The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12
THE STRANGERS WEDDING.

. THE S SIRANGEfS W EIlJlNI.
 By w. L. George. Little, Brown S Co.,,
 publishers, Boston.
 Certainly one of the most interesting books that has been written recently is W. L. Georges novel, entitled The Strangers edding."
 It is in MT. Georges very best style and that is praise enough.
 In speaking of the story which relates to a young Englshman of the upper class, who falls in love with washer womans daughter and marries her. the author himself says
 My idea has been to paint the con- flict of two classes united for a moment by love. I don't mean merely sensual love, though I be of those who think the greater part of love is sex; I mean the attraction of mental qualities, such as pity. loyalty, truth, strength, courage My two strangers are drawn to each other by those five things as well as by their bodies, and yet it will not do. The few people who know anything about the book say it is absurd, that no college man could ever marry the daughter of a washerwoman. Well, I don't know; all I can say Is that they do, and I can understand it. For one must get away q little from outside things, accent taste in clothes, primitive pleasures, such as the cinema; one must be able to under stand that cultured man might very well feel a violent attraction TOT a com mon girl, just because she was so cin- cere, so childish. Personally. l love the English lower class, who are not at all low; I don't like the men so well, pre- eumably because l am man, but l as- sure you the girls have astonishing charm; they are emotional, they are wonderfully trusting; above all, they grow refined very easily. I have watched careers; parlormaid, for instance com- ing out of the slums, has now learnt to wear small hats without much trim mings to do the flowers with some art, she has her 'h's.' Another Ca shopgirD has a passion for poetry, and of all poets Francis Thompson! Yet another. typist, devotes her leisure to classical dancing. But the finest the truest, are the simple women of the people, who say, my man, my child, thy are tigeresses, and yet I love them better than the women who know too much Shaw, Eucken or the tango.
 Yet an alliance between a gentleman and a common girl is very difficult. If he is ordinary it will never 60. as soon as passion is past her voice. The only man who can marry beneath him IS the old bachelor, fond of study and of the society of other men, then his pretty common wife will be his housekeeper and his toy, expect little, stand aside socially. and perhaps revere him. Poets have married their cooks; they were seldom old bachelors, but they lived ill self created world. Only he who lives In dream or personal cosmos can ally with lower grade. True. women can learn; that is to hope, and there died not long ago an English countess who had been a housemaid. She was lovely, she learned to talk * and still, finer, sine learned to be silent. and succeeded. But it's weak hope
 For the woman who marries beneath her I think there is little hope. man is always coarse in habits (though more delicate in emotions); so the boor vii jar on her. and sine will never teach him, be- cause he is too vain My lord may marry the steamstress at his peril, but heaven protect my lady against her chauffeur,
 THE CO-DIRECTORS,' VI
 By Una L. Silberrad. George H. Doran
 company. publishers, New York.
 '.The Co Directors" is the story of a business woman, who is in love with love, who found herself the heiress to a bus- ness that needed shrewd judgment, stern application and who made the enterprise pay It is story of the new age of women. the women who can do things yet not forget how to love.
 The story is English. part of it's action taking place in Wales and it deals with a business matter in which Elizabeth is a "co-direetor' with the hero, who is chemical investigator and inventor. She is endowed by inheritance from her father with much business capacity, and this has been trained by some years of service as right man oher brother after an accident left him an invalid in a wheel chair. lie takes up, to put on the mar ket and promote. an invention of the hero to make slate out of quarry waste, and when he dies leaves his share in the cocerned with the endeavor of the inven- tor and Elizabeth, the "co-directors' of the business, to set it going, and the TO- nance that develops between the two of them, middle-aged and unromantic, be- fore they finally find a way to make it succeed. It Is quiet, pleasing, realistic story, having much delicate, true, and colorful character drawing of many and very diverse kinds of people,
 ''BILDAD THE QUILL DRIVER By William Caine. The John Lane com
 pany, publishers. New York.
 This book, "Bildad the Quill Driver" describes the adventures of Bildad, the young descendant of many generations of leather dressers. So strong an aver sion had young Bildad to this calling of