The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28

one, but the figures portrayed stand out boldly and clearly and none more so than the melancholy James, clad like Hamlet in sable suit. One feels eyer the tragedy of his life about which so many and such dark shadows have gathered. One can fancy the disappointments and regrets for the throne never to be his, the op- portunity to play a great part on a great stage passed away, yet all bravely borne. One feels that fate plays but a scurvy trick in alternating his princess love. The good Cardinal, however. so outwits fate that James is spared this bitter blow. Be- yond this point the book does not go. It has to do solely with the release of the princess and her meeting with James. Of their further destiny nothing is told.
 The story is related with a freshness, unaffected. genuine and spontaneous, a freshness that gives zest to the simplest incident Humor and pathos, tears and laughter, sighs and smiles are here in- extricabIy mingled as in real life.
 The hero Is not one of the swashbuck- ling type, though encountering hair breadth escapes and divers adventures, he Is an individual made real to us by the qualities which distinguish him from his companions His valor is not overdrawn.
 his readiness of resource, his skill, his gallantry. all appeal to us as being most natural The charm of the authors style will impress every reader.
 "A Nations Crime" by Mrs. Lowenberg.
 (Neale Company, New York, s150
 The author regards her novel as pre- senting a solution of the evil brought about by the inequality of the divorce laws of America To one (and there are marty such) who detests divorce, the prin- ciple of it, Its consequences, and who be- lieves that it will prove a nations ruin ing of "The Nations Crime" for further convincing Only the need of protesting against divorce entities this novel to mo- tice. It is i'll written and altogether lack ing in literary grace PGrporting as It does to be a study of marriage as seen through the medium of different tempera- ments under various pressures 1t is so crudely done as to be far from convlnc- ing The opening scenes are presented in an English village. a sleepy little par ish shut out from all the world. Here one John Lane Is curate. He is discontented, indulges in solitary walks and silent med itations The rector being absent most of the time, it is left to the curate to pre- vent the villagers from "lapsing into primitive organism
 He is daily fed by an adoring mother and sister with the idea that he is to be a bishop some day, but that in order to do this he must make the proper mar riage to that end Instead he makes an amazing marriage. He marries barmaid whom he meets upon one of his long walks He himself performs the cere- mony uniting them in the bonds of matri- mony As excuse for the marvellous con duct; he deemed the barmaid dying and he hoped by marrying her to soothe her last hours! Astonishing consolation for a death bed. But the barmad does not die. despite the doctors dictum After a years time John takes his wife and small daughter to America. He gives up his vocation as a minister and earns small salary as bookkeeper. He never ceases to regret his lost career and his bishop s miter buried in a day book, cash book, journal and ledger" Never were words
 strung together just as they are in this book, nor were ever such unusual words used, it would dizzy the arithmetic of memory to gather them all together.