The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-08

vidual characteristics. .'The Grafters'' ! is a story of present conditions and the scene is laid in the west, where possibly
 such events could happen with greater
 probability. A man steals a railroad and
 woman controls the politics of a state.
 Incidentally there are exploited all the
 machinations which are usually involved
 in the race for control of railroads, cor porations, politics and similar hustlng | forces. There is some ingenuity display
 ed in the manipulation of these forces, a very acceptable love story gives the nec-
 essary human interest and possibly the average reader will find here the full
 quota of interest and diversion. A very 1 serious comment upon the story as
 whole may be made upon the disjointed
 and crude style in which 1t is told It mars greatly the smoothness of the reel
 tai and in consequence the readers en-
 Ioyment.
 Hello Bill' Toasts is a book of after- l dinner toasts and speeches just issued
 from the press of V. w. Williams New I York. It is "a book for good fellows" and contains a number of up-to-date
 toasts suitable for banauets The jocu- larity of many of them makes them es- pecially suitable for use by club men, col- | lege boys. etc These, however, are gen. erously interspersed with proverbs, senti- ment and wise sayings. The contents are
 gathered from many sources and arrang-
 ed by Victor w. Williams with very dainty and appropriate illustrations by
 A. F. Wilmarth The volume is most at-
 tractively bound in royal purple, with
 heavy glazed paper and clear. good type. l It is no doubt little volume that will
 i'll most acceptaby a genuine longing In | the heart of the constant ''diner-out."
 Kipling says:
 ! The gloom of my bachelor days | Is fiecked with a cheery light I Of stumps that I burned to friendship, l And pleasure and work and fight
 Here's to the fellow who smiles
 While life rolls on like a song, And here's to the chap who can smile
 When everything goes dead wrong. Tween woman and wine a mans lot Is to 1 smart,
 For wine makes his head ache and wo-
 man his heart.
 Here's to the light that lies in woman's
 And lies and lies!! and lies!l!
 The latter reminds one of the toast
 given by the foolish young fellows which
 runs:
 May we KISS all the women we please,
 And please all the women we kiss.
 Surely the aspirants for fame and suc-
 cess in the pleasant fields of polite soci- l ety today need not feel discouraged or | experience a lack of vivacity or brilliant l flashes of wit if they will but take the
 trouble to search where 1t may be found.
 For, though it is not always told in Gath.
 one must make study of these things
 in other words, must put thought and
 effort into ones natural capacities if suc- cess is to be achieved For such ambitious
 seekers we now find a little volume by Frances B. Galloway entitled Studies | for Conversation" Miss Calaway's lit- I tie book in the art of letter writing Is l well known and gratefully remembered
 and here she has widened her sphere of
 usefulness and has set down some guides for conversation which are extremely l suggestive.
 "The Bright Face of Danger is the
 newest published work by that delightful young author, Robert Nelson Stephens. He will betremembered as the author of Philip Winwood," "The Mystery of Mur- ray Davenport" and other equally popu- lar stories This most stirring story tells of the adventures of Henri de Lau- nay, son Of De Launay de la Lounoire made famous In An Enemy to the King" Here MT. Stephens writes. as few among modern romanticists do write. of fair women and brave men, the gay life of the chateaux and the dangers of the road. hair-breadth escapes and thrilling rescues. The action takes place within few days and the author has accom- plished in his new volume beyond all doubt his best work.
 IT5
 just appeared, crisp and fresh from the press. "Chimmy Fadden'' makes his bow again and once more compels admir- | ing readers to wonder how he ever con ceived so many odd thoughts and express sions. He discusses in his own inimit- able manner the theatre, college football 1 police force, motor cycles, some of the doings of society, the love affairs of Mir. Paul." the Duchess" etc. He is shrewder and funnier than ever.
 1 "Strong Mac,'' by s. R. Crockett. Dodd. l Mead & Company
 | In strong Mac" Mir. Crockett takes the | reader back to his native heath and gives us one of his characteristic Scotch sto- ries that have long since won for him l fame and name. The present story bears the imprint of this year and is published | in attractive covers with typical drawings by Maurice Greiffenhagen.
 i It Is difficult at all times to catch the full meaning of the Scotch dialect so freely used by the author. But a full, satisfying story 1t is, well stocked with graphic events and incidents and widely differing characters which go to complete the well-conceived and well-told tale. It occurred in the early part of the Nine teenth century when rural life. especially in Scotland, was unaffected and singu- larly free. It deals with homely charac- ters, who are full of the primitive breath of life. without any of It's modifying con- ventionalities.
 Strong Mac" Is not story that can be read hurriedly, but is rather for the leisurely reader, who Is willing to take time to enjoy the gentle humor and pathos found on every page. One of the strongest situations and most dramatic events of the story-and they are numer- ous-is found in the opening pages, when Strong Mac is forced by threatened dis order in the village school room to take things in hand and thereby proves his title to the cognomen with which the au- thor saw fit to christen the hero Roy McCulloch.