The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-16

MR.. EDWARD EGGLEsToN, who has re-
Gently takcn MP bis residence at Madison,
Ind. has gone there, it is said. for the pur-
pose Of rewriting the "Hoosier School.
master" and will remain near the scene
until the work Is In satisfactory shape.
Just what purpose he has in rewriting this
story 10 not known. but If he wishes to
make it acceptable to HO0s,er readers 1t
will be necessary for him to make radical
changes In 1t aud to reconstruct some of
the characters entirely. The book had q
great run when first Issued, nut It's p0pu.
larity was greater outside of Indiana than
within the State. Whether purposely or
not. Mt. Eggleston made the mistake of
holding Hoosiers up to ridicule-a mis-
take. at least. so far as local
approval of his work was concerned.
His old friends and neighbors who served
as models for the personages of his tale
felt thai they were caricatured, and, natur-
ally. resented the fact. Others who had
not the misfortune to come under the
range of his observation obiec cd to tho
story because it gave to the outs de world
the impression that q Hoosler. /, therwise
known as q native Indianian. az. as q
rule, a grotesque. illiterate person, with the
merest rudiments of culture and little Ca
pacity for more. They held that this was q
wrong impression and that tho State was
misropresented. That the writer was him.
self Q native made tho otfense greater.
They did not object to honest and
accurate portraiture. James Whitcomb
Riley has since proved this by taking
the same uncouth. u~neducated sons
of the soil and with gentle humor
picturlng their faults and virtues with q
fidelity that brought instant recognition
and rs quick delight to all Indianians.
Under his hands they lost mono of their
oddities. but they were also left with the
kindliness. the shrewdness and the Iovable
traits they really possess, and that make
them q credit to the State they live In
rather than q cause for ridicule. Probably
Mr.. Eggleston did not mean to draw q very
different picture from this, but unfor-
tunately he did SO. and it will require
sklliful revision to amend the fault.
Miss SADIE MEANS, q telephone girl. was
expelled from the Second Presley terrain
Church at Charleston, s. c.. because she
worked on Sunday. She appealed to tho
presbytery and thas body sustained the
action of the church. and now she proposes
to carry the case to the synod. The action
of the church savors strongly of bigotry.
Ii is not pleasant to have to work on Sun
day, and no doubt IL is particularly un-
pleasant to church members. but circum.
stances may make it so clearly necessary
that 1t ceases to be sinful. Answering tele-
phone Gala ia M mora n violatton of the
second commandment than sending telc.
phone messages Is. and we presume the
strictcst church member docs not hesitate
to do that when occasion requires. AZ
modern society Is constituted 1t is abso-
lutely necessary that many kinds of work
should be done on Sunday. 1t is not the
work but the spirit in which 1t 10 done
that determines Its quality. Gaorgs Her
bert's lines suggest the trne solutions:
A servant with this clause
Makes dfudgery divine:
Who sweeps a room as for Thy laws
Makes that and tn action tine.