The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-28

.E HESEB Lutz. She sees the church as the great | center of spiritual and social strength; she sees the good in the bad, and the l bad in the good; and we rejoice at the manner in which she brings the various fcrces to bear upon the life of the boy and his companions. Vic" as they called her, upon welcoming Richard t3 his ancestral home, develops an obses- slon for boys and soon she scandalizea carping neighborhood by coasting. picnicking and singing with her Rich ards friends. Who are those friends Why, none other than the son of \ l forger, the wayward boy of the heart broken minister, and the spoilt pro- duct of wealthy society household the neighbors wrinkle their eyebrows. hold up their hands in astonishment 1t her Carrying on" and call 1t a delib- crate effort on her part to ruin her nephew.
 What is the result? Oh, these carp ing individuals who think that a scold ing tongue is a better instrument for doing good than sympahtzing heart, who think that Sunday should be a day for external coldness rather than joy ful thanksgiving-they should read this book. They should become ac- ouainted with the truly Christian na- ture of Aunt Vic;'' and they will agree with the boys that she's a peach" They will see how it happens upon confirmation Sunday that the four supposedly most "vicious' boys in the neighborhood~are confirmed.
 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM" By William R. Lighton Illustrated
 George H. Doran Co.,, publishers, New
 York
 You've heard of William R. Lighton you may remmember his Letters of An Old Farmer to His Son." and you may remember the fact that the short article which he wrote for the Satur- day Evening Post. few years ago, re- garding his success in changing from a city newspaper man to a farmer, ex cited so much attention that he re- oeived letters by the thousand literally.
 Since the publication of that article he had progressed tremendously in de- veloping his Ozark mountain farm orce completely run down-and he tells the whole story in Happy Hollow Farm"
 real story is Happy Hollow Farm told as a pleasant tale, but with all the facts-of MT. Lighton's own experience in moving from the city to an abandoned farm and making it pay.
 NOBODY" By Louis Joseph Vance. With illustra-
 tions. George H. Doran company, pub-
 fishers, New York
 Louis Joseph Vance in Nobody em- ploys love, excitement, romance and mys- tery in a story of New York and the Maine coast How pretty girl who is broke" appears in smart society under false pretenses, Is the basis for a. really thrilling tale. There is probably no author in the country who has written novels that are more quick moving and entertaining than MT. Vances The Black Bag 'The Brass Bowl,' etc., etc., and this new story.
 "SPRAGGFS CANYON"
 By Horace Annesley vachell. George IT.
 Doran company, publishers, New York
 "spragge's Canyon,'' by Horace Annes. ley Vachell, is virile love story of Cali fornia-of a rancho among the hills and the love of a young Californian for the girl from the city,
 George Spragge is the man, young, elear-eyed, strong; working necessarily to keep up SPragge's Canyon, the little jewel of q farm which two generations of hard working Spragges have devoted themselves to carving out of the chapar- ral And another craft he has, more GI GIamatic-he collects rattlesnakes and wild beasts for wild animal dealer.
 The three women are his work-worn yet kindly mother, Hazel, the girl from town, and Georges cousin, Samantha, who has grown up with him and shared with him the heroic labor, the labor of love and strong hands of keeping Spragge's Canyon beautiful and fruitful
 The rest of the book--adventures among the mountain crags, setting of live oak and sage brush and manzanita and blue Pacific beyond canyons, is all back ground for gallant little Samantha s struggle to keep Georges love when his country fancy is hypnotized by the empty gaiety and dainty airs of the girl from town. But not till night when Hazel is thought to be lying, till Samantha is called on for long and daring ride for help, does Sa,mantha's true fineness come out. From that time, the book is all a joyous story of the love that comes in the open under the California skies There is surprise in the manner in which it all turns out, surprise likely to give to the book wide and pleasant popularity.
 In Spragge's Canyon Mr. vachell has set out to write love story, a story of the wilds. with all the romance he could put into it. Itshould add vastly to MT Vachels popularity in his second father 
 POEMS" By Dana Burnet. Harper & Brothers. |
 publishers, New York
 Here are verses by one who is be- Deved to be real poet-verses of ex- quisite sensibility. or singing quality ! It may be that some day you may {, boast of having bought one of this first edition.
 Poems by Dana Burnet, contains | battle lyrics. songs of the city and love i sorgs are the different stops on the | pipe of this writer whose verse. as it | appears in periodicals, is making his | name familiar. And through all of them | breathes forth the distinctive Ameri : can note. First come the stirring poems l on the present war: "The Battle of l Iiege,' Dead on the Field of Honor, 1 sunk by Mine," "The Glory of War" | etc; then poems of Panama of it's 1 ancient swashbuclSler pirates and it's | modern canal builders. Then follow Poems About Town"
 ROBIN THE BOBBIN'
 Ry VnJa