The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12
Literary Lights and ShadohS
BY s. MAYS BALL.

that one must dance to strange and im- personal music from Fate, all is well, but so good a book as this one surely deserves a better name. It is with the fear that the general book-buyer may be or may not be prejudced against this title that details are gone into here.
 It would be a fair statement, and a safe one to make here, namely, that yoa will hear people, those people who like the good things in life and literature. not the best sellers" asking soon: Have lou read Fate's a Fiddler" and if you haven't then that reader will attempt to explain away the ill-advised title: II lie succeeds the party persuaded to read the book will thereafter always take his edvice-on books, at any rate. The book is the nearest approach to the wonder full novels of Charles Dickens, with the exception of MT. DeMorgans books, writ ten Tn a long time-that is a pretty broad statements and one capable of causing much doubt in the minds of readers of this ieview-until they read the book It was simply a delight to read 1t, amid the null titude of books that are published these days.
 The story of "Fates a Fiddler Git is really disagreeable to have to continue calling attention to that title) deals with q young chap who lived in Boston in the bookshop of his father. The father,
 
 secondhand books, rare editions bought and sold, manuscripts authenticated" lived with his wife, the mother of our hero, one Sumner Bibbus, in a sub-cellar near the" monument in Boston, where this family hardly secured a living from their business. Summers mother who was sister of a successful Boston mer- chant who was rich, with no children, had married against the wishes of her family, but this mother insisted that in naming her son for her brother the old, cold blooded man would simply have to leave his money to her son. The brother dies; he was something of a crank on the sub Ject of wills, so he prepared three or four of different dates, hid them all, to cause as he figured trouble to his heirs, which he did. Then, too, he caused this delightful book for which we all owe the old miser that much thanks for his mean ness. Sumner goes to live with his uncles supposed heir and the latter's guardian and in that home happens lots of things. Then the scene shifts to the west, young Bibbus, at a certain denouement in the story, beats" his way to join his now removed parents to Missouri and is fol- lowed by his uncle's heir, not until after one of the wills left by the uncle had been found and caused dlsruptions, etc.
 Then the hero lives in St. Louis, where he was employed in the cotton business, and the pictures of the life there, socially and in business, are splendid, as well as those descriptions of life down in the zinc country of lower Missouri.
 This reviewer will not give any more of the plot than already stated, simply because if the word and opinion of this department IS worth anything by past performances, further information in re- gard to the plot will not be necessary. Now, if any one cares for a charming book let him or her risk this time the opinion of this reviewer get the book and if they are disappointed this reviewer will be disappointed in them, surely
 MT. Edward George Pinkham is a new author to this reviewer of course that does not signify very much, still, it does mean something. If this is one of his first ventures all of us have much to ex- pect from future products of his pleasing pen. Here's hoping