The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-16
RILEY AND SHERLEY.
The Story Of Their Entertainment in Louis
vile Told by al Appreciatiye Auditor.

night. in Louisville. was the literary event
of the week. Mr.. Sherley's extended local
popularity and Mr.. Riley's literary pres
tige and national reputation as an enter
tanning reader of his own poems attracted
q cultured and enthusiastic audience. Ma
cauley's Theater. which has been on the
down grade for some time. but is
happily about to experience q rebound,
gave the two literary lions of the evening
q very shabby Suggesting. The curtain
rose to reveal an interpreted floor. o dingv
background Of dismal wallpaper panels.
four severe red and green clearinghouse
plush ~chairs-vintage of is67-such as Tho
G~rigGsbys' probably bought when pap
got his patent right and was rich as all
crestion;n q small table preoariously
perched on a small platform covered with q
palpable old curtain-ail these but coldly
furnished forth the mise en- scene-nos
even the Immemorial clearinghouse glass
of water being present to lend b%riliiancy to
the scene and moisten the thirsty imagina-
ton.
Into these unbeautifuI surroundings, at
the appointed time, appeared Douglass
Sherley with his interesting. graceful sham
Bile. and James VhitcOmb Riley, with that
eRol oAtDn ot0 oo ~
his friends. The two men were in full
evening dress. with lily OF the valley
sprays on their lapels. Mr.. Sherley looked
a tribe conscious and florid. and Mr.. Riley
perhaps q fancled shade paier than usual;
but the pallor vanished behind his genial
smile when. in q few happy phrases. he in
troduced to the Louisville audience its dis
tinRuished citizen. Douglass Sherley. The
of Mr.. Rlley's wit. and. with q character
istic little skip. he vanished into the winss-
DOUGLASS sHERLEY.
Douglass Sherley is doubtless. in q liter
airy way, the most conspicuous person in
Louisville. He Is notable also in many
other ways. At first glance he is seen to
be what Is styled a character" Beng fond
of character study himself he would. no
doubt. generously recognize his WI claim
to the Justification He is o large, WE'LL
built. squsrely-adjnsted man. with q mas
sive head and neck, dark hair, an intel
lectual brow. suggestive of femiDinity in o
way. keen and kindly eyes. q large brown
mustache. worn in curly ends like the
bean catchers" of the traditional stage
spinster. q pleasant. sensitive mouth,
with the air of a man of the world. but.
withal. q clean. temperate, perfectly correct
man of the world. He has O droll habit
of holding his head on one side and
looking Bslant through his eyeglasses.
which gives him a very unique expression.
and. without which and the tower In his
lapel. almost always q red rose, no
would hardly Le Douglass Sheriey.. Mr..
Sherley Is popular among the men, and also
much liked by the women; bis literary
work being more generally appreciated by
the latter. There Is q tine, feminine. but
not unmanly quality In his writings.
which really only women. or men with a
like feminine streak. can interpret and en-
Joy. He Is said to be q man without q
VICE. and he looks the characterization TO
perfectioD.
His att:tude with his audience ia one of
perfect Use; in fact. lie stood SO near the
fo0tlIghts aud read, in part. In such conn.,
Dental tones. that one had q queer sensa-
ton OF being anchored by a buttonhoie,
ana having Mr.. Sherley's sentimental ex-
periences poured into his or her ears.
That Is all nonsense. though" said q
man friend of Mr. Sherley's, whom j asked
whether the Russian story. "Vasss." the
beautiful woman mysteriously shot aud
dy ing In his presence, was not a bit OF the
readers own life; perfect nonsense, Doug
lass never has any exDeriences-he dreams
them"
u tell iLe.n | said. that favorite ges-
ture which he uses as he reads; that search
ing in his left vest pocket; what does that
meant"
"Oh," replied the cynical man, "he al
ways carries u dead red rose 10 his vest
pocket-a fragrant memorial of something
that never happened-and he is feeling to
see If III Is still there"
DOUGLASS is q grand fellow. though"
added the other man, but he is entirely
too genial for his own good. He has too
many intimacies with blind dogs and Door
old colored men. He is the most provoking
mnn TO start any W mere with that l ever
knew. He meets SO many distressed beings.
lady presidents Of charity clubs. school,
boys and girls. old cOlored men. impecuni-
Gus people of all Glasses, that he
is obliged To have q few moments pri 7atc
conversation wIth-has important secrets
with all of them. He Is the kind of q man
that wouldn't take part in the eamy side
OF life. but likest To see what goes on there.
lie likes 60 go down town after midnight,
and make q tour OF the saloons and hotels.
just TO see what goes on. and to give i'm.
pecunious fellows the price of nights lodg-
ing and breakfast. or see q poor. lntemper-
ate beggar eat o square meal at his expense.
He is wasting his time IN LOulsville: he 10
an exquisite letter writer. an artist In
making thumb-nsil sketches OF men and
hfe-he ought TO travel all the slime. and
could write better books in that line than
Theodore Child
Among Mr.. Sherley's many and Versatile
accomplishments Is his knowledge of ar
tIutic detaile In dress and household mat
ters generally left to women; he knows all
about art matters in house arran cement,
and can tell women what to wear and
what Dot 10 wear. A pretty girl sang
midway during the reading. and Mr.. Sher-
ley led her on with an interested air
that made me wonder whether he had not
tied her sash. pinned on her roses aud told
her how to hold her hands He 10 q bach
elor. a man of means. to whom literary
work is purely recreation, and lives in n
handsome home known as "Sherley Castle"
Here he entertains generously and royalty,
and Mr. Riley WAS his guest while in the
city. Indianapolis ought 10 hesr Mr.. Sher-
ley read. Many of his sketches are master
pieces.
JAMES RILEY.
OF "Our Jamesyn-"popular. delightful.
cultivated James Whitcomb Riley" AS the
Confessional called him-there is. nat
urally, not much that Is new to be told to
Indiana people. There was q very percept-
ible Hoosier-poet atmosphere in tho
city during the few days that
he Was there. His portrait was
In all the store windows aud his
books beaped cons icuorsly about in the
book stores, and every where were posters
announcing the entertainment. The at
mosphere surged across the broad Ohio
river on suburban trains in Indiana. so
that small po~lka-dotted newsboys cried:
Here's you Currier-Jnrn1c. All about tbe
murder and JGmes Wbiskbroom Riley"
The murder was IN Nashville. but James
Whist broom kiley" was casting q spell
over Louisville.
The two readers set each other off capi-
sally In appearance and In selections; Mr..
Riley's delicious huDior aifording tho nee
essary relief for the rather emotional trend
of Mr.. Sberley's readings. The stage man
ner OF MIR. Riley constantly improves. and
his. case with his audience casts grave
doubts uDOn tire reports concerning