The Princess Aline (1895). By

The Princess Aline is a sweet love story told with charming and delicate art, in Mr. Davis' own bright way. The heroine, Miss Morris, is a lovable young woman with heaps of common sense, sympathy, wit and humor, so wonderfully and vividly set forth that the reader finds it hard to forgive Carlton for not sooner discovering that he loved her instead of pursuing the Princess Aline in a useless love-chase. Mr. Davis has a teasing way of withholding his secret until the very last moment, but it is easy to forgive him, the result is usually so pleasing. Mr. Davis shows a comprehensive acquaintance with human nature; he has a simple yet sparkling humor in his treatment of subjects, together with a literary grace which places him in a distinct niche, where few if any rivals will be able to reach him..... Richard Harding Davis (April 18, 1864 - April 11, 1916) was an American journalist and writer of fiction and drama, known foremost as the first American war correspondent to cover the Spanish-American War, the Second Boer War, and the First World War.[1] His writing greatly assisted the political career of Theodore Roosevelt and he also played a major role in the evolution of the American magazine. His influence extended to the world of fashion and he is credited with making the clean-shaven look popular among men at the turn of the 20th century. Davis was born on April 18, 1864 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother Rebecca Harding Davis was a prominent writer in her day. His father, Lemuel Clarke Davis, was himself a journalist and edited the Philadelphia Public Ledger. As a young man, Davis attended the Episcopal Academy. In 1882, after an unhappy year at Swarthmore College, Davis transferred to Lehigh University, where his uncle, H. Wilson Harding, was a professor. While at Lehigh, Davis published his first book, The Adventures of My Freshman (1884), a collection of short stories. Many of the stories had originally appeared in the student magazine the Lehigh Burr. In 1885, Davis transferred to Johns Hopkins University. After college, his father helped him gain his first position as a journalist at the Philadelphia Record but he was soon dismissed. After another brief position at the Philadelphia Press, Davis accepted a better-paying position at the New York Evening Sun where he gained attention for his flamboyant style and his writing on controversial subjects such as abortion, suicide and execution. He first attracted attention in May to June 1889, by reporting on the devastation of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, following the infamous flood and added to his reputation by reporting on other noteworthy events such as the first electrocution of a criminal (the execution of William Kemmler in 1890). Davis became a managing editor of Harper's Weekly, and was one of the world's leading war correspondents at the time of the Second Boer War in South Africa. ... Charles Dana Gibson (September 14, 1867 - December 23, 1944) was an American graphic artist, best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century. His wife, Irene Langhorne, and her four beautiful sisters, inspired his images. He published his illustrations in Life magazine and other major national publications for more than 30 years, becoming editor in 1918 and later owner of the general interest magazine.