious, what a lot he has l to seei
 Three Modern Seers," by Mrs. Have | lock Ellis. (Mitchell Kennerley) The three men Mrs. Havelock Ellis has chosen to call seers in her book, a most interesting one, represents var | ious sides of the moral, intellectual and spiritual outlook of our age. The three men chosen, James Hin | ton, Nietzsche and Edward Carpenter, | she tells us that Hinton, a veritable Don Quixote of the newer morality that | Nietzsche, a modern Lucifer of the intel lect, and that Carpenter, a Child of "A irt pn nY ground of a striving toward perfec- tion of individual character as the chief factor in social progress.
 | Mrs. Ellis, who dedicates the book | to her husband, goes on to insist that however contradictory the three au- | thors selected may appear at first sight | these prophets of a sane morality are at one in their plea for what Mrs Ellis designates as solidarity work I ing from within outward. Mrs. Ellis | tells us that In their individual con captions we find that their belief is | that evil Is the handmaid of good and l that good is the ultimate conclusion of the whole matter.
 | Mrs. Ellis thinks that If the mes- sages of these three latter-day proph- cts were amalgamated a practical working scheme for daily living could be easily evolved.
 In other words, to have the cour-
 
 ton, to dare knock down traditions and conventions according to Nietzsche, to be serene and brave enough to live out
 what we have discovered, through our
 introspection and destruction, accord
 ing to Carpenter, Mrs. Ellis tells us
 Is the way to the larger vision and the
 definite action.
 "Sigurd," by Arthur Peterson. co. w.
 Jacobs & Co)
 In MT. Petersons poem of "Sigurd"
 the hero Is depicted as a young Morse
 rover, wanderer not only by land
 but by sea- this latter innovation seem
 ing to lend itself quite naturally to
 the established legend.
 The story of Sigurd, or Siegfried-of
 which the best known versions are
 probably the old Nibelungenlied, and Wagner's famous tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen-has been told by so many people and in so many variety of