The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-20

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 | Co.)
 1 Doubtless there have been hundreds, | yes, thousands of people in this coun- | try standing on tip-toe for two things | mainly: One Halley's comet-when Haley 1 arrived it wouldn't, couldn't very well make any difference-how could ita The astronomers had to their satisfaction at least worked out Halley's comet-'but Halle Rives and her new book-a more difficult, much more important job as to the former Halie Erminie Rives, now Mrs. Post Wheeler of Japan, don't you
 know! And, as to Hallies book, 'The Kingdom of Slender Swords" the latter has arriveu-no deaths, many sales, and
 doubtless joy in the Japanese household of Post Wheeler.
 Did you ever read "The Career of a Journalist" written by William Sails bury7 It is very possible that this de- lightfully funny, true-to-life book has
 never been reviewed in this paper; If not look for 1.-the book Is a winner, really.
 Just what Salisbury says about Miss Hallie Erminie Rives would repay any one for reading the entire book. The crown prince of Siam-sweet little fellow after graduation at Oxfor,. he was on his way home. Salisbury, with few other words, disposes of Siam something like this:
 When the crown prince of Siam, with
 a name that sounded like a. sneeze, a
 complexion the color of old copper, a re- tinue of servants and 70 pieces of bag gage, came to Chicago, I followed him about for two days" and. 50 on. ITO make news soon after this, took an authoress, Hallie Errninie Rives, | cousin of Amelie Rives, on a stunning tour Her publishers were advertising
 heavily in the RecordHerald, and per- haps for that reason the city editor put my story on the first page. Miss Rives
 wrote me a letter of appreciation about it.
 'T had quoted her as saying several
 things which she doubtless never thought of saying including phrases from Hugo about slum-dwellers. But l didn't quote
 what now seems to me the most inter esting of. her remarks. AS we entered a. glittering hall where prostitutes and their admirers were dancing l asked her how her cousin could have written so good a psychological study of a widow 8 feelings as she did In ''The Quick or the Dead when she was so young that she had probably not even been seriously In love herself o, that was easy enough
 replied Miss Rives. Women tell each
 other everything" But as to Miss Hallie Erminie Rives' new book, "The Kingdom of Slender | swords"-if you have read with bated breath, with blanket over the transom, | Satan Sanderson" "The Castaway,"
 ..Eearts Courageous" "A Furnace of
 Earth"-what Is there for reviewer to
 tell you of her new story? Nothing.
 You'll "bated breath" and if mamma or papa wishes the lights to go out of the house, you'll blanket the transom as of yore.
 The publishers of this book, good | friends of this paper and this scribe, | say that the plot in 'The Kingdom of | Slender Swords Is big and moves log icaIly through succession of situations | of close dramatic sequence and Of nigh
 emotional quality. That the plot Is of l international breadth. altogether bril- liant performance That as literary achievement 1t readily advances on It's predecessors, while in scope, in dramatic | mower in charm of description and in | viyidness of personal characterization 1t
 sets for it's author a new standard
 They ought to know; they put up good
 money to send the book out.
 The plot, which is ''big and moves log ..ically.'' according to the publishers, Is simply a characteristic tale of Hallie I Erruinie Rives, as heretofore stated, now Mrs. Post Wheeler, stationed at the | American embassy in Japan. The plot, like all of Mrs. Wheelers. is of rapid ac- ton, we'll built and surrounded by lux
 uriant language.
 The scene of the novel is laid in Japan,
 which has been Mrs. Wheeler's home
 since her marriage few years ago. The central theme, of course, Is a red-hot
 love story, the heroine being an American girl. who journeys with her missionary
 uncle to Japan.
 But intertwined with this theme are
 several others which diversity the inter est. including the baleful interest of a nd dautl-pnindad aciap-
 tist to precipitate war and financial panic
 by means of an uncanny invention. Also the effort of brave man to destroy that
 invention by riding 1t down In an aero
 plane.
 There Is really much swiftly vivid, im-
 pressionistic presentation of people and
 of life in Japan-native and foreign peo-
 pie, native and foreign life and of the
 hybrid of the two, Baron Makino of Tokio
 writes a complimentary foreword as to
 the books ideals and the authors famil-
 iarity with her local color.
 Says Baron N. Makino in part;
 .sIt gives me great satisfaction to know
 that by perusing these pages the vast
 reading public. who after all have the decisive voice in the national government of the greatest republic of the world, and whose good will and friendship we Japan ese prize in no uncommon degree, should be correctly informed about ourselves,
 as far as the scope of this book goes
 We attach great importance to thor ough mutual understanding of two fore
 most peoples on the Pacific, In whose di- rection and cooperation the future of the east must largely depend. It is, there fore, incumbent upon us all to do our utmost to cultivate such good under standing. not only for those immediately concerned, but for the welfare of the whole human race.
 All right MT. Baron Makino, we didn't hear much such conversation when Japan was attempting to force Califor- mia to enter S5-year-old youngsters as little school chaps in the public schools of the Golden State.
 But remember this. to this scribes way of thinking an awful thing: The pie lures in the book in color are by A. B.
 Wenzell, supposed to be lone of the best
 in this country" but who draws or
 paints 9 to 10 feet men and women, put
 ting on their shoulders heads suitable
 for men and women or feet tall-ever
 notice that? Look it up, when you run across a Wenzell illustrated book.
 .The Kingdom of Slender Swords is simply another, no heavier. no brighter or no anything-novel, which Is likely to come from Miss Rives. If you like that lind you'll be delighted with this new hook, published January z9, 1910 and, if YOU don't care for that sort, you are likely to have in the language of a | friend of this reviewer, an awful case of pips.
 .sThe Sins of Society," a novel. by Cecil
 Raleigh. e. W. Dillingham; Co) | This novel. founded on the successful