The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28

Using to return at the expiration of six
years; but when the six years were up
Mr.. Pitman had fallen so in love with
the country that he then begged Mrs
Pitman, who was ready to come home, to
stay six years longer. They have resided
respectively at Hwang-hien, Shantung
province, on the Gulf of Peichili; Chefee
Tientsin and Peking. They were at Tien-
tsin and Picking during the revolution and
had many thrilling adventures.
| Mr.. Pitman is now lecturing on English
lat the Peking Normal college. He and
Mrs. Pitman write that their life in the
capital Is one unceasing round of social
gaiety. it being hard to realize that they
are in Cathay. They have been enter
tanned by President Yuan and were
among the first admitted to the Forbid
den City, the summer palace of the EN-
press Dowager and other sanctum sane
tora of the imperial family after the
flight from Peking Mrs. Pitman, who is
an accomplished scholar of Chinese, as
well as modern languages, was associated
with Mrs. Calhoun, wife of the American
minister, and Mrs. Wu, wife of the former
Chinese minister to this country, in char
ity work during and after the war. Her
description of the social etiquette, pre-
vailng customs, etc, among the foreign
diplomats and the native Chinese, the
rapid modernization of the latter and their
eager desire for western learning. makes
interesting reading.
Mr. Pitman has dedicated 1.-The Lady
Elect to his wife. Writing of the book
to friend, he says: Lucy is as much
in on this deal as I am. She has helped
me by advice and encouragement, helped
me immensely" An interesting fact about
the novel is that the monastery described
in the romance really existed, and a
Christian church. built under the auspices
of DR.. Ayers, now stands where 1t once
existed When excavating for the foun-
dation of the church., several human
skulls were dug up by the workmen.
While true in old China, as stated by
Isaac Taylor Headland, author of Court
Life in China Mr.. Pitman's novel is
prophetic of a new day in China. 1t de
picts In all it's fascination the old China
a China unenlightened. trampled under
foot by vicious, tyrannical priesthood y
says Norma Bright Carson. editor of
Book News. "And yet the seeds out OF
which new order has grown, the in
fuences that have made for republican
China, are there. Something of the
knowledge of what may be lies at the
heart of this Chinese romance, the story
of girl who rebelled against an ar
ranged marriage. and of the young man
she loved. who braved the terrors of a
Buddhist hell to save his sweetheart from
| the Vaccinations of a wicked priest" Miss
| Carson says the book "s made irresistible
| as a romance with all the plot, situation
and charm of a modern popular love
story"
\ Mr. Pitmans book Is written In a clear,
| lucid styde, and occasionally borders on
the poetic. 1t Is unique in its field and
will likely command the ready sale that
has attended 'Chinese Fairy Stories"
'sChinese Playmates and other of Mr..
| Pitman's works on the people among
whom he is now associated, people who
are becoming more of interest to the peo-
pie of the Occident every year.
| Mrs Pitman is a first cousin of Mrs. b.
A. Reynolds of Birmingham and a sister
of Mr.. Harry M. Ayers, editor of the An
niston Star, and a frequent visitor to
Birmingham, where he has scores of
friends Mr.. Pitman was a classmate of
Mr.. Duke Ronaldson and Mr.. Sam Spur
geon, also of this city, at the University
of Tennessee.
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