The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-31

people. and while the Americans do not share the antlpathy of the English in | regard to the Germans, the book as q whole is interesting because Of the charming manner in which it is written and the entering and convincing desire of the author to be faithful in every | portrayal of detail, concerning the long residence enjoyed among them. 1 {" SOUTHLAND MELODIES"
 By Ben King. Illustrated from photo
 graphs made by Esse Collins Math-
 ews, and l.. R. Miner. Forbes and
 Company, Chicago.
 Every admirer of Ben King will welcome most gladly the new volume of his poehs Under the title of Ben Kings Southland Melodies" @ large number of his negro dialect verses have been collected in most attractive form, l To the general reader, especially to those who delight in genuine renditions of the dialect in verse, the volume will be an object to be preserved and read and read again.
 Ben King was a most genial and low able fellow-and the term fellow is used in no least respectful sense here. He was a dreamer of poetic dreams. He was a philosopher in lines Of l thought all of his own. He had the ability to be an entertainer of the most successful type. His geniality and low ableness, his dreamings, his philosoph- izings and his power of entertaining, all set to the music of his strangely mingled emotions and put in charming l dialect form, are shown in these melo- dies. They cover the whole range of human felings. They appeal to the l love of the grotesque, to the admiration for beauty of sentiment, to sympathy with the pathetic and to fondness for humor.
 The volume is bound In beautifully decorated cover, making it in appear ance one of the years best books for a l holiday gift. It is printed in fine style on excellent paper. The pages are bor- dered in highly artistic manner, and the l illustrations, by two of the foremost artists in negro character photography Essie Collins Matthews. and Leigh Richmond Miner, are so artistic and 1 true to nature as in themselves to make a collection of admirable pictures. They are notable for their splendid portrayal of the type of negro which is fast dis appearing.
 l JOYCE OF THE JASMINES" | By Ralph Henry Barbour. illustrations | by Clarence F. Underwood Decora- l tions by Edward Stratton Holloway | J. B. Lippincott and Company, Phil l adelphia.
 No more tastefully gotten up book has been sent out from any publishing house during the past few months than Ralph Henry Barbour's beautiful story entitled Joyce of the Jasmines."
 The very name breathes an air of re- finement and beauty, the handsome illustrations and the pretty decorations I on each page make the book doubly readable from every viewpoint. Like others of his books. kitty of | f1aA | "The Lilac Girl" MT. Barbour has sent forth from his pen in "Joyce of the Jas mines" charming story which involves a young man, fly and pretty i Southern girl.
 The book opens with an encounter between the hero and a fly in which the fly appears to get the best of the man, who though young is terribly han dicapped by rheumatism.
 The athletic young fellow is held a pris- oner in the south by this terrible mal- adv, and be it said. most unwilling pris- oner at that-and just when life seems | almost uncomfortable a rescuer comes in the form of an old doctor who takes a great fancy to the boy and carries him to his country place. This is pretty scenic ef- feet for the entrance of Joyce, who is the heroine of the story, of course, and is the doctors niece and housekeeper. and like all of MT. Barbour's girls. she Is sweet and wholesome and lovable. It doesn't take Philip Weld long to com mence thinking decidedly more about the little Southern Beauty than his unro- mantle Rheumatism and the result is that | he is on pins and needles as to the true state of Joyce's feelings towards him. He becomes so much disheartened sev- eral times that in desperation he almost turns his back on his southern surround ing and nearly decides to go back to his far off northern home, but just when things seem darkest Joyce is won and the reader is left to believe that they live happily ever afterwards"
 Joyce of the Jasmines" is written in MT. Barbours best style and is a most at- tractive and delightful story
 THE INCORRIGIBLE DUKANE." By George c. Shedd. Illustrations by
 Stanley B. Wood. Small, Maynard lS
 Co.,, Boston.
 For one who is fond of light reading ''The Incorrigible Dukane' by George w. Shedd will prove most satisfying novel
 It is interesting in the airy, breezy sort of way. which is oftimes most agree able departure from heavy, tiresome books involving too much brain work.
 Bloodshed and bravery galore are in- one of the most frequent things that hap ''black eye on very nearly every occa- sion in which he figures.
 The gist of the story is this
 There is a New York millionaire Du-