Newspapers / Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, … / May 15, 1941, edition 1 / Page 10
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Second Novel Published By Bernice Kelly Harris, Resident Of Northampton Following is a review of “Portulaca”, latest novel by Ber nice Kelly Harris, resident of Sea board in Northampton County: “Portulaca”, Bernice Kelly Har ris’ second novel is “Purslane” come to town, to a small country town that might be as readily identifiable in Virginia or Georgia as in North Carolna. The book, distinctly Southern in its setting, characters and attitudes manages nevertheless to achieve a consis tent even if occasionally ironical touch with the universally human. Second novels face a sterner handicap of criticism than first efforts. “Portulaca”, however, will not suffer by comparison. With the same “Purslane” aptitude for a clear-sighted detachment even toward things intimate and habi tual, the North Carolina writer has recorded in “Portulaca” vivid, can did, and understanding pictures of a small town neighborhood with all its bright virtues, its small meanesses, its strivings, its friend liness, its triumphs and its com placencies. Possibly, the hardest thing that may be said in criticism of Mrs. Harris’ new book grows out of the label the publishers affixed when they called it a novel. By virtue of a thin, slow-moving plot it does qualify as a novel; but it is vastly more. To call it merely a novel elevates the continuity to an im portance it does not hold in the completed picture. The plight of Nancy Huntington, as she strug gles petulantly against the town, her neighbors, her husband, her sister-in-law, ana nerseu isn l any thing like so convincing or vital as | the leisurely revelations of a com- j munity that can be cruel with the j , hateful cruelty of intimate ac quaintances and generous in a warm sharing of common destiny. • Here may be found humor, pathos, tragedy and all the implications of the sturdy virtues that cling to the simpler ways. Nancy's secret romance with a New York literary adviser, a refu ge from an unsympathetic hus band and a conniving sister-in-law, a romance from which she herself flees in panic whenever it threat ens reality, in much less interest ing as a central theme than the snatches of town life whose vigor and gusto threaten continuously to obscure it. In the end you get the impression that Nancy, for all her yearning for escape, yields to the Town both weakly and hap pily. Possibly that, too, is one of the implications of intimate living that Mrs. Harris sought to convey. Portulaca, boianically, is the town cousin of Purslane, common ly called pusley. The difference between them, as between the books for which the author sought kindred titles, is that Purslane looks to its roots in simple con tentment in their sturdiness while Portulaca looks to its garden neighbors with all the small sat isfaction, the pains, the jealousies of keeping up with the Joneses whether the Joneses be vegetables or vegetarians. The whole book, more mature in concept and in construction than “Purslane,” flashes with the au thor’s sense of the dramatic prac ticed over a long period in pre occupation with play writing. But its chief and most revealing vir tue is that it seizes upon the es sentials of life—the life of real, flesh and blood people—in the small town, holds it up to the light where what ordinarily passes for drabness becomes articulate in humanness, full of happiness and heartache and a vigorous sense of the importance of being or of be coming important. Mrs. Harris’ contribution to the literature of the South and about the South is here as in “Purslane”, the fixing of a perspective too often and too long ignored in the translation of life and truth about that life on the printed page. FRANK SMETHURST. Draper - Bobbitt The marriage of Miss Vera P. Bobbitt, daughter of Mrs. Mattie Cutchin Bobbitt of Seaboard and Paul C. Draper of Weldon took I place on May 9 at 12 o’clock in Grace Baptist Church in Durham in the presence of the immediate families and friends. Rev. H. B. Anderson, pastor of Durham, of ficiated. Mrs. E. B. Clark of Wel don sang “At Dawning” and “Be cause", accompanied by Mrs. Chas. Boykin of Halifax. The bride wore a Mexican Tan suit fur trimmed, with brown accessories and carried a bouquet of talisman roses and forget-me-nots. Immediately after the ceremony the bridal party was entertained at a wedding breakfast in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bur chett. Mr. Early Norman Cox has re turned back to Nashville, after spending the week-end with his mother, Mrs. Early W. Cox. 15 Cases At Recorder's This Week Fifteen cases were disposed of this week at the Halifax County Recorder’s Court. They were as follows: Leslie Garner, white of Roanoke Rapids, charged with reckless driv ing and assault. Nol pros with leave. John Mills and Helen Epps, col. of Weldon, were found guilty of fornication and adultery. Judgment suspended as to Helen Epps upon good behavior. John Mills was sen tenced to 6 months roads, suspend ed upon payment of a fine of $10.00 and costs. Herman N. Capps, white of Townsville, charged with reckless driving. Prayer for judgment con tinued on payment of the costs and on condition the defendant volun tarily surrenders his operator’s li cense and refrains from operating a motor vehicle for 12 months. John Moore, col. of Tillery, charged with possession of liquor. Not guilty. Willie Joyner, col. of Weldon, larceny. Thirty days jail to be worked around jail and courthouse. Everett Flagg, col. of Weldon, was found guilty of assault and given 6 months roads, suspended on payment of the costs and on condition he remain of good be-, havior for two years. I Roosevelt Powell, col. of Enfield, charged with reckless driving. Prayer for judgment continued on payment of the costs and $37.42 for Henderson Halliday and $10.00 for Maco Jones. Augustus King, col. of Enfield, was given 4 months roads for car rying a concealed weapon. Dan Thompson, col. of Littleton, was sentenced to 8 months roads for carrying a concealed weapon. Sentence was suspended on pay ment of costs and good behavior for 12 mohths. Aulander Lyon and Joe Perkins, charged with using improper li cense. Prayer for judgment con tinued on payment costs. Leslie Lee, white of Hollister, charged with trespass. Judgment suspended on payment of costs. Stephen A. Robinson, col. of Wel don, drunk and disorderly. Sen tenced to 60 days roads. Lynn Mangum, col. of Weldon, larceny. Prayer for judgment con tinued on payment costs, $1.00* for use of Henry Alston, and good be havior for 12 months. Leslie Garner, Louis Felts, John ny Long, Willie Long, and Joe Bateman, charged with gambling and affray. Garner was given 3 months roads to run concurrently with sentence in No. 6308. Prayer for judgment continued as to each of the others upon payment of Vi the costs each. Leslie Garner committeed to roads for 6 months on suspended sentence. Program Held At infield Sunday Memorial Day excerises, con ducted by the Frank M. Chapter, U. D. C., were held in Elmwood Cemetery Sunday afternoon at four-thirty o’clock. Mrs. Waverly White, president of the chapter, presided, and after song and pray er, Mrs. Egbert Barnhill, past president of the chapter, made a talk on Memorial Day. Roll call of deceased daughters was read by Miss Katie Riddick. Mrs. White then introduced Joseph Branch, local attorney, who made the ad dress of the afternoon. He eulo gized veterans, world war boys, and this being Mothers’ Day, he paid tribute to Mothers of all times. The summer house in the ceme tery was decorated in confederate battle flags, and a large North Carolina flag. Boy scouts and the girls’ Chapter Enfield Blues C. of C. Chapter placed these flowers on the graves that were pre viously marked by flags. In conclusion “America” was sung and Rev. Ross Cadle pro nounced the benediction after which taps were sounded by James Reives. Pvt. Willie S. Deaton of Fort Moultrie, S. C., has returned to his post after spending a few days here visiting Mrs. Early W. Cox and relatives. Mrs. H. W. Tucker of Durham, Mrs. A. C. Williams of Hender son, and Sarah Ann Williams spent Sunday with Mrs. Early W. Cox. Pvt. Francis W. Cox and Hubert Nicholas of Fort Bragg spent the week-end with Mrs. Early W. Cox. FOLLOW A PLAN for Financial Success! Don’t try building vour home or financial security without a definite proved plan that will as sure success. We can help you with a savings or in vestment plan that is prof itable, safe and easy to follow. Investigate today! Roanoke Rapids Building & Loan Association 10 W. 2nd Street Phone R-527-1 «osduioyj, s O 's-W - - me BEST IS WHAT THEY ASK TOR— AND THAT’S WHAT THEY GET/ I __—■ . ' I REPAIRS Here is only PART of the work done in our shop . . . ivith all latest type of ' equipment . . . 0 front Wheels Aligned @ Front Axles Straightened 0 Frames Straightened 0 Bent Wheels Straightened 0 Head-lights focused with the “Weaver” Electric Eye 0 Radiators Cleaned (to pre vent Over-heating) 0 Radiators Repaired 0 Special Machine Work 0 Broken Parts of all kinds j welded by Electric or Acety * lene method 0 Bent Fenders straightened and painted like new 0 Brakes Re-Lined 0 Generator and Starter Re paired 0 EXIDE Batteries & Service TRY OUR SERVICE— YOU WILL LIKE IT! Estimates Gladly Given BRICKELL MOTOR CO. WRECKER SERVICE Dial R-414-1 and that’s what you’ll M I get when you c<dl for - LEADED HIGH OCTANE Economy Gasoline 6 ECONOMY STATIONS TO SERVE YOU! Lowest Cash Prices and Prompt Delivery Service on FUEL OIL and KEROSENE Roanoke Rapids Oil Co. For Prompt Delivery — Dial R-315 V
Daily Herald (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.)
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May 15, 1941, edition 1
10
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