The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10
ELLA SHLIGHTS"


Flashlights is volume of verse by
Mary Adds. attractively gotten up and
quite interesting
Much of 1t is in the newest forms and
OF the most modern tone, together with
other metrical experiments which show
Mrs. Aldis' appreciation for conventional
verse also. The collection. in subject
matter and In treatment, makes a very
striking contribution to the modern poetic
renaissance.
1t will be recalled that Mrs. Adds pub
lished very charming volume a short
time ago called plays for Small Stages,
which contained four short plays of quite
original ideas
Some of these plays have already been
produced on the stage, and have met with
great success The author has now grad
uated from an amateur to professional
producer. and has become the manager
of a theatre in Chicago. The little plays
are remarkable for their power and in
terest, and even more for their acting
possibilities.
OTHER TALES OF ADVENTURE
BY Rex Beach. Illustrated Harper
Brothers, publisers, New York.
Rex Beach, whose new book, THE
Crimson Gardenia," was published during
his trip to Panama, has just returned
north. Though many of his readers con-
tinue to associate Mr.. Beach with Alas
ka, his later writings have been laid in
southern settings: Heart of the Sunset,
on the Mexican border; many of the tales
in The Crimson Gardenia," takes place
in the West Indies, and THE Ne'er-Do
Well" in Panama itself.
Eleven short stories, all save for
single exception tales of adventure in
the tropics or in the far north, make
up this new volume by Rex Beach. The
exception is the first story, THE Crimson
Gardenia," decidedly lively romance Of
the Mardi Gras carnival at New Orleans,
which introduces us to a nice little set
Of conspirators led by two agreeable
individuals known respectively as the
Black Wolf and Francois the Spider, also
to a plucky and charming young woman,
a hideous old miser. a prodgal son and
young American millionaire, who at times
had longed vaguely for something thrill
ing to happen" and certainly got his wish
on that warm spring afternoon. What
with masks and floral tokens, dominoes
and mysterious warnings, Mr. Roland
Van Dam was not only kept very busy
for while but induced to believe that
this is the age of romance"
Ropes End" which tells of the grim
vengeance wreaked by sorely wronged
man upon his former oppressor, is in
strong contrast to the light, rather fanci-
full romance of the preceding tale. The
scene Is laid first in the republic of
Haiti "a land behind a veil where all
things are possible and most things
come to pass" then on board schooner
in the Caribbean sea. The climax of the
story Is effective through sheer force of
horror. leaving in ones mind vivid.
terrible picture of the spineless bone
less thing which at last danced to the
spring of the resilient spruce" Then
from the tropics the scene moves to
Alaska the vein from tragedy to COM
edy, from savage vengeance to the anus
ing narrative Of THE Wag-Lady" and
her guardian band of devoted thieves.
There is more than a touch of patnos m
the solicitude of the Dummy and the
Scrap-Iron Kid and the rest of the "Wag
boys for their Lady, even though the
solicitude did take a somewhat unconven-
tional, not to say lawless, form.
Man Proposes" Told In the Storm
1.-THE Weight of Obligation, THE Siam
pede,' and when the Mail Came In."
are others which are full of adventure
and decidedly diverting and enjoyable.
OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED
(REVIEWS LATER)
THE LEGACY OF THE EXPOSITION
The Panama-Pacific International Elk
position Company. publishers. san
Francisco.
1.-THE THIRTEENTH COMMAND
MENT'-By Rupert Hughes. Harper
Brothers. publishers, New York.
EXPERT AUCTTON''-By f. V. Shep-
ard. Harper Brothers, publishers, New
York.
"RETAIL SELLING'-By James w.
Fisk. Harper Brothers, publishers,
New York.