The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-10

Tor the Revolution. SO DanSeau pernllls
her life to go on as before until he leaves
her with his relatives In a country town
while he does duty with the army at
Lyons and against Spain.
Gut suspicious and plots and denuncia-
tions RTE all the time in those stirring
days, finally send both husband and wife
back to Paris to prison and Dangeau
meets his wife in the tumbril, as they are
both sent to the guillotine and learns that
love has at last melted the pretty girl
pride-she Is all his'n now.
Then comes the news that Robespierre
has fallen and the happy pair are saved
although the wife's neck had already
been barred for the knife. Thrill enough
there?
The book is a noteworthy piece of fic-
ton. Names, famous and infamous, ap-
pear among its characters, Danton,
Robespierre, Marat, Hebert Desmoulins
and others of less note, less blood-cover-
ing. "A Marriage Under the Terror Is
all right.
"A Modern Chronicle by Winston
Churchill. (The Macmillan Coz
OF course, Mr.. Churchilrs Richard
Carvel,' "The Crisis and The Crossing
were perfectly lovely. perfectly sweet,
quite Mellins Foody in spots. and you
felt, that is If you had good things above
the ears. that Mr.. Churchill could do
us 'Conston,' then Mr.. Crewe's Career"
now, we have by far the best and the
most interesting novel he has written,
namely, "A Modern Chronicle
The novel is so far ahead of the other
productions of Mr.. Churchill that they
are not in tho same class. really.
A girl dominates this story. as she does
all stories, all life, when you come to
think of it. If you've never thought of
that simple axiom 1t would save you
lots of worry to get it firmly fixed in.
your mind, namely, that the women, God
bless 'em, run things in this country.
Why shouldn't they?
Honora Lefflngwell is the name of the
dominating creature in Mr.. Churchilrs
novel. She was born in the last quarter
of the 18th century, at Nice, in France,
and she spent the early years of her
life in st. Louis, a somewhat conserva-
tive old city at that time, on the Missis-
sippi river. Her father was Randolph
Leffingwell and he died young, which.
after all, was just as well, you'll agree
as you read. AS linguist he was a phe
nomenon. but he wasn't an accumulation
of estates for Honora. He had gentle
blood in his veins, which came from Vir-
|
six and he was the equal in appearance
and manners of any duke who fingered
beside classic seas with him, while he op
Grated as United States consul at Nice.
Soon after Honora's birth, while on
an excursion with friends and a very mer-
ry-merry party on the Italian side the
horses ran away mother and father were
killed, and poor Honora left at one shot,
an orphan.
Brother Tom. banker of st. Louis,
Uncle Tom. accepted charge of Honort,
met the baby at the steamer in New
York, brought her on to st. Louis, and
the real story begins.
Honora was very Fascinating. of course.
Best heroine Mr. Churchill has done She
wound anyone she met round her little
finger in fifty; she was a wonder in
woman's wiles, was Honora.
Off to school, where she meets and
knows the rich girls. begins to have social
aspirations that must be gratifed Ger
tainly. The first vacation after her year
at college. Honora meets a stock-broker
of New York. who fell in love with her
all men did--and shortly proposed, and
after a foreign count or something or
other was given the mitten, much to
Honora's SURPRISE that of her friends,
her family and so on. she accepted Mr..
Spence, the stock-broker.
They were married In st. Louis and
went to live in New York, as Honora
had expected But 1t was on the SUI
burbs, oh, horrors, for thise social aspira-
lions! When you see an unusually attrac-
tive or woman marry a very I'M
attractive opposite sex, 1t simply
corroborative OF that theory that
many of US have that after all,
marriage is simply a habit. That when
the little god with the bow and arrows or
mazuma or dinero, no matter, comes
along-it is a simply a question of luck
Providence. environment, what not.
What7
OF course, Honora grows awfully tired
Of Spence, of stocks and bonds, of the
cheap suburban sassiety, the cheap
house. cheap furniture. cheap everything
And, Honora thought she was buying
SO much better. Twas ever thus, not
ever, but often, thank goodness
Honora meets rich friends, girls she
met at school She can't simply stand
1t any longer, no, indeed. To skip a
bit, one man fascinates Honora, she
goes to Reno, gets a divorce and marries
the fascinator.
"A Modern Chronicle is a big story.
Mr. Churchill has tackled some solid
them, on the contrary, but by writing of
the on the contrary. but by writing of
them very charmingly. As heretofore
stated. this is the best work he has done
by long odds.
The best characters in the book are
Uncle Tom, and dear "old' Peter. faith
full Fido." waiting patiently for crumbs
and finally is asked by Peter to the
heapng table as he deserved.
"a Modern Chronicle is more than
worth while