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

that MS. covered $685. miles by actual
count And postage! Ys gods and little
fishesI But listen: The third magazine
to which that article was offered In May,
1905, at its usual rates, but which declined
1t. two weeks ago bought the same arn-
Gle, without a change. without the addi-
ton of a comma or anything, at so more
than tho price stipulated in May, 1908. .
So, cheer up, ye faint-hearted. CHER
-.es snasa -sp zoe IN eaten rr.-s- mo sfees;
oysters have been ripe for months; we
are now ready for the plum puddings. II
you have a story that you know Is good
as the man mentioned above did-donf
turn loose; on the contrary. make the
high-browed editors buy story from you
If only to get rid of you
la Belle San Antone.- by Johannes Ben
nett (Nealo Publishing Coz
This story, La Belle San Antoine" Is
a pretty fair-nothing extra, on the con-
trary-novel of Texas 100 years ago, when
that section was known vaguely as The
Great Southwest" and held to be Span
ish province, ruled by a Spanish mon
arch. Far to the southwest Of this prairie
waste, q semi-ba rbaric town was filled
with mixed breeds Of men, Americans.
Indians, Mexicans, Frenchmen, Spaniards
buccaneers freebooters, gay. reckless,
devil-may-care fellows. they tell us now,
knowing we cannot dispute it-seeking
adventure and too often finding death.
The royalists and the revolutionists were
often in constant battle for possession OF
San Antonio; uprisings. dissensions, muir
der and strife, butcheries for revenge and
revenge for butcheries-that IL said to
have happened on a continuous perform
ance plan In San Antonio of 100 years ago.
It seems that for q time the royalists
would hold San Antonio ana while doing
SO would butcher the revolutdonists; then
matters would be reversed. Nice times
these must have been in San Antonio 100
years ago! Theodore Hackett, the hero
Of this novel, Scotchman, arrives at
this old French and Spanish military
camp. becomes mixed mp in love and war
of course and keeps the reader busy
watching him.
Some of the descriptions Of historic
characters are good in la Belle San An
tone" Mrs. Bennett tells us interestingly
of Colonel Travis the brilliant young hero
of %; Colonel Bowie, "a product OF the
west and inventor Of the murderous knife
that bears his name;" the sportsman king
Of the shooting matches. Colonel Bonham
of South Carolina; the immortal Crock
ett that unique Tennessean, with his love
for the woods and the chase; "the daunt-
less Houston. whose genersisnip IN the
battle of San Jacinto lifted him from the
| humble position of Indian scout to kin
ship with immortals." Mrs. Bennett also
discusses entertainingly and authorita-
lively the massacre of Goliad, the attack
upon San Antonio, the storming OF the
Alamo, the battle of San Jacinto and all
1.-The sacrifice and Victory Of the year 1885
| when Texas sealed with her blood the
right to govern herself"
! II you care for novels OF that kind La
Belle San Antoine" will please you, for II
is pretty good; but nothing to throw ur
| your hat about.
| "Why Not NowY by Charles Gilbert
Davis, M. D. Orchard q. Badger. ESQ.,
There is no particular reason why you
should answer tho question why Not
| Now?" used as title to this book, except
that the volume itself Is likely to give
| you the sleeping sickness.
DR.. Davis. in addition to perpetratine
why Not Now?"-a question that sensi'
| tive persons might consider impertinent
| anyway-has written The philosophy Of
Life" so the title page tells us. Consider
yourself lucky that you have only one Of
| the books to read about. and give due
| thanks for that relief. DR.. Davis, whom
YOU must not confuse with Dr. Cook OF
the north-pols business, has IN eight chap
ters. or essays, taken UP Tor discussion
such easily unraveled subjects a. Life
The Tariff. Woman Suffrage. Race Preju-
dice. Public Ownership. Alcohol Dark
ness. and Light.
In discussing "Race Prejudice par
| ticularly that against the negro, which DR.
| Davis has convinced Us II unfounded, ~