The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-22

vafion of life and overnment in tho most backward region outside of Central Asia.
 Mr. Palmer found the country of enof- nous resources eapa ble of supporting enormous populations. growing almost every variety of product of the temper ate zone or the cool highlands.
 "A LITTLE BOOK or CHRISTMAS By John Kendrick Bangs. With illustra
 tions in color by Arthur F. Becher. Lit-
 tie. Brown & Company Boston.
 If there is a more popular writer in this country today than MT. John Ken driek Bangs it wonId take first class detective to find such,
 Tn his "A Little Book of Christmas" Mr. Bnngs has presented an ideal hook for Christmas and one that will give de- light al any season as for that matter.
 In quartette of stories of Christmas eve in New York invested with the true Christmas spirit, this noted author shows to rich children and poor children alike a visible Santa Claus who teaches the les son to young and old that the faithful friend of little children has a verita5le existence. There are felicitous touches Of humor in the book in the authors best vein, and it's pathos. tenderness. human kindness and character drawing Will make the readers of "A Little Book of Christmas wish that he would wrise more books of the kind.
 "THE CAVERNs OF CRAIf4.e By Thomas Sawyer Spivey. The Cosmo-
 politan Press, New York
 Would you go back to the early days of the superbly beautiful Aryans? Would you live with them the period of the first war fought out between the Medes and the Persians? In the novel MT. Spivey's 5 greatest work qf fiction. the curtain tha- has hung fortCenturies between us and these our ancestors has been put aside. We learn what it was to live at a time when 1t was glory simply to be. Cyaxares, a foreefui commanding figure, exceedingly handsome, of a kindly per- sonage; Saluceia noble, deeply loving, maligned, surrounded by mystery; Saran- aces, cruel ploter; Cambises, faithfuli Deioces. king of the Medes a wicked traitor and degenerate: Scala. beautiful but misled Madrilla, the lovely; Napoh | the jealous, broken-hearted queen; Cracil ] lies, the priest of Crail-what living erea- lures they are As we follow theu through an intrieately woven plot, they l reveal to us in high lights the eXpressel emotions of men and women at the tint when humanity dared be itself l There is no lukewarmness in ''rhe Cav I erns of Grail" Here are passionate love l undying hatred bitter jealousies the high est nobility, and utter deprayity-ard also faith. hope and (above alb a charity l that forgives. These live. spontaneous human creatures are wholly nattu al They scatter the haze that envelopes the horizon that stretches before us and show us the broad, sane. wholesome al. l titude they took toward life. The pictures of cities and countries are as alluring as are those of the Aryans | that peopled them.
 l one closes the book with the feeling that he has been permitted to take long i delightful journey into a far country where life is rich ir color, impelling ir movement. magnificent in intensity. and where he has learned that evils as great as those that existed in ancient Baleria
 may be corrected when there arises one that has the strength and the wisdom ol i a CyaXares.
 THE DRAGON AND THE CROSS By Ralph D. Paine. Charles Scribners l Sons, New York.
 l thrilling tale Ralph D. Paine has told in "rhe Dragon and the Cross, which is the story Of how the son Of m American missionary in China taught the natives how to play "foot ball. l It seems a mere amusement at first, but later the knowledge of this rough and tumble game comes fin very handy when the natives joir in an uprising against the foreigners ands when the l fighting ensues their knowledge of foot ball comes into play very nicely and saves 1 them from many an injury. | MT. Paine's stories are always well toll and exceedingly interesting, but "Tha Dragon and the Cfoss' is the best he has donel