The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-04

sacrificed on some heathen altar to appease the God of War
 The American war. fin the middle of
 the nineteenth century, dealt on both
 sides with far different materials. Christianity, liberty, education. cul-
 ture and refinement had reached a very
 high limit on the human scale When the north and south faced each other, moved by patriotism and principle, the legions drawn from the very best ma
 terials that the race could offer. with inherited courage, quickened by per sonal and social pride and with mem
 ories and traditions of great military achievements and ennobled by ances- traI escutcheons of exceeding splendor, there met for battle such men as the world had never before seen aligned l for conflict"
 l Further on General Young says: "If the sketches these pages contain | shall add one leaf to the Confederate | laurel wreath, or bring to Confederate | fame fuller recognition, the author will be many times repaid for the la | bor, expense and time expended in their preparation"
 THE DAYS OF THE SWAMP ANGEL. :"
 By Mary Leonard Hall. The Neale Pub 1 fishing Co.,, publishers. New York. 1 An historical novel in which the for l tunes of the city of Charleston and it's l vicinity are followed through the four years of the war of the states.
 1 Many stories of the great American war l have been published; yet every locality 1 had its own splendid war history, and among them all none Is more full of dra matic interest than that of the region where the great conflict began
 Although this book has all the human 1 interest of a genuine novel; the historical l events narrated furnish more than mere | 1.ss, s,I-. N.ff4 iAf A l seem to see the great war pageant acted 1 out in and about Charleston harbor, which l has no parallel in the pages of history. l In this war drama the city itself under | the strain of a protracted siege, the bonn l barding batteries and the union gun 1 boats, and especially the two forts Sum 1 ter and Wagner, which were the city s l chief defenders-all these see malmost like living personalities whose fortune and | struggles and casualties are of individual | importance to the readers s mind. 1 It is fitting that at the close of d half I century since the conflict ended the pres ent generation of both north and south l should have the opportunity to read so 1 vivid a portrayal of what the war meant
 to those who lived through it as as is sup
 piled by this story
 | A word about the author. Miss Leon- ard who is native of Massachusetts
 has long been known in New England as a teacher and writer.
 In 1886 she went to South Carolina | as the first teacher of the Winthrop Training school, which in five years developed into the Winthrop State Normal college. In 1894, when the col 1 lege was about to be removed from l Columbia to Rock Hill, she returned l to her northern home. As principal for | some years of a school for south Car 1 olina teachers Miss Leonard naturally made a deep and sympathetic study of l the state history. At a later period by 1 reading in public libraries. and also ls I a teacher in the state summer school of South Carolina, and by extended 1 visits to various parts of the state, she continued her studies of South Car olina history.
 It is not too much to say that "The
 Days of the Swamp Anger deals with | a controverted period of history frank | ly and without sectional prejudice. But | the historical features of the book, 1 though prominent do not override the
 human interest of the story itself. So l fine a novel of American character
 should find it's way into every Amer. l ican home.
 "OLD MOTHER WEST WIND
 By Thornton w. Burgess. New illus trated edition. With eight illustra- tions by George Herr. Little Brown
  "Old Mother West Wind," by Thorn | ton w. Burgess, appears in a brand new handsomely illustrated edition with colored plates and cover and the children will be made very happy when
 they see it. for copy may be treas
 ured by them as real "classic.
 Every child should be the happy pos
 sessor of one of these books for it's
 reading matter is well worth while, aside from the attractive illustrations.
 .sNED BREWSTER'S CARIBOU HUNT By Chauncey J. Hawkins. Illustrated l from photographs. Little, Brown & | Co, publishers, Boston
 l The third volume in the popular Ned Brewster series relates exciting experi- ences in the interior of Newfoundland, 1 a region where only few white men l have ever been. 1t takes the reader to a world of which he has head very little. and pictures accurately the great cari- bou and the other arctic animals which inhabit the high barrens of this north ern world. Children 12 to 16 will like
 this book because it is full of thrilling experiences and because 1t will add to | their Knowledge of woodcraft. OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED (REvIEWS LATER.)
 ALONG THE HIGH WAY" By Ed
 mund J. shannon. The Neale Publish l ing company, publishers New York. THE LAUGHING CAVALIER" By Baroness Orczy. George H. Boran com pany, publishers, New York. SHELTER, STACKS AND SHAN
 TIES" By D. c. Beard, with illustra- tions by the author. Charles Scribners | Sons. publishers, New York.
 
 AFRICAN ADVENTURE STORIES.'' By J. Alden Loring. with "foreword' by Theodore Roosevelt Charles Scrlb-
 ner's Sons. publishers, New York.