Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-03-25

| \booK Cuat Dy mary Wnlte OVlnStOn,
Chairman of the Board OF Directors
| Of the National Association for the
| Advancement Of Colored Pcoplc.)
BY George Madden Martin Published
by D. Appleton and Co.. Price SITS
With Postage $1.So.
! read recently in southern paper
Of a college professor who in lecturing
upon recent literature written by Ne.
groes, placed my novel, "The Shadow
rs the work Of a colored novelist. Ny
ambition as an author makes me never
read mistake like this without feel.
ing deeply complimented. 1t must
show that I have sufficiently penctrat
ed into the thought life of the Negro
race to DO able to depict 1t. not as an
outsider. but rs one with understand.
ing. George Madden Martin, who by
the way Ii a woman. will never be mis-
taken as to her race. When she writes
Of he Children of the Mist" she is
m outsider looking at her characters
sympathetically. tenderly, but as gu.
pcrior who tries to make allowance for
an inferior being.
For myself, am weary Of this atti.
tudc whether it refors TO white or
/ black. rich or poor. why should the per
son who has been horn in comfort and
has hud every advantage feel superior
to one who has been born without op-
portunity for education, for comfort,
fdh health Of mind or body? These
heautiful, aristocrat!c owners Of slaves
whom George Madden Martin depicts
SO lovingly scarcely touched life COM.
pared with the ragged, untutored
blacks who toiled to keep their owners
In idleness. And no amount Of tender
sympathy can mako tho writer with
the psychology OF tho slave owner iden.
tify herself with the inner lite Of those
whom sho tries to describe.
l After this Introduction I am ready
to talk about a really remarkable book
once you accept it's viewpoint. For
George Madden Martin Is an accom-.
plished story. teller, who delighted us
with her tales Of Emmy LOU" and
who. when she comes to tell Of "The
children in tho Mist" describes some
unusual' and vivid Incidents.
The first story. Tho Flight" Ia the
best In the book. Sherman Is marching
to tho sea, burning houses behind him
and you see Miss Susan Begue. owner
Of Scuppernong Hall, standing outside
Of her burning home, with two young
girl niecas. and five slaves, old Maum
Harriet, brought from Africa. hor
daughter and three little boys, grand
children: They must travel that night
/ fifteen miles to Cinnamon Court
House. the roads are full Of troops and
dangerous. Leaving their burning
home behind them the eight journey
on together.
At once tho old Negro takes the lead.
1t Is she who Is the protector Of them
all and how she guides them
through the swamp is one Of the most
wonderful slave stories that has ever
becn written OF the South. You thrill
when you find Miss Begue, the mis-
tress, coming for the first time upon
the slaves secret, the hard firm foot
path traversing to the white man. tho
impenetrable swamp. "a continuous
narrow ribbon stretching ahead wind!
ing in an out across marshes. through
morass and around lagoons. l'nkin,,
hrmmock to island to some upthrust
" OF solid footing In a sea OF Qualting
hog. One grasped that this winding
ribbon was road, *** a work Of care.
full and painstaking construction, a co:
duroy foundation of fclled trees, built
upon with the turfy sods Of marsh
marsh grass. filled in and surfaced
with bog mud and clay, now hard and
dry with time and usage Here slaves
have travelled from plantation to plan
ton and here runawnys have been lost
to their owners and sometimes have
survived for years. And here one Of
HnplIa'Q
from her plantation, helps her and the
two young girls to safety.
The other seven stories vary in in
interest. the best Of them. THE Inskip
Niggah" moving like 'Tne Flight
about the theme Of the lady Of quality
and the faithful servant This must at
times have been a beautiful relation
, ship but ono grows a weary at hear
; ing about 1t and always from the mas,
tars pen. But unquestionably beauti.
full IL the ending Of "The Inskip Mig.
gah" where the southern lady. Miss
Lavina penniless neglected in hor
pride by once devoted friends, in dang
er Of being sent TO the poorhouse, ct
the last is saved by the wisdom and
.ktndnes sof her old servant.
Laying her hand upon his shoulder,
she looks into the faces Of those others
of her own race who did nothing ant.
, says! IF God had not willed many
things, 1t would not have come about
that out OF so much friendship their
emerged for me- tho miracle of a
friend. : :
Here the attitude of mistress and
servant yanishes and two spirits meet
on all equality,
Books like "The Children in the
!. Mist" do much good. They show the
, difficulties that beset the Negroes path
and they breathe a very real and ten'l
er sympathy. ButSI doubt If they real
ly portray the black man.