The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-03
Literary Lights And Shadows
BY S. MAYS BALL


CThe Macmillan Coz
They used to tell story on Mr.. Her.
rick, may do so yet, in Chicago in which
a charming debutante wishing to ingrati-
ate herself at a dinner party with the dis
tingulshed author of Together" inquired
II he had written any poetry recently.
mot In some 800 years. replied Mr. Her
rick.
| There are all sorts of poetry, but Mr.
Herrick's new novel. "A Life for Life,
Is not love ditty, on the contrary 1t
is a great big book not as thrilling in
interest possibly as Together" but
stronger. There isn't very much story or
plot to the novel. 1t concerns Hugh
Grant. a founding who goes to the city
not designated, any old city, Chicago,
New York. 'Frisco-to make his fortune.
He knows in that city the name of but
one man, Alexander Arnold, powerful
financier, the most powerful In the city
In years gone Grant had been told by his
adopted father that II he ever found 1t
necessary to seek his fortune In the city.
Arnold would befriend him. on account
of past satisfactory business dealings be-
tween the two older men, A position Is
given Grant in Arnold's bank and he rises
slowly until at length he is sent away
to develop an immense water power plant
In the west. While In the west. after
ma king the development in question, COM
ing In contact with the common people;
even the common peepul, Grant is con-
WINGED that the power company Is robbing
the people and the future. His eyes are
completely opened to the iniquity of the
corporation for which he works. Grant
goes to Washington and finds out that
the. power company is In charge therA
how useless his protest would be.
Then the very night of an entertainment
given in WASHINGTON by the girl he loves,
Alexandra Arnold, which he had promised
To attend, Grant disappears in company
with a bearded. laxative Anarch-who
he'd befrfended him in his early days in
the city-to visit the mines and factories.
Anarch shows Grant the toiling multi
tudes heaping gold and silver at the
feet of such as Arnold and his daugh-
ter. Alexandra. you arc thinking" said
the Anarch. that there Is a way of pleas
ant compromise-to own your own soul
and eat your cake. But the hour will
come when you will come to understand
the truth Of my words-that he who will
not eat his brother must be eaten. The
law of this world Is life for a life
Grant returns to Alexandra and tells
her what he has seen. that he can no
longer live the life she does. and that to
marry him she must give up all her lux
ury, give up demanding life for life.
Alexandra doesn't SEQ 1t that way. and
marries the president of the bank that
Grant, after giving way all his money-to
prove what?-goes to work for
You will be compelled to feel the truth
of all Mr.. Herrick says. but you are
likely to be disappointed in the fact that
his hero doesn't prove anything, get any,
where by his sacrifice. his struggles. The
predatory rich In the hook do; maybe
that's particularly what Mr.. Herrick
wished to show
The book is notabe-anything Mr.. Her.
rick writes Is 1t is a book one should
read to keep up with the game.
The Arch Satirist," by Frances De-
Wolfe Fenwick. Lathrop, Lee &
Shepard Coz
The idea of this book is that If we
will be patient. simply walt long
enough, the arch satirist-Time--wil
lives around us--straighten out things
generally. Maybe SO. but 1t wouldn't
be wise to stand on one foot waiting on
old Father Time; no, indeed. We are
likely to find. as some people In this
book found, that the peep comes too
late to save US from sad mistakes
things Of that sort.
The book takes it's title from Thorn
as Hardy sentence: Justice had been
done and Time, the arch satirfst had
had his Joke out"
The scene of the story is laid in Mon
treal, and 1t Is about young woman
who was foolish enough to compromise
herself by loving attentions to her step
brother. This step-brother was a cor
rupt young genius whom decent people
had ceased mentioning. Nobody knew.
\ - lv.A i 4f>I
way from making the fact known. that
the dissolute compromiser of herself
was her relative. The result was the
If you don't object to plot of that
II you don't obpect to a plot of that
kind. the story is all right nothing
wonderful, but humorous and entertain
ing. The book is certainly original In
Its plot.
The O'Flynn," by Justin Huntly Nc
Carthy. (Harper & Bros)
1t was while returning from his mill
tary service in France that The OFlynn
fell in love with the Lady Benedetta
Mountmichael. who was carrying jewels
to the deposed King James II from his
wife. Mary of Modena. He falls head
over heels in love with Lady Benedetta
and ferociously presses his suit despite
the fact that all his fortune is legend
airy. hoard Of gold supposed to be con-
cealed In the ruined castle to which he
has fallen heir-and hardly anything
else.
To please Benedetta. later on, The
0'Flynn--during the reign Of William
III. a little previous to the battle of the
Boyne-joins the Jacobite cause He
journeys to Dublin in the company of a
travelling troupe of players whose man
ager was induced to lend him money on
the security of the Legendary gold.
In Dublin, exploit follows adventure
withe tho picturesque Irishman always
In the lead Benedetta Is perfectly
willing to be courted by The OFlynn
but she has promised to marry Lord
Sedgemouth. really an agent of King
William, but pretended friend Of
James II. It is portion of Sedge-
mouths underhand scheme to win the
confidence of James by the capture Of
Castle Knockmore-a stronghold that
William III Is quite willing to surren-
der. since It Is of no possible impor-
lance In the campaign
But hold! There was The OFlynn,
who through sheer audacity illustrates
his rivals scheme. One night, alone,
Castle, talks with the Dutch command
err, Van bronx. whom he has known
in previous wars, and finally puts him
to sleep by drugging his wine.
Sedgemouth then arrives with pa
per ordering the surrender of the cas-
tie and The O'Flynn. impersonating
Van bronx, obtains the paper" with
Sedemouth's signature.
Thus we have the underhanded plot
against King James undermined, Sedge-
mouth gets his just deserts-and did
The OFlynn win Benedetta? Well. well
read this exciting tale to find out.
It's great for the good old summer