The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23
OTHER PEOPLE AND |.

OTHER PEOPLE AND |.
Written for the Journal by Garth Grafton.
The personal column of the newspapers in
forms me that Alice Field, daughter of Cyrus
Field. is writing novel / don't know anything
about Miss Fields ability in the direction of fc-
ton. Her novel may be an immortal affair, the
glorious product OF genius that has burst the
golden letters of enervating millionairism and,
contrary to all established precedent, accom-
plshed something, in which case it is thou
sand pities that the work should be heralded by
the name of its grandpapa. There be so many
unbelievers in tho world whom it will be difficult
to convince, in the face of all merit, that Cyrus
Fields fame did not accomplish his daughters.
Which leads one to reflect upon the degenerate
character of modern fame. She, at whose
feet importunate mortals used to kneel, vainiy
imploring but an icy glance behold, her
favor may be bought and soldl Every
day she renders tribute unto Cesar,
who once exacted it. She cringes
to the ey-bags of any vulgar Midas; she
smiles upon the possessor ofan extraordinary BIZ
ceps she respects you if you are we'll enough
acquainted with any friend of hers to shoot him,
and you have won her eternal regard by running
away with his wife she is in bondage to print
ers ink, not entirely selfrcspecting fluid, as
everybody knows One instinctiyey regrets in
these DAYS of ready-made regulations the unap-
preciatve old times when the impecunious poet
waited, hat in hand, in the hall of his lordship
with a taste for letters, whose patronage and
whose funkeys snub the shabby rhymester
courted for the ''desre of fame" that burnt I'M
der his frayed great-coat Genius seems to
thrive better in obscurity and upon mutton
bone than In purple and fine linen, and upon
pate de foie gras The MUSES. will not be courted
by electric light 1t makes them feel odfash-
0v>d and yNtnsNY cnEh ntr Anfn
with. They prefer devotion and a farthing dip.
I am hoping that some poet not too we'll fed
nor too extensively advertised will ponder over
that buglers last goodnight to the great GEN.
eral until the notes make such glorious echo
in his soul that presently he will interpret all
their beautiful sadness to a world that feels
it, but dumbly, not being vouchsafed utterance Of
the inspiration that may glow sometimes in very
common clay. The last goodnight" that rang
so often across the still darkness of tented
fields, goodnight to which there might be no
good-morrow; a goodnight from one to ALL now
from all to one-the noblest one, the bravest
and the best! There, as he lay for the last time
in the sunlit world, amid the warm beauty and
strength and hope of throbbing human life, be-
fore they shut him in with darkness. and silence,
and loneliness and cold, once more the old
familiar notes. 'goodnght"-a long good
mig tw And they fell on the dull ear and passed,
l. listening
trees and thrilled in the heart of tho world. The
pathos of it.
The Overland Monthly has discovered new
and profitable industry, or rather evolved one
out of what has hitherto been task unrewarded
even by anybody's gratitude Edtorsin-chief
we all know, and managing editors we have
some acquaintance with, but advisory editors,
what are they9 AS an advisory chair will soon be
part of the furniture of every sanctnm, according
to the Overland, 1t might be in the interest of the
public to disseminate that journals ideas. He
is to take entire charge of that department of
modern Journalism known alas, to many of us
as the waste basket. The would be contributors
whose inspirations unavailable" may, by
incosing a consideration, receive by return
mail not only his MS. we'll thumbed and de-
lected looking, but essay upon the cause Of
its rejection and the writer's literary prospects.
Are you nurturing the insane idea that letters
will maintain you in aff1uence9 Repair unto the
advisory editor. Propitiate him with a pro-
pitiation of greenbacks and you will probably
hear that the world is waiting for you, but they
have great deal of that kind of thing on hand
at present, so he must reluctantly compel it to
wait little longer He may even punctuate
that kind of thing for you and correct the
spelling, if it be so that there two figures on
the face of your Precipitation And he will no
doubt be pleased to hear from you again on the
same terms. Yes, there is great field for the
advisory e01Cor, an lneXnauStlOle neiQ, Tor
thousands Of human beings come into the
world every year with dormant predilec-
ton toward literature which will stand
good deal of pecuniary pruning before IL dies on
account of its location. The first magazine that
starts an advisory editor need not depend on its
circulation for a living. Editorial inhumanity
will also pass away and be forgotten, and not q
scribe, be henever so facetous will dare to revile
spring poetry Consideration is certainly a
marketable quality. All hail to the advisory
editor.
In the literary connection, have you hap
pened to Across the Chasml' I wouldn't
advise you to make any particular effort to do
so, if you haven't, unless you happen to be a
young man in need of few rather elementary
lessons in etiquette. Even in that case think it
would be better to invest in one of the numerous
little books that treat exclusively of the subject
They are somewhat unreliable in places, l
believe but you get more information for your
money, and about telling one what not to do
they are usually to be depended upon. And it
is generally in overexeruion that the society
novice comes to grief According to Across the
Chasm." the department of manners has been
much neglected by the recent constructors of
fiction TIE young lady, a Southerner who
bridges the ''chasm' by marrying Northerner,
selects him solely because, of her three suitors
who pay assduous and rather monotonous court
relieved only by exceptional gaucheries all
through the volume, he is the best behaved
The Yankee who won her repented of his mis-
deeds and was forgiven and accepted. How are
the chivalrous heroes and uncalculating herones
and thrilling plots of the story telling age de-
partedl 1t is time to mourn them when we get
a judicial young person calmly reviewing the
merits and dement's of her respective adorers
by the cold light of decorum. and demanding
immaculate cuffs of the man of her choice. An
episode in connection with the soup, an exciting
scene over visiting card in German type, a
climax when the offender puts his knife in his
mouth! Introduced into certain Western col
leges under the title of Manners Made Easy
the little volume might justify its existence, but
it is hardly fair to impose it upon the public as
novel, even q summer novel
The Hurry Of Life.
Mrs. Liyermore