The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-27

mortgage on her ancestral home, and thereby enable her beloved grandfather to die in peace, and when the letter of acceptance came she was naturally over joyed But the fact was that MT. Vande- ford had never even read her play, but picked it up at haphazard because he felt sure it would be failure. He in- tended simply to use it as a means of spanking" Violet Hawtry, the ungrate- ful star whom he had made, and whose head had been completely turned by suc- cess. He believed that what Violet needed was the humiliation of appearing in failure. Wherefore he decided to present her in Miss Adair's play, "The Renuncia- tion of Rosalind,' which he promptly re- christened, ''The Purple Slipper" and for economys sake to make the produc- tion as cheaply as possible.
 But his plans were speedily knocked into the proverbial cooked hat by the totally unexpected arrival of Miss Adair. After he had seen her and met her ''sea-g gray long lashed glances of worshipping admi- ration a very fe times, he made up his mind that "The Purple Slipper must ''go on Broadway. and go big" and went vigorously to work to achieve that desir- able, but, as it then seemed almost i'm possible result How he accomplished this and what the finale" is makes very interesting and entertaining reading mat ter.
 CLAIRE"
 By Leslie Burton Blades. George H.
 Doran company, publishers, New York
 city.
 When blind author uses his blindness as the basis of story, the result is likely to be an authentic revelation of in- innate emotion. Claire romantic novel, is remarkable not only for the verity with which emotions are portrayed, but for the unexpected and entirely un- conventional handling of a hackneyed sit
 uation. The primitive course of action which Claire decided upon, the idealistic inaction of Philip. and the peculiarities of Lawrence the blind hero of the story make this novel an absorbing study in hu- man nature.
 The author was generously warned by critics and friends who saw his manu script that the climax of the story would arouse a storm of criticism. He stuck to his guns, however, and the publishers have issued the book as it was writ ten
 l The author has been blind since child hod having lost his sight in an accident Until recently he was resident of Cali fornia. He is now in New York engaged in magazine writing and Bob" Davis
 of Munsey's predicts an unusual career for him.
 '
 THE NEGRO AS AN ECONOMIC FAC. TOR IN ALABAMA' By Waights Gibbs Henry. The publish ing house M E. church, publishers Nashville.
 A very we'll written and interesting bool entitled. "The Negro as an Economic Fac tor in Alabama comes from the pen O | Waights Gibbs Henry, A. B., Southern university. D. D.. Vanderbilt university and A. NJ, University of Alabama, ant will be of particular interest to Alabam 1 ians on account of the prominence of th ! author.
 | Perhaps the best review of the bool can be given in the authors own intro
 duction and viewpoint of the subject 1 which delineates the importance of tn
 subject and his interest in it and Quotin l from his words the following is gleaned
 'It is very easy for one who is entirel. i ignorant of the negro question to give ut l terance to false views concerning the ad
 vancement of the race. It is not difficul , for one who is wholly out of 'sympath. with the race to magnify the negro I stupidity, to believe that he was designe from the beginning of his creation to for
 ever remain a newer of wood and drawer of water.
 l Well meaning but misguided reform CTS. especially among northern whites
 and the inflammatory utterances of tn 1 jinjudicious blacks. have unquestionabl, retarded the progress of the negro race | No one doubts that the motive in eac case was good, but, unfortunately. mo tives and results are not always identi cal,
 After hearing pathetic recitals con