The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

mayor ana other city officials freeze to death in their offices.
 Such is the situation chosen by Mir. White around which to weave a story of mystery, adventure and love. Tho op- portunity for adventure is limitless and tine result is such as a writer of Mr. | Whites ability would be expected to achieve. It is the attempt at solution that lends greatest interest, for while every scientist is speeulating, and recog- nized authority is leading in the search Tor the unknown but all-powerful force, 1t remains for young man of attain ment and keen wit to solve the riddle and to set things to rights again. This man, fascinating figure in whise life the elements of scientific learning and romance are well fixed, remains appar- ently inactive. But the reader knows re is working and his methods are as inter- esting as those of any detective who has ever enliven the pages of fiction. They are scientific methods, it is true, but not so profound as not to be easily grasped by the layman.
 THE BLOOD OF THE FATHERS" "A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS, DEALING WITH THE HEREDITY AND CRIME PROBLEM" By Dr. G. Frank Lyd-
 ston. The Riverton Press, e2s South
 Clark street, Chicago.
 Study in hereditary crimnology may in time be responsible for the construction of psychological epic. since it has all ready produced an instance of an alned literary type in Dr. c. Frank I-ydston's four act drama, entitled "The Blood of the Fathers now published (by sub scription only) by the Riverton Press of Chicago.
 Dr. Lydston. who is a Chicago physician and professor in the medical depart l l.R4.. 1f t1. Vi. forth in dramatic form the effects of in- herited degeneraey. The play is to that extent similar to Ibsens Ghosts" though the similarity does not go much farther The dramatic form however, is chosen merely as a vehicle for carrying facts about the transmission of degenerate features from one generation to another The story is. briefly, of a young physi- clan who marries the wrong sort of wife, the adopted daughter of a wealthy couple Before the marriage day if is revealed to the physician that his fiancee is the daughter of a murderous housebreaker and of suicidal dope fend and the granddaughter of a drunkard and of a variety actress who ran away with a nlgger minstrel.' Despite the physician s knowledge of his fianeee's probable inher- itance, he does not avoid the marriage. The transmitted taint of degeneracy dppGdio III lit young Nlle III lne lOTln or theft, politely disguised as kleptomania The husband tries to shoot the detective who informs him of what he himself has known to be highly probable, and the kleptomaniac drinks the laboratory sup ply of hydroeyanic and dies off stage in an odor of peach blossoms.
 There Is In this drama nothing of the weird horror of Ibsen. It is not highly dramatic, but it serves it's purpose of ex- position. It is iconoclastic of modern so- ical ideals and properly, as play, avoids the constructive problems of eugenics.
 A condition of society that must be com bated is described in epigram by the phy- sician's chum, Hartwell, a young man of the world; Society," A world in which male biped with bad arteries and loco motor ataxia is q gentleman and a lady is female with a muddy complexion and a pain in her back"
 "The Blood of the Fathers" is very much the same theme as Ibsens Ghosts and the author, pr. Lydston, has power fully and graphically set forth the horri- ble and awful results that are attendent upon unsound parentage and societys lax laws as to marriage and posterity.
 THE SON OF COLUMBUS" By Molly Elliott seawell. Harper Broth
 CTS, New York.
  pen. Molly Elliott Seawelf sustains her reputation as charming writer of sto- ries in her latest novel The Son of Co., lrmsus'
 The story deals with two boys at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, through whom the author gives very bright and entertaining description and leaves q most pleasing impression of the times and incl dents preceding the adventures of the great Coummbus.
 The subject is most fertile one, and unusual in that it has seldom been used by a latter day writer as a background for a romance. but in choosing the situa- tion the author has certainly chosen well. 1 for her story is delightful from beginning tn end.
 The accuracy of the data used in "The Son of Columbus" makes it not only a pleasure to read but historically particu- Darly valuable, and old as well as younger readers will enjoy it for that reason. rNANCY PoRTER'S OPPORTUNITY" By Marion Ames Taggart. Illustrated by
 Harriet OBrien. l.. c. Page & Con-
 pany. Boston.
 Marion Ames Taggart in Nancy Por- ters Opportunity" has added another choice volume to "The Doctors Little Girl' series.
 The story is laid in New England, and country life there, with all of it's lovely environments, is depicted most pleasinsly by the author
 ''Nancy Porter's Opportunity" comes to her in the guise of father suddenly stricken with blindness, and to serve hin faithfully and loyally is her life work.
 This she does with lovely grace, and the characters, situations and dialogue inci- dent to the story are wholesome and nat lral, and a piquant variety is lent to the book by the Italian lady, who is one of the most interesting characters in it.
 Nancy Porter's Opportunity is gotten I'D in beautiful style, and the reader who misses a chance to peruse 1t will have lost something quite worth while.
 JACK, ONE OF US.'
 A Novel in Verse, By Gilbert Frankau
 George H. Doran Company, New York
 That the mantle of intellect should have fallen on the shoulders of young Gilbert Frankau from his gifted mother, Mrs Julia Frankau Crank Danby), is no won der, for Mrs. Frankau has talent enough and to spare, while her son has shown that he is quite capable of enrching the literary field by his efforts, task not often given to two members of the same family.
 The Frankaus are London people and since the publication of his very clever eafira 4sJackg One of I7s" (,iIberf LrropLo,t