The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-10

of homelv charm and is enliFened by a characteristic enterprise and originality. Then the remarkable part of his career begins The story of how he became a pilot the later experiences Of 'roughing if" as A prospector and miner, are told in way that supplements, and now and then corrects the accounts which Mark Twain himself has given us in his books. We read soon after, of his commission to the Sandwich Islands, of his first ex- pertinent in lecturine, undertaken soon after his return then of how he came to take the trip to Europe which furmshei the material for s'rhe Innocents Abroad ' The story s one of rapidly changing scenes. of queer incongruous happenings. of brilliant successes, of meeting with the most diverse types of people--a story likely to prove confusing in its very richness of material But it Is presented with admirable clearness and proportion Constantly we get the effect Of Mark Twain's personality in connection with the detailed story of his life. We are able to trace to a certain extent his literary growth and 70 perceive the maturing or his character There are the journeys abroad the writing and publication of his great books. bis triumphs as lecturer his business ventures, the story of the typesetting machine project which cost him sl90.000 his failure in business. anl the trip round the world, through which he paid his debts-these are episodes Of an active and varied career. stirring in the narration. But besides all this. and much more of like nature. every aspect of his personal life has lively and sym pathetic interest. Ii is great privilege, even in book, to he admitted into the circle with him and fiowells with War ner and Aldrich Cable and the rest. There is something thrilling in his inter- view with I<ipling, then an obscure young man, in his acquaintance in England with such men as WillSie Collins. Charles Reade and Robert Browning, in his au- dience with the German Emperor of his home fife we get an adeaaute and charm ing view Mir. Paine has performed a task of extraordinary difficulty in the col lection and verifcation of the vast amount of data concerning Mark Twain But the biography Is more than collection Of re- liable information and authentic anec- dote It portrays coherently. through many changes of circumstance. and with an effect that is ultimately most impress sive, really great man Mark Twain as man of genius and as q man of flesh and blood.
 THE RETURN or PETER GRIMM '' NOvELIZED from the play by David
 Belasco. Illustrations by John Rae.
 Dodd, Mead X Company, New York
 With the magic name Of David Bela sco back of anything and with such an actor to make it famous as David Warfield it Is very easily understood why .'rhe Re. turn of Peter tGrimm, both as play and as novel would become popular.
 Never has any ything under Mr Belaseo's s management been more admired or more thoroughly enjoyed than his pretentatibn of Mir. warfield in this wonderful pfay and to those who have not seen it. the Inext best thing is to have an opportuni- ty to read the story, which is interesting from the moment one opens the book until it is closed. s f It is often difficult for A play to be ar ranged in book form. satisfactorily. but in the case of ''The Return or Peter Grimm a1r. Belascos drama has beer successfully transmitted into q book.