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"A Lover of Music" concerns a man who flees from a Canadian village after committing some crime. He finds solace in his music, and cheers despondent hearts with the strains of his violin. After all is said and done, he is forgiven by his old foe (now a village priest) at the bed of his death. "The Reward of Virtue" centers around a Canadian fishing guide who tries to forgo smoking tobacco, in o... More

"A Lover of Music" concerns a man who flees from a Canadian village after committing some crime. He finds solace in his music, and cheers despondent hearts with the strains of his violin. After all is said and done, he is forgiven by his old foe (now a village priest) at the bed of his death. "The Reward of Virtue" centers around a Canadian fishing guide who tries to forgo smoking tobacco, in order to save enough money for himself and wife to visit the orphanage in Quebec. He later finds out that an occasional smoke may bring solace to the wounded heart-- despite the tenets of crotchety reformers. This tale illustrates the fact that Van Dyke, though evangelical, was never a 'fundamentalist.' The simple pleasures of life may always be used in moderation. "A Brave Heart" introduces us to a pugnacious French-Canadian who longs to fight his old friend over a petty cause. The fight ends up blinding his friend, though all turns out well in the end. "The Gentle Life" is a fishing story! Our friend the angler falls asleep under a tree while waiting for chum; and who should stroll by but old Ike Walton, to give forth some of his views on the gentler life. The story is followed by "A Friend of Justice," one of the better animal stories we've read in a while. A nice tale which illustrates nobility in the animal kingdom. "The White Blot", set on Long Island, contains marginal mystery elements, and concerns the hunt for the locale of a deceased artist's painting. "A Year of Nobility" takes us back to Canada, where an impoverished fishing-guide is imposed on by a swindler who tries to sell him a patent of nobility. The last tale, "The Keeper of the Light," is one in which the determination to keep a defunct lighthouse in order causes a girl to spend the best years of her life. The motto for this tale might aptly have been 'the passion of duty.' It shows us how duty sometimes prevails over self-interest.

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