The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-24
WRITER OF H|GHRANK
!. APPEARS in VIRGINIA.
James Poyntz Nelson's Stories Are
Found Full of Charm and Lit
crazy Excellence.
REVIEWS OF NEWEST FICTION
George w. Cable breaks Long ST.
lence-Anne Warmers New FIX
travaganza - Nicholson's Tribute
I Ito Riley-OtIer Late Books.

No less discriminating u literary
critic and authority OH Virgininna than
Roosevelt Page Voices his generous and
valuable appreciation, of the work of Il
new Southern author i'll the following:
another short-story writer of high
rank has appeared in the South in
James Poyntz Nelson. author of 'Balla:
And Other Virginia Stories just pub
lished by the Bell Book and Stationery
Company. Of the four stories contained
IN the charming volume so neatly
printed and bound all but one are war
stories; and that one has the war feel
:li;s disclosed in 1t. Three OF the four
describe the life OF tile old South in
terms which exhibited all sides OF that
life: the slave, The uneducated white
man, Eampered by stern fate. and the
more favored members OF that society,
With education and culture
.'Balia' tells of the life and death OF
;hc Confederate officers body servant,
a theme often, but never more eifec-
lively, employed. Billy He'll Stanley
i::a picture of the uneducated Virgin
ian. who. under the influence and diSci-
iilinc, OF the spirit of 1861, In the strug-
gle between love of family and obedi-
ence to discipline, rises to heights OF
The heroic. ON Slater Circuit is story
"k,mountaineer- life, ski,fully drawn by
one who knows it WELL and has de-
scribed it truly. with It's tragic cxis-
sSisSC IoCdl COiOT ana nu-
man interest. Hugh and Betty is an
IDLY of the old times Within the COM
pass of Il few pages is contained the
life of the old South In peace and war,
as, we knew it. That it is real must
appear TO all who read II. Nor does the
fact that the scenes are laid in familiar
places cause 1t to lose any of It's inter-
est. There is no survivor OF the gen
Grafton that existed at that time In thSS
region who can fail to fee Its appeal.
And through all, comes the ending-so
charming and now so rare-a consum-
nation of happiness and bliss.
Though the writer, who is an emf
ncnt engineer and holds high posi-
ton with one OF our great railways.
calls Kentucky his home, one cannot
read the opening pages of this book
without seeing that he has retained the
fuii accurate and detailed memory of
his early life and association in Vir-
GINA
The book is dedicated to the au-
thor's wife, with couplet from
Ttbullus, and has bit OF historical
interest In it's notable tribute to the
authors kinsman, the late Lieutenant
Colonel William Nelson, of Hanover
and contains happy reference to u
well-known citizen of Virginia, CHS
well d. Langhorne, of Albemarie
County"
D.,
of the well-established writer's OF tho
South. George w. Cable, breaks a long
silence. Mr.. Gable goes back to the
period before the War Between the
States and lays his story on the
mississippi River. in the days when its
steamboats, seemed the last word in
luxurious travel Many characters that
| serve as types arc Introduced, and the
story: with it's elements of tragedy,
comedy and romance. is told So graphi-
cally us "a. merit it's description as a
vivid picture OF other and forgotten
days. And, quite apart from it's semi
historical value, 'Gideons Band is en-
| pertaining, merely as a story
Straight extravaganza, on the other
| hand, Is to be found in "The Cay and
Festive Clayerhouse" Hittle, Brown &
| Coz, the new story by Anne Warner.
author of Sunshine Jane" and The
Regeneration OF Aunt Mary" The
word straight" IS employed to qualify
| it's classification as Extravaganza, how
| ever. because. like most of the authors
work, her new story contains enough
I OF sparkling dialogue, as well as sound
sense To lift IT up above the class that
/ depends upon the comedy of situation
alone. Young Cllverhouse is informed
! that he has only a short time to live
and he. therefore. feels it his duty to
Kill his sweethearts love for him.
| How he sets about carrying out his
purpose, how he does not succeed, and
| how he regrets il all is told brightly
and amusingly in this long short story.
Meredith Nicholson's The Poet"
| (Houghton Miffiin) is not only a very
! lovely little story of blended roma nee
end Whimsical humor. but 1t Is also "a
f; n -