The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-04
Literary Lights and Shadoh s
BY S. MAYS BALL.

.foeter. a Novel of Which He is Not the
 Hero" by F. Hopkinson Smith, tCharies
 Scribners Sons)
 In .eThe Romance of An Old-Fashioned Gentleman" a previous story from MT F. Hopkinson Smith, novelist, painter and civil engineer, success in each ca reer we read of the undying love of an old man for his sweetheart, long gone to her reward, which he alone exhibited to the son of that woman. The woman was dead. but the son was the recipient of all the long delayed and pent up af- lection in the old lovers heart. The olo painter lover was the hero of "The Ro- nance of An Old Fashioned Gentleman, but fin all of MT. Smiths stories more or less, it is the effect that good, pure man. living amid the up-to-the-minute, end of the limit money-mad people ol this day, that is exploited
 In his new story MT. Smith brings Tn that same atmosphere so ably handled always by his good self and to say that that story is as good as "The Romance of An Old-Fashioned Gentleman is fitting praise and at the same time put ting it very strong. No one can read MT. Smiths stories without feeling pet ter in every way for 1t. Peter IS a much longer story than we are accus- toned to have from MT. Smith, but in his oase-the more the merrier and bet ter.
 .peter Grayson" was the receiving tel Ter in the Exeter bank" New York city.
 old Peter occupied unique, now pass ing away, position no doubt in New York, for while drawing his pittance or ,sooo a year, he was welcomed in the houses of the elect, solely by right of his breeding birth, manner and charm III telling us of Peter Grayson, we not only ''know" Peter, but we see before us the old style of banking house, as described fin the Exeter In contradlstlnctlon to those present-day banks which the author rails against, those that certify your checks as early as 10 in the morning with out a penny on deposit kind of banks. Peter Grayson knew everybody worth knowing in New York, including the Major the dear old major who usual Iy appears in MT. Smiths stories to tell us how it all happened, while he em- phasizes this and that, nods here and there. and best of all, he doesn't sermon Ize at all. Peter met Jack Brean" from Maryland, clerk in his uncles banking house on Wall street, a banking house that would float anything from shoe string up or down to get-rich-quick proposition of any kind. Jack Brean didn't like this position, and soon threw up his clerkship. Peter Grayson be- came very much attached to Jack, and secured him another position, with Col. Henry Mcfarland. civil engineer and contractor. Mcfarland, another Mary lander, had a lovely daughter, Ruth the love story, the whole show Of this novel is the love story between Ruth and Jack. while dear old Peter who was not the hero but ought to have been and readers will say he Is that anyway; stood by and delighted in this love story, as do the readers. The story is picture, too, of the viewpoint of the well-born south erner. as the New York crowd socially appears to him. Jack Brean never could get accustomed to the loose associations between girls and men in the New York social set.
 In all of Mir. Smiths stories there is a good plat of course, but what does any plot amount to, by comparison with delightful side lights on people and things that MT. Smith pictures for us? In Peter Grayson, his sister, dear old maiden lady: Isaac, the Jew (if the author had done nothing in the book but give us Isaac. the novel would be more than worth while) Ruth Mcfarland eff there was only space to talk about RuthD; lack Brean, his friends and his acquaint- ances, the newly-rich of New York, in fact all of the characters in the book stand out, as they always do in every thing that we are fortunate enough to receive from MT. Smith, If the reader wishes a clear-cut, cean delightful story. don't fail to read Peter, Novel of Which He Is Not the Hero," but or ought to be. When a reviewer, like this one reads a book like "Peter," and realizes that he will have such book to discuss next, 1t is very pleasing, for then he feels that even If all of the other books discussed at that same time are punk, or tommy-rot he at last is offering one good novel. You will not regret reading Peter" on the contrary-you will re- gret it or ought to, if you don't read it. Verbum sap,
 "The Big Fellow" by Frederick Palmer,
 (Moffat Yard & Co.).
 "The Big Fellow" called Big" at college for hort, was James Harden" who grew and grew, both latitudinally and longitudinally, until his dear moth CT became frightened. When Big" did stop growing he gave "stop party" and sent out invitations like this, "GIory be. It isn't to be habit! Con gratulations from to 6, Tuesday aft ernoon." This party was given at col iege just before the graduation of "Big's" class. Harden lived at home with his mother and maiden aunt, the latter had adopted dear little girl, "Ellen Moore.' known in this story as Miss Two Braids'-the reason for which name was the arrangement of her hair
 
 against it literally in the shape of making a living for his three women folks who had spent all of their money in giving Big a collegiate education. Declining a position under trust magnate Big goes to nearby city where his struggles to raise and save $250 mortgage. on his home. begins in his working as a laborer on street car construction in the day time and newspaper work at night. From this he drifts into a lawyers office, from having won a prize for an essay writ ten in the last days of his college life. From his entrance in his lawyer, phil osopher, guide and friends office his pace up the ladder of success was steady and sure Big" became a judge, the one man in his city who was known not as 8 sanctimonious ass. but simply as man who would do nothing but what he thought was right. Merit was recognized and the President of the United States sent Big over to act as the first civil governor of the Island of Bar" 1.-TWO Brafds" alais Miss Ellen Goore, grew up into a beautiful woman and Big loved her but was afraid to tell her so. When Big" goes to the Island of Bar" Ellen Moore, having had some trouble with her guardians, "Bigs" mother and aunt, in the Island of Bar and goes there unbeknownst to Big" The story then shifts from these United States to its possessions in the far Pacific. It tells of how James Harden. by pureness of