The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-21

ed with quinine and chloroform contra band of war. The useless and unparal- leled devastation and footing by the in vading armies. The high courage that ac- cepted defeat as grandly as ever heroes accepted crowns of laurel.
 To the south the story is no new one, it was breathed into us with our first breath. But here 1t all is and in so en- ticing and commanding a form that all the world must read.
 Only close companionship with genius could have produced such a book. In writing it Miss Johnston has done ser vice to her state, her country, the world that can not be too highly estimated.
 The practical suggestion is made that this book might well be included in the reading required in the high schools of all the south.
 "To Love and to Cherish" by Eliza Cal
 vert Hall. Qittle Brown & Co., Bos-
 ton,) S1.
 A simple story of a mountaineer states man who married too early" and of wife who preferred picking peas to being mistress of the governors mansion. The sentiment is over saccharine. The situations overdrawn; Wards re- lection of the nomination because his wife was not one to grace the inauguration ball was unnecessary. We have a heroic renunciance without reason. America is too truly democratic to be the stage for any such complete overthrow of parties and principles (almost) because a mans wife wears large white apron and serves her husbands meals herself. Our unwrit- ten annals would lose much of their Zest and piquancy were there to be cut out Of them all the stories of the petty social blunders, the gentle faux pas committed by those chosen suddenly by reason of real worth, to sit in the seats of the mighty. Mary Ward, with the newly bought diamonds, what you call sun burst" and the blue silk with mighty long train" might well have reused her mountain born courage and joined the band of women who, scorning to drag back their husbands and children in the grand march of progress, take the lead in all their pioneer simplicity and many times win out success for themselves by sheer mother wit and wisdom. It is well to be born in the purple-nothing better. But if a stout heart is beneath, even the llinsey-woolsey may be cast aside for the court train.
 Joyce of the North Woods,' by Harriet Comstock. Doubleday, Page & Compa- ny, Garden City, Long Island, N. Y.) | $1.20.
 | A pleasant tale of the wish-wash order. A young divine with good heart and a bad lung is brought by chance, the old device of taking the wrong train at the Junction. to a rough lumber land, He breaches in season and out the doctrine that hasn't got red-hot hell in the background for sinners" This doctrine hardly more novel than that of original sin, proves startlngly new to the stttle- ment of loggers and their wives. A re- formation follows It is hard, by follow | ing the text of the story, to learn which Is most potent for regeneration, repent ance or Christmas trees for the masses | by the classes; doctrine or dark green lcashmere" gift gowns; contrition or "pret- | ty bits of useless neckware; awakening of conscience or dolls and "buzzum pins," "fiowered vests' and rich red ties" Unreasoning romance, such as Mary Waller writes for the delectation of thousands, Myrtle Read for tens of thou sands, only Harriet ,Comstock has dealt with fresher scenes and better character touches. t~ There are vivid little bits throughout the pages that must be cut from reality: The dying wife of the logger, whose last re-
  mas specs-specs is dreadful stylish" Peggy Falston, "a constitootional setter.'' who only asks of life the opportunity Ito set and set and keep enjoying settin'." The preacher whom God intended for an engineer but who got slde-tracked to doctrine,' who keeps "pottenin' round de engine" on the excuse of trying to save the engineers soul. Isa Tate, village philosopher and friend, who never saw fussin' hurt anybody but the fusser," who voices the belief that in the way of hus- bands most women are ''foolhardy enough to prefer wits and devltry to senseless- ness and decency. t" But everything in the book is but incidental to the development with the mysterious past. who leads Joyce, the beautiful mountain girl, up to higher life, learning, and love. Such love" writes the author. "as worn-out civilization knows not-a love that con- trolled and uplifted.'' What sort of crude reasoning and crass observation can lead to the belief that civilization and culture means anything but higher uplift of all emotions. higher capabilities for love? i"Forged in Strong Fires by John Iron
 side. Qittle, Brown & Co.,, BostonD
 $1.25
 A strong book, marked by depth of feel ing, sympathetic deineation of character and intense dramatic interest. The story realistic throughout, picture conditions in England and in South Africa during and after the Boer war. The life of the En- glish settlers and proprietors, of therr |neighbors, the Dutch burghers, of the blacks in the kraals, are all well drawn. For the time we live and move among them, there is the strength and vigor of life in every character. Warm interest never abates from the opening at the three days picnic in tho mountains. where Burghers and English are gathered in