The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-27


 | especially good being Val kindly
 shabby. light lady, who attracts men through her Kindness and is much
 more to be "pitied than scorned' The Candid Courtship' is altogether very bright, capable bit Of work, containing humor. pathos and the mod- ern feminist outlook from one point or view.
 l The scene lies mostly in High gate boarding house where most of
 the hunor is furnished. Inmates in- clude a young doctor and his sister Ca science student) and a young ar chitect in love with Joan, the doctors sister.
 CLOSED LIPS
 By George vane The John Lane com l pany, publishers, New York. Lady Eva is unfortunate in possess 1 ing brutal husband, He keeps her from the deathbed4 of the man she loves, and will not consent to let his wife separate from him unless he re- l tains two children. Lady Eva is de- l voted to the boy, and in order to retain him writes 8 letter to her husband t1isely asserting the. illegitimacy of her son. The husband dies on receipt l or the letter, before. signing will dis inheriting the son Lady Eva imagines she has caused his death.
 "cHILDREN's STORIES AND HOW TO TELL THEM" By J. Berg Eseswein and Martha Stockard. The Home Correspondence school, publishers, Springfield Mass The imagination of child plays so vital part in molding it's future for elther bad or good that all educators agree in giving wise story telling a foremost place in the home, the recre ation center, the school, and the Sun day school. Add to this the fac. that che chlldrens taste for the right kind 1 or stories is formed early, and carries over to their later years. and the req ] son Why "Childrens Stories and How ] to Tell Them" by J. Berg Esenwein ana Marietta Stockard is an impor- l tant book is clear enough. Everyone Who has che care of children hears constantly the reiterated tell me story" but relatively few are able to
 meet this eager call wisely and inter- estingly. After exhausting the slen- der stock of stories remembered from childhood, the mother or teacher or guardian too often is at loss for more material. Story books there are | or course. but by no means all are of me sort that should be read to little loiks, and the uninstructed story teller may quite fnnocently tell or read a l tence, may hurt the child for years. 1 ine need for practical book like tnls cannot be gainsaid for a moment IT. Esenwein and Miss Stochard have nad many years of experience in the use or fiction in education, the work of the former for the short story in Ameri- l ca being well known and the latter,s g 1 career as trainer of teachers in Wash ington, D. C.. in the University Of Vir- glnla and as professional story teller ] oeing equally approved by wide public. These experts have together produced a
 book of nearly 400 pages which not oniy answers every question of the story tel
 Ter as to the choice of stories, and meth
 ods in presenting them, but gives more
 than 90 complete stories for all seasons and occasions which may be read or
 told to children and used as models Tor
 those who wish to tell other tales to the
 little people, singly or in groups. THE TREASURE OF THE LAND" By Garrard Harrsi. Harper Brothers 1 publishers, New York.
 | The Treasure of the Land" by Gar. irard Harris, is a fascinating story in 1 answer to the cry of girls, east and west north and south, asking how to do theii share for their country. What this authors Joe. the Book Farmer, did fo, the boys is done here for girls in show. ing what marvels they have done and can do by their tomato clubs and ir 1 ether ways. Alice Warner is IT, ant her story will interest everybody.
 It is the story of girl winner of tomato canning contest. It is not onlA 1 an interesting story. but shows in de tail what marvels country girls have ac- complished and can accomplish by 70. inato clubs in making life on farms in teresting and profitable and incidenta,!,
 stimulating an entire community to in
 telligent agriculture.
 MISS HARoUN AL RAscHID."
 By Jessie Douglas Kerruish. George II Doran Co., publishers, New York.
 The narrator as well as the movin;
 spirit of this lively picturesque ori
 ental novel is Rathia Jerningham (Mis
 Haroun Al Raschid) the daughter of
 distinguished Oxford Assyriologist. wh
 married an eastern woman With he half sister, Evelyn, her faithful body
 guard sulti her Togo-like factotum
 Miksl, and her absent-minded and pre-
 occupied father, Ratha explores what sh
 warns her unsophsticated and venture
 some sisters to be mo place for
 lady" Asiatic Turkey
 Bold bandits, missionaries rival archa
 eologists. oriental potentates and easter
 ladies add colour and excitement to tn } story which Is full of life and move ' ment romance, adventure and mystery Mikski's Togo-like misuse of the Eng
 fish language, Evelyns scrapes, Rathla' !. delightful nonchalance and incouciarc and the persistence of her young Ameri can suitor make varied and interestin reading.
 | It is dramatic story that Rathi has to tell, story of adventures. wit several exciting moments and more tha . one surprise. It would be unfair to giv even a hint of the plot, but of cours , there is love story interwoven wit , 1t all. The author apparently knows we
 the life of which she writes, for her nov
 al contains an abundance of illuminat
 ing and interesting detail which make
 1t all very real to the reader. Tn
 period Is the early nineties, when Vic
 toria was still on the throne of England , and the Armenian maasacres were brew ing Full of color, with romance of th
 past and of the present. the fasclnatio of the Assyrian discoveries, uneaIthin
 a civilization long dead and almost fol gotten, mingling with the ever-allurin } Elamor of the cast, Miss Haroun 4 Raschid' is very entertaining novel. OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED. Tt (REvIEWS+ LATER) } WILDERNESS HONEY" By Fran Lillie Pollock. Illustrated by H.
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