The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-24

a1 1@Ha@ England', a stray geography by Peter Farley pens new vistas and enarges the nearby horizon; battered speller has expressing sentences at the bottom of every page: old readers are highly prized and even dogs cared arithmetics are not despised. Our didsctic friend, J. c. s. Abbott, is hailed with joy: books of Gems are treasures indeed; Robin son Crusoe," ''The Merchant of Venice" Uncle Toms Cabin" which arrive much later. are shared with the family cir ce during the winter evenings. The first newspaper, the National Era, with its intelligences by the wonderful magnetic telegraph, is read to tatters.
 One is indebted to the narrative for deeper appreciation of the scantiness of books in pioneer days, of the unsatisfed craving of an eager mind. Perhaps it ie well that Robert Dudley has to help about the cabin and farm as his strength permits; that he Is forced into contact with the rud eurchins at the Friends school; that the slow hours of silence in the plain meeting house quieted his mental activity. If books are the white milestones in the boys life. the elders are busted about varied activities. The wise father Is a farmer, carpenter brick
 
 CT, shoemaker. weaver, by turns. The mother cooks over the big open fireplace, and her corn dodgers and biscuits baked in skillet, her potatoes and roasting ears cooked in the ashes, her chickens pasted under the reflector, the sassafras and pennyroyal tea, used in place of the save-grown coffee, taste better than any viands from the modern cook stove!
 The book is at once a story and chronicle. a trustworthy history from the pen of a participant in its scenes, and fascinating romance. As an accurate transcription of an important epoch in American development and tender rem iniscence, Tn My Youth, makes for itsel ia unique place. No book of the kind has appeared in years and readers of f1c- ton are bound to welcome it. and be fascinated by it's quaint. sweet way and the utter charm of it's simplicity and ten derness.
 "FAIRMOUNTS QUARTET By Etta Anthony Baker. Illustrated by Charles M. Relyea. Little, Brown X Co.,, publishers, Boston. Here they are again May, Belle, Grace and Bertha, who have laughed their way through other stories of the "Fairmount Series
 This, the fourth volume. shows the girls as ''grownups. seniors, and the
 
 capades, and girls from 12 to Is will thoroughly enjoy it.
 It Is well written, the characters well delineat ted and the story is quite readable and attractive.
 THE PRESENTATION" 1 GA ROMANCE OF OLD PARIS) By H. DeVere Stackpole. F,rontispiece in col ors by Earl Stetson Crawford. The John Lane Co.,, publisher, New York. This story, 'The Presentation" by II. DeVere Stackpole. deals with the strange period when France was under the rule, not of kings, but of ministers and fav- orites. A conspiracy Is on foot, headed 1 by de Choseu. the minister to prevent ! the presentation of Madame Dubarry at court. The details of the plot are dis covered and disclosed by M de Rochefort gallant gentleman of the court. Suddenly enamoured of Dubarry's beau- tiful friend, Camille Fontrailles, he uses his powers on her behalf and succeeds in bringing off the presentation but finds himself subsequently, prisoner at Vim cennes. With the aid of a fellow prisoner he escapes, returns to Paris to learn that Mile. Fontrailles is encouraging the ad- vances of Camus, at one time an enemy of the Dubarry and the cause of his i'm prisonment; also that Camus is attempting to poison his wife in order that he may be
 
 the aid of the wonderful police force in Paris the truth is brought to light, retribu- ton is dealt out to Camus, and Rocbe- fort wins the love of the faithful Ja- votte. a girl of the people, whose loyalty had been instrumental in the gaining of his freedom
 THE MAN AND THE MOMENT. By Elinor Glyn. Illustrated by F. K. James D AnnIefop q, Go ,,rbI;e..1-- New York
 Mlchael ArronStoun, young English nobleman who has been living at A reckless pace. is discovered at the be- ginning of "The Man and the Mo- ment." the very attractive story from the versatile pen of Elinor Glyn The young man is cudgeling his brain for some means of escape from a lia- son of which he is tired Isn't that an interesting start? In the midst of the painful reverie he Is startled brusquely by the fall of a heavy painting followed by the sud cen precipitation of young girl into the room through the opening into secret passage behind the picture It appears that she, in the whole some company of her aunt uncle and their son, has been doing the castle galleries. Tn the desperate effort to escape the: repellant embrace of her cousin, who has been nagging her nearly to death for her hand in marriage, she slams door behind her. rushes forward and is plunged into Michael Arronssoun's private sitting room and into the great adventure of her life. After a mutual revelation of their respective dilemmas, ArronstOun pro poses that they solve the difficulty by marrying each other with the under. standing that they will not be tied by the ceremony, but simply freed from their admirers.
 The extraordinary maze of complica- tions which arise as the result of this iriretuaus declaration form the, basis of "The Man and the Moment which Mrs. Glyn has written about in her most charming and attractive style with all her bright epigramatlc pro- cliivties and clever mannerisms which characterize her as one of the fore most rovelists of the day
 ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBRANCE By Norma Bright Carson. George H.
 Doran Co.,, publishers. New York
 Does realism dispose of the finesse of romantic love--of loves sacrifices and splendid idealism?
 Is all that mere myth or real hu- man nature?
 Norma Bright Carson believes it is real--maSes it real in this idyll of loves tributes.
 Read it because it is rather hard to summarize story into which q woman has put her finest, biggest thoughts about love, with a story real yet very tender.