The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-17

at EVANSVILLE, IHu. IL III De UIldO AnLle JGIueSS
miller, now) is resident of this State either by
birth or adoption, the literature of the State is
the gamer. Barbara Thayer" is not only an en-
pertaining story but very creditabe piece of lit
erary work, ranking well with the stories of the
day. Barbara Thayer, the heroine, country
bred is a character pure, lovable, selfpossessed
and sensible. Not given to prosy moralizing,
she is full of ideas and actuated by the most
womanly purity of character, at once winning
the admiration and sympathy of the reader. The
story opens with the friend of her childhood,
Harry Gresham, asking her to become his wife.
This she cannot gain the consent of her judg
ment to do though she confesses warm affec-
ton for him. The fear of her heart is that at
some future time she might meet some man
who would win from her that supremest
love that a woman can experience in which
event life of bitterness, if not shame, must
eEsue. Events so shape themselves that she
does meet in General Laurens, the person for
whom her heart acknowledges that one love
above all others. Meanwhile young
Gresham has taken himself off to
the West, where he becomes millionaire mine
owner and Barbara wins fame as a dramatic
reader. But General Laurens, while man of
many good traits, is victim of one sin, peculiar
to many men of ability and this one offense
against morality is revealed to Barbara after her
betrothal, by the woman who drew him into the
wrong path and held him there despite his at
tempts to escape. The offense, while not against
her, is too serious for Barbara to condone. She
breaks the engagement and General Laurens
enters the service of some foreign country,
while Barbara goes back to her foster parents,
good honest people, on western Massachu-
sets farm. Then, at length, word is telegraphed
her that in accident in a Colorado mine,
while attempting to rescue his men, Harry
Gresham was severely if not fatally injured, and
urging her to come. She goes at once, and the
story closes with the inference that Barbara
and Harry marry at last, content in the belief
that the world contains no greater joy for them.
The author errs in giving to Mrs General
Dalzell a character without serious
flaw, whereas she is the means
of bringing Barbara and Gen. Laurens together,
and is evidently in possession of the latter's
private history as proved by the fact that she
endeavors to discount the effect of its discovery
upon Barbara by arguing that she must not ex-
pect too much from him, as nobody wears wings
under his Clothes and mankind generally is
guilty of greater less foibles. The story,
however, is good one and will add to the fame
of the lady who wrote it.
RAPID RANKINGS IN EUROPE. By w O. Falkner.
Illustrated. j. B. Lppineott Philadelphia Bowen,
Stewart & Co., indianapolis. Price, 81.
Another--Heaven help long suffering Ameri-
can publc!-Another book on European travel,
neither better nor worse than the thousand and
one that have preceded it. There ought to be
law against the infection of such books upon
American readers, but since there is not, the
regular annual outpouring of such stuff will con-
tinue. If it be possible that anybody on this
Western Continent has not read as many
books European travel as he
has fingers and toes, this book
will be welcomed. 1t is gossipy of a certainty,
but is marred by the infection of its several
characters upon the reader, to the exclusion of
topics of more general interest. That Miss
Bell or Charley Chittenden, or ''The Judge
accompanied the tourist who chronicles these in
cidents is a matter of little moment, while to OBJ
trude their photographs into the pages of the
book is g barbarsm intolerable. The author
shows weakness, too in planting an engraving
of himself facing the title page
GOVERNMENT REVENUE. By Ellis H. Roberts.
Houghton, Mifiin & Co., Boston; Merrill Meigs g.
Co., Indianapolis. Price $1.5O.
A series of ten lectures delivered before the
students of Cornell University. and afterwards
before those of Hamilton College. The object
was to present to the students and others the
arguments in favor of what has come to be
known as the American system of collecting
revenue i. e., by imposing duties on imports in
such manner as to stimulate and es-
tablsh American industry. An invaluable
work, exposing, as it does, the fallacies of
free trade and the sophistries by which free
trade is made to appear desirable. The country
is awakening to the demands of the times, and
the day is not far distant when theorists must
rearrange their plans so as to adapt them to the
needs of the country. Too long the students of
our universities have been sent into the world
with ideas of political economy that would fit
nowhere, fine in theory but useless in practice.
These lectures should be read everywhere.
HISTORY OF THE THIRTY YEARS WAR By Anton
Gindely. Translated by Andrew Ten Brock. Two
volumes Illustrated g. p. Putnam's Sons, New
York; Bowen, Stewart s. Co., indianapolis. Price,
81.
Iol. 0luuoiy, ny Ills lung years VI SJuuy VI
the causes of this great religious war; by his po-
sition as an adjunct professor in the University
of Oimutz, and afterwards as professor of Ger
man history in the University of Prague, is pc
culiarly fitted for the work he has accomplished
in these two fine volumes No knowledge of Eu-
ropean history is complete without thorough
understanding of the causes and effects of this
prolonged struggle The men engaged in it and
the issues at stake were so notable and so i'm
portant as to make every individual and each
movement in the struggle of worldwide import
ance. Professor Gindely has evidently given
the closest and most conscientious attention to
all the details, and has learnedly Disseminated
in the selection of his authorities These two
handsome volumes are an invaluable addition