The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-02
Literary Lights and Shadohs

footing. The man who has his bread to
earn, with hands or brains, or tools, goes
out to seek for the work to which he is
trained his livelihood depending on It, he
offers his skill and services without shame
of thought of reproach.
But with the woman IL is not so. She
is expected to express her unwillingness
for the very work for which she has been
taught and trained. She has been brought
up in the belief that her profession Is
marriage and motherhood; yet though
poverty may be pressing upon her-though
she may be faced with actual lack Of the
necessities of life-she must not openly
express her desire to enter the profession
and earn her bread in the only way for
which she is fitted. She must stand aside
and wait-indehnitely and attain to her
destined livelihood by appearing to de-
spise it."
Cicely Hamilton has sent forth power
full arraignment of the social system,
which seems to deny women any real ca
reer in life other than marriage, and
which seems, as she insists, to degrade
marriage to the plane of a means of
livelihood. Marriage As a Trade Isl
first of all, an argument for the woman
who chooses some other career than mar
rage; but 1t also warmly and ably advo-
Gates view of marriage which would
make 1t a real partnership. not merely a
partnership in social or parental affairs.
Moreover, the volume is an argument,
based upon shrewd observation of the
facts of life for an equitable rearrange-
ment, in terms of modern enlightenment,
of the ancient traditional view Of the
relative positions of men and women In
the scheme of life, and to remove anti
| quated notions which stand In the way
| of women of all degrees rising to the full
| dignity and efficiency which .svng to
| each. tef
The remarkable chapter dealing with
| our so-called double standard" of mo-
rality regarding men and women; in fact.
the chapters; will interest all thinking
women q well as men.
'.ffhe Master" by Irving Bachelor Dou-
bleday, Page & Coz
An Eastern reviewer, in discussing a
book, recently stated that the volume was
SO interesting, so very delightful, he only
wished that he had the interest of enjoy
ment In the book; that he later would not
have to review 1t.
The Master Is a book of that kind;
one difficult to review, because it is diff
cult to get across the footlights" all the
charm in store for prospective reader.
To best explain what THE Master" Is In
| the way of a charm-producer, the scribe
begs leave to quote Mr.. Bachelor AZ fol-
lows:
I'm writing The Master I aimed:
ITO lead my readers, with the help of
| cheerful company and stirring episodes, to
| a clearer knowledge of the great evil of
war, and to create new enthusiasm for
| the old truth that out of one blood God
| has created all peoples. In other words,
| to help along a feeling Of brotherhood be-
| tween man and man the world over.
ITO suggest what can be done with a
| child's mind under training which COM
| pels II to depend upon latent but neg
| lected powers and to feel its own way tc
/! the truth. To suggest. for instance the
| deeper insight which may be impaired tc
/ the human eye by q patient training OF
| its power of observation in childhood. Sc
| I planned a boy to whom no language IL
| taught and who finds therefore q new
| inlet of knowledge How would he man.
age to convey his own thoughts and In
| terpret those Of his master? He would
manage It somehow, but how7 What con
olusion would he arrive at in time az tt
| himself and the world In which no hat
| found himself and the cause and purpose
of both? For this experiment / invented
the Isle of the Sky in the Wilderness
| When this youth comes out among mel
, with the purity and simplicity OF child
| hood and a WISDOM kTedL6T imam tQaI o.
his fellows, his work and the book be
gins. He sees clearly a truth to which
ancient custom has blinded US, namely
that war is the greatest evil In the world
I'm my hero l sought to show thu
/ power of high thinking over ones minC
and body: in my villain the like power o
low thinking. I sought to show how
man would express himself in this mod
ern world with spirit like that Of Jesu
Christ in him.
"All this I have sought to accomplish
by holding my readers with certain move
characters and expedients:
"Q) The anonymous book, which com
pels the man who falsely claims its au
thorship to live up to its teachings; ant
this In time changes his character ant
breaks down the plan Of his life.
"(2) BY a love between young man ant
a young woman which is clearly indicated
and well understood by both, but neve
expressed in words until 1t comes to tn
climax.
This, ohiehy. is the task set myself
And in doing so, Mr. Bachelor has writ
ten a strong. delightful most entertaining
novel; a book with its hero having tn,
spirit like that Of Jesus Christ within
him"-but never once In that connection
does the author mention tho Savior
name.
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