The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09

bury House. was not great success,
but her second one, East Lynne" was
received with popular favor which it
enjoys to this day, both as a novel and
in Its dramatized form as play. In the
laying out of a plot Mrs Wood was not
excelled even by Wilkie Collins. The in
terest in her story is never allowed to
flag. and the mysteries and puzzles are
most skillfully contrved A British critic
has said of her. "She is puerile, common
place and ineradicably vulgar and the
criticism while perhaps too harsh, has
in it a large element of truth Her gen.
tlemen do talk like inspired footmen and
her ladies like virtuous chambermaids
But she is a teller of tales, nevertheless
and OF tales which are worth hearing.
She has a moral in her stories and
teaches always that virtue will be re-
warded, even in this world. and that the
wages Of sin Is death.
TNHERE was vast difference be-
tween William Vane. the poor law
4 student of the Temple, and Will
liam, Earl of Mount Severn. William
Vane had been a Woodworking young
man who could not be seduced into even
the mildest of designations by his fellow
students Poverty was his portion. and
his fame and fortune all to make. Then,
suddenly. the lives which stood between
him and peerage and great fortune
were extinguished and the poor student
found himself a peer with an income so
great that his first expression upon learn
ing of its magnitude was 1T is not posi-
bic to spend much in a single year''
Ila1& he
late and too suddenly; the reaction car
ried him off his feet and off his head and
now William, Earl OF Mount Severn, old
before his time, was dying absolutely
penniless at East Lynne.
Even this estate, the last piece OF I'M
entailed property, he had sold to Archi-
bald Carlyle of West Lynne, the rising
young barrister, and occupied it only as
guest upon Carlyles sufferance. Lord
Mount Severn was a widower with one
child, a daughter. Isabel, scarcely more
than girl and of great loveiness Mr..
Carlyle saw her at dinner when he went
to make the arrangements for purchas-
ing East Lynne, and when she entered
the dining-room he was not quite sure she
was human being-he almost thought
she was an angel. A light. graceful,
giriish form, face of SURPRISING beauty
beauty that is rarely seen save in i'm
agination of painter-dark shining curls
falling over her neck and shoulders,
smooth as q child's fair, delicate arms
decorated with pearls and a flowing dress
of costly white lace-altogether a vision
which seemed 20 the provincial lawyer to
be looking from fairer world to this
But now William, Earl of Mount Sew
ern. lay dead in the house of East Lynne.
A swarm of creditors had come down from
London-they had even proceeded to that
ancient and barbarous extreme of at
tSciling the body''-and the bewildered
Isabel found herself literally without a
friend or a shilling. The Earl's kinsman.
the new Lord Mount Severn who had
succeeded him, had been telegraphed to,
but had not arrived, being away on his
yacht at the time. But Archibald Car
lyle had arrived and he speedily sent
the creditors away; claimed the property
as his own, and, upon the arrival of
the new lord. helped arrange with him
for proper and decent funeral for the
dead earl.
wicked improvidence," said the new
Lord when he fully comprehended the sit
uation; shan profligacy; Callous-
hearted mani To lives rogue and die a
beggar-leaving his daughter to the char
ity of strangers. She must of course find
a home with me and | should hope hap
pier one than East Lynne has been. With
all these debts and duns at his elbows
Mount Severn's house could scarcely
have been bower of roses
81 fancy she knew nothing of the
state of affairs" said Mr. Carlyle.
NONSENSE said the Earl.
Mr.. Carlyle is right my lord" said
Mr.. Warburton, the late lords man of
business. Lady Isabel was in safety
ut Mount Severn till last spring and
the purchase money for East Lynne
what the Earl could touch of twas a
stop-gap for many things and made
matters easy for the time being. How
ever his imprudences are at an end
now over how many of US shall such
an obituary be passed--"T4is imprudences
are at an end now,'' mo. they are not
At an end cried Lord Mount Severn.
'.they leave their effects behind them"
The new Lord Mount Severn was
man devoid of sentiment but an honest,
upright, straightforward man. one whom
everybody respected and few loved. Yet
his heart was in the right place, If his
words were sometimes out OF place. He
did not scruple to tell Isabel what ne
thought of the conduct of her father. On
the other hand Archibald Carlyle was all
went1eness to her and said only soothing
words When Lord Mount Severn ds-
patched Isabel of to his lady at Caste
Nariing he gave her three pounds for
her expenses. but Archibald Carlyle as
the postchaise drove Off slipped into her
hands a bank note for hundred pounds.
When Archibald Carlyle revealed to his
spinster sister, Miss Cornelia, in her
SNUG brick house In the hourishing VIII
1age Of West Lynne that ne had pur-
chased the estate of East Lynne there
was q scene Purchased East Lynnel"
cried she. Archibald, are you crazy?
what do you propose to do with it?'
"Lef it--or-or live in IT," replied the
young man. Tive in it!' exclaimed Miss
cornelia Neglect your business and set
ND for an idle. lettering country gentle
man7 You'll live right here and get to
your Office at o'clock every morning.
That's what you'll do. Archibald Car
a. - "a