The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-01
RANDOM NOTES.


OSCAR WILDE is going to enter politics. Now
he will surely get little inknng as to his super
lative idioey.
THE proposed assassination of the President by
Kentucky colonel does not fall pleasingly on
the ear but if the President were to assassinate
full dozen of Kentucky colonies, the world
would smile.
BETWEEN the chrome tea-store and the mag
nfceut gifts offered to purchasers at certain
clothing stores. there is an incomplete, unsatis
fed feeling attending church-going, which must
be experienced to be appreciated.
THE owners of the steamer Niagara have been
nneG $4,000 at Havana because several dozen
ladies' hats aud bustles were found III an empty
state-room.-EX.
Considered merely as q sleght-of- hand per-
Torrance, the discovery was surely entitled to
respect.
CHAMBERs's Encyclopaedia is responsible for
the statement that the climate of Indiana is
like that of the south of France, Hereafter the
crimes and immoralities of the native Hoosier
must be ascribed to their proper source, viz. the
French climate.
MATTHEW ARNOLD wears but one eye-glass,
ana the Courier-Journal says that with this one
glass he can see every man at the table who Is
eating with his knife. If Matthew does not want
that glass shivered to flinders he must keep out
OF an Indianapolis restaurant.
In Sarah Bernhardt's new departure into the
cheese business were to be widely followed, the
world, dramatic aud otherwise, would be mucn
benefited. 1t has not been stated that Nine.
Bernhard will reLire from the stage to drown
her sorrows in the flowing milk pail but the
best is hoped for.
WRITER i'll the December Atlantic thus
almost annlhilates Indiana the home of
poesy, in a criticism upon Maurice Thompson's
"Songs of Fair Weather.: For ourselves, we
rejoice over the appearance of genuine poet in
State which is popularity supposed to produce
chiefly candidates for the presidency"
RICHARD GRANT WHITE denounces the over
drawn modesty which persists in calling legs
CLOVER limbs" and decides that this is not an
American foible peculiarly, but is likewise a
Brisish weakness, which decision is truly COM
forting Hereafter, if it is ever necessary to
say Ieg," let it be plain "leg," and that, too,
without making any faces.
In Robert Grants new story in December Cen
fury, entitled "The Average Man." where Miss
Idlewild reproaches Remington for not having
written TO her, ne asks: "But is there no way
in which can condone my offense9" When a
Harvard graduate undertakes TO "condone" his
otfenses it may be concluded that his
cleverness approaches sublimity.
AN enemy of the Louisville sUreet-car line is
circulating an item to the effect that some wo-
man contributed to the population OF the city
while on the way home from one point to
another, in the street-cars OF Indianapolis,
such report would readily obtain credence.
Indeed, twins have been known to be born,
grow up and die between the trips of the Penn
sylvania-street cars.
Boston supports praiseworthy charity In
the shape of evening free classes in various
branches of industry for preparing young
women to earn their livelihood. Design is
taught as applied to carpets, tiles, wallpaper
and oil-elotbs; and the instruction also includes
bookkeeping, dress-making, millinery, en-
broidery, knitting, etc, which are each taught
by experienced teachers. Good character Is the
only requisite for admission to the classes.
THE American novel, as instanced in "The
Average Man." has got almost to ridiculous
point of inanity. The first chapters of this story
pubshed in the Century for December bear
striking resemblance to what the English call
"unmitigated rot" The frivolous American
girl has outlived her usefulness a topic for
the novelist, and her constant temperance in
the pages of fiction argues paucity of inspira-
ton of which American literati should be
ashamed Oh, for new school of fiction from
which all giddy girls and college dudes will be
religiOusly excluded.
The art department of the Louisville Courier
Journal reflects untold credit upon the inspired
brain which conceived IL. 1t has been dis
covered that from single wood-cut of Queen
Victoria have been printed In the last six months
striking portraits of all the prominent men in
the country, both foreign and native. A little
ink more or less smeared on the block with
taste and judgment makes all the facial diff
ference necessary. Oscar Wilde, Herbert
Spencer, Lord Coleridge, Monslgnor Capel,
Henry Ward Beecher Matthew Arnold and
others, have all, 1T is said, been produced in
this way, and in each case the resemblance has
been really striking.