The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-05

MT. Coon, Mir 'Possum and the rest all have a singular and quaint natural ness and in their portrayal there are both many quietly humorous touches such as a child may easily appreciate. The result is that parents enjoy reading these stories to their children as much as the children love to hear them, and when there Is a touch of fun that appeals to the child the parent may join in it with out mental reservation. It will be good news to many that the Hollow Tree Stories'' have lately been issued by the Harpers fin uniform set of six volumes. fully illustrated by ]. M. Conde whose pictures reflect the spirit of the stories so truly that no reader would be content with any others.
 'DOODLES" "The Sunshine Boy" by Emma C. Dowd . illustrated by Maria L. Kisk: Houghton, Mifflin Company, publishers. No. Park Row, Boston.
 by Emma C. Dowd, written in this clever authors happiest style.
 Right well does ''Doodles" live up to the part of ''The Sunshine Boy" in spite of being cripple The little fellow has a cheerful disposition, character ire proachable and splendid, beautiful voice and a genius for music.
 The little fellow has a mocking bird among his little possessions. which he bought for the small sum of a cents and which afterward turned out to be worth s2o0. and we'll 1t might be, because a bird that could warble Annie Laurie and ''Auld Lang Syne" and other things ought to be worth that much money
 The bird and '.The Sunshine Boy bring about innumerahie remarkable incidents which are too optimistic, however. to be true. nevertheless, they serve as a good text for those who are inclined to be on the side 0f psssimism.
 CREAM TOASTS" By Fred Emerson Brooks: Forbes & Co.,. publishers Chicago.
 ated is the attractive volume entitled Cream Toasts," by Fred Emerson Brooks.
 Replete with exquisite thoughts is each poem or toast" ranging in subjects from The Maiden With the Beautiful Eyes to The Birthday Ring" 1t is diff ficult to say which is the best in the large collection.
 One of the cleverest is the following. WHO UNDERSTANDS A WOMAN?''
 Who understands a woman?
 He's not forsooth,
 A blushing youth
 Nor any sage
 Of middle age
 Who understands woman;
 Nor Is he old
 With bags of gold.
 Then, who is he?
 We'll. don't ask me.
 For I am only human.
 'Tis doubtless true
 the man who knew
 Was never known to draw one
 Marooned the while
 Upon an isle,
 He died before he saw one! ROBBERY UNDER LAW OR THE BATTLE OF THE MILI.IONAIRES" GA play in three acts and three scenes) By John Armstrong Chaloner The Pal metto Press. Roanoke Rapids. North Carolina.
 'Soorpio," presents a play under the title of Robbery Under Law or the Battle of the Millionaires." which has attractde widespread attention.
 Among other things interesting things about the play is MT. Chaloner's prologue" which throws considera- ble light on the subject as follows: since finishing the play, Robbery Under Law last fall, the undersigned las written another play found here with, entitled, The Hazard of the Die,' l three act play in blank verse treating of the conspiracy of Cataline during the last days of the Roman republic "A word of explanation Is germane to the matter in hand. Upon finishing Robbery Under Law this last fall, the writer sent 1t to a friend--a lady upon a large New York daily paper. She in turn sent it to another lady d friend of hers--wifb the request that sine bring the play to the attention of her friends-a largo New York theat- rical managers play reader.
 "In closing this Introduction to an to speak--it might be observed that the length of the first play-a thing which can be remedied by blue pencil and judicious and ex- perienced cutting, without in the least with the action of the length has been retained-- even added to-sincc the letter below was written-in order to serve sort of propaganda towards the cause of lunacy law reforms to which the writer has sacrificed the past IS years of his life-come March 13, 1915 All the haracters-with the exception of the ieroine's--which Is entirely an imag- mary one-having been photographed to speak--from life; and all the actions of the characters-bar
 
 copied from court records as is indi- cated in the subsoined letter To that end the writer has left his comments inpruned. upon the abominable laws. and the even more abominable admin stration of said laws. by the New York courts, both state and federal, set forth n Robbery Under Law
 "The object being to put before the 'apers the deadly disease eating the fibre of our body-polltic in vicious unacy legislation obtaining in 40 per ,ent of the states of the United States IS Damaged Goods put before the papers and public the deadly disease eating the flesh of alas! but too many If the peoples of the earth"
 Charles Reade's brilliant and pow .rful novel, "Very Hard Cash," of tome 50 years ago. revolutionized the reatment of prisoners behind the bars If English insane asylums It Is far oo much to expect the same result rom Robbery Under Law" but for what it is worth asa photographic ex- position of cold. hard cash, every day acts, in our alleged humane and civ lized and upright community of tho