The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-22
N AsT night the people of Birming- " ham had an opportunity of wit

@ AsT night the people of Birming- V ham had an opportunity of wit - messing Maud Adams interpret the part of Lady Babbie in "The Little Minister" a dramatization of J. NJ Bar ries novel. From the play it is easy to judge the charm of the book Barrie is perhaps the most sympathetic de1ineator of the Scotch peasant character who ever lived His stories and sketches are deli cately, yet powerfully, drawn and his passages of sentiment and pathos are exquisite. One is apt to be disappointed in Sentimental Tommy, and it's sequel, Tommy and Grizel." The genius of the author is apparent on every page but the hero Is not one to command our lasting admiration. In "The Little Minister" however, Barrie undoubtedly achieved his a more charming story and one told in more facinating style. In his other stories Barrie undoubtedly shows wealth of pathos and tenderness, while his conception of tLe dry, semi-humorous Scotch yeoman is vivid and accurate, but 1t is extremely doubtful whether he has written a book more clever than .The Little Minister" Of course it is impossible to do full justice to the novel within the limits of play. but Maud Adams is fully capable of being in flesh and blood all that the wilful Lady Babbie is in fiction. Barrie is only A years old and he has yet glorious career before him in bookland, while Miss Ad- ams, still young, but star" of the first magnitude, also has much to look for ward to in the theatrical world.
 It is announced that the Carnegie Hero Fund commission will not award any medals or prizes until the commission holds its next meeting, January 1s 1905. There are now 59 cases under considera- ton. From this it Is reasonable to con clude that the crop of authorized heroes since the fund was established by MT. Carnegie is rather small. There is some- thing of a mockery in the number, when one considers how many heroes and peo- pie who amply deserve the benefits of 1 the fund will n yer be discovered. Few real heroes in this country will reap any 1 advantage from the Carnegie fund. AS a matter of act the great heroes seldom l get any reward but 20 to their graves unhonored and unsung, save by chosen few who have been permitted to look in upon their lives.
 According to an English paper a new way to make living Is to act as best man at weddings Men who are well formed, educated and versed in the arts of polite society have unlimited opportu- mites afforded them in this field. The
 professional 'best man. ought to be In demand not only in England, but in the United States as well. The average bridegroom would be glad of the service of a functionary to take his place until the wedding is over, but not longer. Ow. ing to the superiority of woman over mere man, no self-respecting bride would consent to have a proxy, though she tainted in the effort to reach the chancel
 but there is no reason why the profes- sional best man. should not become as indispensable to certain classes of "so. clety" as the hired dress suit
 The Rev. Anna Shaw, president of the | Woman's Suffrage association and a dan. gerous female in an argument, has come Denver It seems that certain clergy.