The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-19
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crepe myrtle, and masnolias-in the spacious old garden; "a long lane fringed on either side with cabins, and boarded with chinaberry trees, under whose broad, umbrella-like shade the little pickaninnies playing all day long," singing negroes in the shining fields, happy with the happiness that knows no ambition and no forethought, and, over all, the caressing southern sun shine, and beyond somewhere, vague and dreaded, war and the rumor of war.
 Mrs. McDavid's sympathy for children and for girldhood is exquisite and un- erring. It has been proved again and again in her stories for children, and in her prose fiction, "Princess Poca- hontas' Her child characters are real little girls and boys they fall in and out of trouble with equal ease; get scratched and bruised and healed; have the bright eyes, the sticky hands. and the loyal, restless little hearts of the children that you and l know. That is because Mrs. McDavid has love and humor and tenderness
 Mrs. James E. Penney is another au- thor of the Writers club. Her book was first published under the title of "A Common Lot" but when a. Canadian edition appeared the title was changed to 70 Woman's Problem" at the sug
 
 The Chicago Inter Ocean gives the following review of "A Common Lot"
 "The author is a southern lady and her characters and the mise on scene are all southern and nonesheless in- teresting. It is a love storv, In which true love did not run smoota, and leads to the oft repeated query, is love and marriage 8 lottery2' The story is sim ply plotted and takes in and ad mirably describes the hospitality of the old-time southern home, nowhere more courteous1y extended. In such home the negro always plays a prom inent part, and Mrs. Penny brings this out pleasantly and naturally. IndiretclJ she touches upon the bane of all sec- tions, north and south, the strike,' and also that vice peculiar to the south, sold convict labor But they are but incidents in the plot, to better explain the sad story that follows. To speak it fin few words it is the story of lovely, loving wife. united to a tal- ented, drunken husband. In every city or every state and town and hamlet the reader can find just such pictures as she so graphically sketches and do no romancing. It is simply well worded story of the realities of thou sands of homes where the demon of intemperance day by day and year by year strikes down the holiest shrines where men were ever permitted to wor- ship. The once honored and debased Dr. Kent of the story is only one among many thousands, and his beautiful and cultured wife had experiences whose anguish no pen can describe It is about these two characters the story is woven Its beauty is in it's simplicity and it's naturalness; where none even of it's wrethedness is overdrawn. It conveys great truthful lessons and is as truth f4,1 f. Gr,r1 a1. S,, ,4 l. its earlier stages"
 'The Oracle of Moccasin Ben" has Mrs, c. P. Beddow, another Birming- ham woman as it's talented author This is a delightful and thrilling tale of Lookout mountain.
 Mrs. John C. Henley of this city and & member of the Writers club is the author of a book of travel, written during her tour of Europe several years ago.