The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-16
THE FIELD OF LITERATURE.

9nwen. Merrill Company, indianapolis.
Kalev, who, by the way, is not only the
aFAthers of the present House of Representa-
.;rss. but has also served longer by several
roars in that branch of Congress that any mem
~. ever served, has written this little volume
i instice to the memories Of his most intimate
fr;onds President Lincoln and Secretary Stan
.oo in reply to the article of General Mcclellan
II late number of the Century Magazine. The
bock is fatal blow to the much-vaunted gener-
. of Mcclellan, and utterly annihilates his
aracter as "a soldier and as patriot 1t shows
e. tsre character to have been that of disloval
d;ssember, a moral and physical coward, and
one utterly unworthy of the command
# loyal troops. General Mcclellan was
undoubtedly a good organizer Of armies for
parade and display but without any abil-
;tv or disposition to fight them Judge Kelley
does not rely upon hearsay to sustain the charges
re makes. but proves them by the official records
Of the war, and very largely by the reports of
General Mcclellan himself An instance or two
sHl suffice in this notice to show how the inca
pscity of the commander is established by the
author. McClellans friends, in and out of the
army, claimed for him his extraordinary ability
as a military engineer, yet it is shown from his
own report that in country so we'll known and
easy of access as that about Yorktown, Va.
Mcclellan marched his army to fight the enemy
n utter ignorance of the topography of the
country even to the existence and course of the
rivers which he would have to cross; and again.
III the region about Harpers' Ferry he proposed
crossing the Potomac river by bridge to be
osa6O IF IL A.
money and time he prepares his fleet of boats
and places them in the canal that was open to
him through its entire length only to find that
his boats were several feet too long and too wide
to get through the locks Other instances of as
astounding ignorance and incapacity are as
clearly established No impartial person can
read this book but that will make his verdict that
Mcclellan not only an incapable fraud as
lighting soldier, but further, that he was not in
sympathy with the North or the Northern troops
in the effort to suppress the Rebellion.
Among the holiday publications the illustrated
weeklies take high rank Harpers Christmas
number already issued, consists of twenty four
pages besides the illustrated covers The prin-
cpa literary features are; dolly Vansittert's
Other Lover" story by Julian Hawthorne;
Squire Fipp's Old Arm chair" story written
and illustrated by Howard Pyle, besides other
features for which Harper's Weekly is noted
F. S. Church has produced the principal cartoon,
entitled IA Christmas Fanta sy.- 1t represents
a sweet'faced maiden tripping along with
laughing bear on either side, locked arms with
her, while other bears. armed with musical in
struments, and another, bearing huge plum
pudding, meets the joyous crowd. A. B. Frost
has contributed full page wood cut represent
ing Christmas in Camp" look at which is
very appetizing.
The chief claim Of Frank Lesle's Christmas
number is a two page cut representing the
trumphal entry of Santa Claus and Old Father
Time under the escort of legendary characters
"BoPeep," "Puss in Boots" Mother Goose"
'Blue Beard" Aladdin" Little Red Riding
hood" Beauty aud the Beast" and others The
ISSUE consists of thirty two pages and is rich in
story and illustration.
The Christmas number of the Decorator and
Furnisher is handsome publication. Several
handsome designs of interior aud exterior decor
atoms are given in this issue, besides the usual
number Of minor illustrations accompanying the
various papers. Some useful directions are
given concerning the furnishing of country
houses, art events, framing pictures, hanging
curtains, etc, making the magazine valuable to
the keeper az we'll as to the builder of q resi-
dence. Published at 80 and 80 East Fourteenth
street, New York.
Messrs. l.. Prang g Co.. of Boston, have
! issued their annual series of Christmas and New
Years cards The usual variety of designs is
presented and the work of reproduction and
mounting has been done with more than custom
ary display of taste and delicacy of manipulation.
| The prize cards are by artists well known as
G. D. Weldon. Will H. Low, Thomas Moran and
Fred Delman, and there is bewldering dis
| play of minor designs, suited to the most diversi-
| fed shades of sentiment.
! Vick's Monthly is devoted to the interests of
| the amateur florist and gardener, and also con-
tans much in regard to the plant world that Is
attractive to the general reader The magazine
improves with each number.
The constant Improvement in Good Housekeep-
ing indicates that this magazine is no longer an
experiment.. but has found the place in the liter
airy and domestic world which it came to fill.
Published at Holyoke, Mass.
Daoyhood, edited by Marion Hariano, Is puo-
hshed for the use of young mothers, and, as the
name indicates. makes the care and treatment
OF infants its speciality. The December issue,
which is the first number of its second year. con-
Ains quantity of timely Christmas suggestions
as TO what to buy for baby.
Harper & Brothers have added to their Handy
Series: Christmas Angel" by B. L. Farjeon,
n Illustrated and "Half-way" an Anglo French
romance. To the Franklin Square Library;
Self or Bearer" novel by Walter Besant.
Among the publications on architecture room
must be made for "Shoppells Modern Houses, /"
handsome and elaborate quarterly. published
Oy the Cooperative Building plan Association
NO, "A Beekman street New York. Price, ST..