The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-28

find a fitting background in these environ ments.
 There are exhibitions of strong passions and brave deeds recorded and there is considerable dialogue and much descrp- ton.
 THE FIGHTING RACE; AND OTHER
 POEMS AND BALLADS By Joseph I. C. Clarke The American News Company, New York. "Wherever fighting's the game Or spice of danger in a grown mans
 work"
 Said Kelly:
 The ballad of spanish-American war time, from which the book takes it's title, has had the good fortune to become popu- lar with Irsh-Americans and all Of Celtic strain and to enjoy some repute among others who approach 1t without the racial zest Although much recopied in the press, 1t has long been demanded in per manent form With 1t MT. Clarke has gathered close to a hundred other pieces The contents are divided into Songs of the Celt Songs of America, Poems, Glints of Life, Lyrics. Ballads of Battle, Maa- hattan an ode, and Bife's Love Knot. i They cover a great variety of moods and measures,
 MT. Clarke has long been known as a journalist and playwright as well as a writer of verse, and in the little volume entitled "The Fighting Race" he has gathered together as delightful collection of poems as any published in recent years.
 The "Dedication'' of "The Fighting Race" is especially well chosen and tune full and to lovers of poetry makes a strong appeal It speaks for itself in the fol- lowing lines:
 If one of tender heart. In turning oer these leaflets of long
 years
 Some born in laughter, some all blurred
 with tears,
 And wrought in elimes and places far
 apart
 Shall haply find one haunting line Touched ger so little with the light di-
 vine,
 Or thrilling with joy intense, Therein I'll find my recompense. If aught herein has cheered single soul, Or fired one breast to noble deeds. Or helped mankind an inch toward req
 sons goal,
 Or in a sterile bosom sown loves seeds, Or placed mans angel at his right on
 guard
 Therein I'll find reward. And so. to all I love, My harp, my song I dedicate The. near ones who my trust and crust
 have shared. The brave with whom I've marched and
 fared.
 The land the star-nag waves above That gave me welcome at her wide sea
 gate,
 And Ireland. motherland forever dear Yea dearer for the darkness of her fate. Another of the most pleasing poems of the collector is the one entitled,
 REFER THAN FORGETTING"
 Sad hours are these I ween,
 Sad giimmers of yestre'
 Sad bodlngs of tomorrow
 As spirits dead lights wave
 Above a new made grave
 So brood l OCT my sorrow.
 From weary, weary dawn.
 Till weary days withdrawn,
 And till the stars are setting,
 0 heart thouart filled with pain
 of the ne er-to- be- again;
 But worse would be forgetting.
 THE YELLOW LETTER" By William Johnston. The Bobbs Merrill Company, Indianapolis
 detective story that makes your hair stand on end. like the qulils of the fret ful porcupne, from the beginning to the ending of the story.
 The very first sentence of 'The Yellow I ,etter," from the pen of William John ston, portrays mystery and dark secrets. Quoting:
 saThey say that coming events east thes- shadows before us, but certainly l had no intimation when left my office on the afternoon of April F of the maestrom of mystery and tragedy into which I was ahout to plunge. There was no portent of evil. no foreshadowing of the terrible chain of events that all but destroyed my belief in my fellow man, and left It's marx 70 deep upon my memory that do not be- lieve time ever can wholly efface 1t. After this confession the reader finds that the plunge into the maeistrom lsl an endless chain of all sorts or terrible events and circumstances. There's 4 "clue," and then another. which counting according to the best ad- vised arithmetic makes two discoveries, which are closely followed by two dis a earanees. q third suicide and a new ,nvst ery-then to use the same old meta nhor. another clue" that finally leads In the ..forty-ninth' hour to the unraveling of the mystery. Every accessory 10 crime and adventure is there-nothing lacking, even to the dark lantern" and the lover of ''detec- tive stories will find no end of enjoy