The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-04

determine the character of a periodical.
Should judgement be rendered in this case.
it would be that the editor is afflicted with
a grievance, and hopes to get revenge
through uncharitable ON other
people, nearly all the contributions ana
editorial expressions having that tendency.
The purpose of the publishers Is said to he
to give opportunity to n authors
and what the prospectus has to say con.
corning the claim of magazine editors that
writers without literary reputation. have
equal chance with others: The readers OF
the Century and the Atlantic know to their
cost that a bakers dozen writer's, who nave
made a temporary reputation. supply most
of the contributions to these magazines. A
dreary story by Henry James is succeeded
by one of Cables played-out Creole stories;
a ~well-padded novel by Crawford Is fol-
lowed by one of CraddOck's tiresOme len
nessee ~ounta stories. and, so they go on,
from month to month, year in and year out,
with pitiless monotony. Is 1T any wonder
that stories. which are published merely on
their authors name, without being read by
the editors, should cease to be read by the
subscribers to these magazines; or that the
magazines should find the number of their
readers gradually dimlnishing'"
One of the most entertaining pieces of
writing in the Atlantic for October is Ag-
mes Repplier's essay on "Fiction in the Pull
pit" The title is somewhat misleading, as
the purpose of the writer is not to IN
on clerical mendacity, but upon the
tendency of novelists to preach. She pro-
tests against the idea that a novel should
have any moral purpose. "a Non-com-
batants' War "reminiscences" by Rev. MIR.
Kendrick a Baptist minister of Georgia, Is
a contribution that excites more expecta.
tion by reason of the title than is realized
by the story told. What he tells has been
better told by combatants. Professor
Fishes historical paper treats of the Mon
mouth and Newport campaigns. In La
dies and Learning" l.. ID. Morgan traces
the progress in wOmen's education and
civilization. In 1.-THE Government and Its
Creditors" Henry LOOMS Nelson sets ont
the dishonest course of the governments in
regard to the settlement of honest claims.
1t is an unpleasant record. Other papers
are ."The Closing Scenes OF the HAD"
Theodore Dwight Woolsey.n and The
Butterflies of the Eastern United States"
An article in the October Harper that
will attract much attention is one showing
the extraordinary achievements of modern
surgery. The great advance made in this
direction within a few years will be O sur
prise TO most persons who have had no per-
sonal knowledge of the different methods
of treatment now and in the recent past.
The a~ntiseptic remedies and system of
treatment nave come into use since the
war. Several short stories form a feature
of the number, one by Edward Bellamy.
author of Looking Backward" In this
sketch he sees a number of very delightful
things with the eyes shut" and. which it
is not impossible, may come to be realities
in the course of time. A delightful char
aeter study in Yankee dialect, entitled
Sloss0n, a name new to magazine readers.
Theodore Child continues his sketches of
Russian life. giving In this installment an
account of a fair at Mimi NovgorOd.
An interesting contribution to the Oc-
tober Scribner is Joseph Thompson's ac-
count of "How 1 Crossed Masai-land." 1t
gives glimpses into an almost unknown
African region. Another bit of travel in a
country of which comparatively little is
known by the world outside is Charles
Sprague Smiths Summer in Iceland" n.
s. Shaler has an article on The Common
Roads" which might be read to advantage
by all concerned in the Improvement of the
public highways. The use of electricity in
naval and land warfare is described By w.
s; Hughes. of the navy, and John Mills. Of
the United States army. The Life of
Benvenuto Cellini," b. Edward j. Lowell,
the usual complement of fiction and poetry,
.and an essay by Donald G.. Mitchell, entitled
"A Scattering Shot at Some Ruralities,"
complete the number.
The Cosmopolitan for October contains
several contributions of a character to please
the popular taste. One is an account of
that fashionable pleasure. resort, Tuxedo
Park, another @ description of the wealthy
Women of America" and the third a dis
sertation on baseball, by A. G. Spalding.
All are illustrated from photographs. The
complete novel, by Captain King, is a West
Point romance, with a little touch of grim
war to give it Zest. Other articles are:
The Reconstruction of the French Army"
"A Great Iowa Farming Region "The
Ritual Music of the Greek Church." "Vola-
puk," and Egypt Under the Khedive."
The magazine has been considerably en-
larged, and it's mechanical features are
much improved.
The complete nover' scheme is rather
overdone in the October Lippincott, the
novel beng of such length that little room
is left for other features. The number may
be described as a novel, with a few maya
zine articles attached. The story, "CreOle
and Puritan" by L. g. DeLeOn, is rather a
lurid tale, with the conventional wicked
woman and an Innocent. prosecuted hero
inc as chief actors. After much unneces-
sary delay, virtue triumphs and vice re-
ceives due reward Among other cOntribu-
tions is a sketch of a Mississippi negro
freak" by Maurice Thompson. S. b.
Wister discusses the correspondence of
John Lothrop Motley, and Junius Henri
"a
Editors"
A story, by William Dudley Foulke about
a St. Bernard dog is a feature of the OctO.
Der st. Nicholas. among Dogs of High
Degree is the title of the opening article,
and the frOntispiece is a reproduction of a
celebrated picture, entitled THE Hounds
of the Count DeBarral." Joel Chandler
Harris contributes al amusing Uncle
Remus sketch about 1.-THE Creature with
no Claws" The stories and poems are OF
the usual merit.
Outing. for October, Is an unusually
meritorious number. and one that lovers OF
outdoor sports and recreation will appre-
ciate. 1t contains an admirably-written
article, THE Trail of the Bison" by Julian
Ralph and f.. b.. Gort0n. which is illus.
trated by Beard; From Lake Nipssing to
Ottawa by Francis H.. Gisborne; Ply.
catcher, a Tale of the Hunt Cup by Haw-
ley Smart, besides its usual review of ath-
letic sports.
The latest issue in the Johns Hopkins
series of historical and political science
studies is a pamphlet on Federal Govern
ment in Canada. by Hon. John G. Bourinot
clerk of the Canadian House of Com.
mons. 1t is an important addition to the
literature on this subject. giving, as it does
the entire system of government of that
onunfrx, IN Hafoil