The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-03


| civil war by the late Charles A. Dana are
J continued and form very interesting fea-
ture.
President Potter, of the new Cosmopoli-
tan Magazine University" removed his
| residence to Irvington, N. Y, in the latter
part Of October and at once entered upon
the task of selecting his staff of profess
/ sors. The determination of the many de-
| tails preliminary to the actual beginning or
instruction has required time and study;
| but it is hoped to have all arrangements
| complete and the entire staff at work be-
fore the close of the month of December
Professor Cornilrs portrayal of the His
tory of the People of Israel reaches in the
December Open Court the interesting period
of Jewish history included between the re-
| turn from the Babylonian captivity and the
| outbreak of the rebellion of the Maccabees.
| This is one of the most significant epochS
| Of religious history: In the same number
| DR.. Paul Carus writes GU THE Christian
Conception of Death" His article is &C
| companied by numerous illustrations from
| early Christian sarcophagi, from the mon
uments Of the Catacombs and from me-
! diaeval cathedral frescoes and ornamental
| tions.
| I. Zangwill contributes a remarkable
| piece of literature to the Atlantic Monthly.
1t is based upon the last hours and death
| bed of the poet Heine, and processes to give
a conversation between the dying man and
friend. For a purely imaginary tale it
| ticle is said to be only a chapter of
| book he is to produce. Talking OF his prof.
| ect to an interviewer, Mr.. Zangwil lately
| said: Il am giving q character sketch or
| Heine, which l find rather difficult. If
| give his portrait in his own words-and even
that requires great literary skil-well, then,
/ have no opportunity of showing myself;
but If | give picture in my own words II
will be incomplete. You see my difficulties
When Mr.. b. o. Flower left the Arena he
went to Chicago and started a magazine
called the New Time Great success is
claimed by it's publishers, who announce
that it will begin the new year with
circulation Of $4,000 1t has many charac-
teristics Of the old Arena, giving place to
writers who advocate all sorts of so-called
reforms and supporters of s.: ange theories:
Just now it is engaged in attacking Carroll
D. WrightS labor statistics, asserting That
he has deliberately misrepresented tacts,
and that there is no actual basis for the
In the December number Justice Walter
Clark, of the Supreme Court of North car
DINA, contributes an article entitled III
Christ Should Come to Earth To-Day VINO
Would Receive Him and Who Would CRU
city Him."
The fiction of the December Atlantic con-
sists Of short story by Henry b. Fuller
and the serials by f. Hopkinson Smith and
Kate Douglas Wiggin. The technical de-
tails of building lighthouse would hardly
| seem to belong to the field of fiction, but
Mr. Smith makes them so decidedly inter-
esting that the love affairs of the person
| ages engaged in the work fade into COM
parative insignificance. 1t is misfortune
| for a writer to establish a reputation for
wit, since few can live up to it constantly.
| Kate Douglas Wigg1n has a sprlghtly,
| pleasing style and sense OF humOr tnat
| often makes her books like GASES in the
waste of gloomy fiction, but in Penelopes
| Progress" there is Il perceptible stralning
after wit that leaves a painful impression
upon the reader
The Atlantic Monthly has always been
noted for the fine quality of its essays. Just
now literature as an art is the favorite
| theme of these writer's. One of its phases
was treated last month in a notable way
by James Lane Allen. He is followed in
the December number by Paul Leicester
Ford on 1.-THE American Historical Novel"
Mr. Ford has done some excellent historical
work in the form of fiction and otherwise,
and his opinion therefore may be considered
of value. Nevertheless, he makes one state
ment likely to be disputed Speaking of
Cooper's Misunderstanding tales he says:
But, as a fact, they are not more truly
historical than the early works or Bret
Harte and it is a safe. assertion to make
that if the day ever comes when his stories
of California are no longer held to be the
classics of the West, they Will stu De read
as pictures of the upbuilding of the sierra
States or as historical novels. Califor-
mans have for some time been FESTIVE under
the assumption that Bret Harte $ tales are
true TO life They admit their interest ana
fascination. but contend that they represent
only possible individuals ana not gensidl
conditions of society even III the edlly AlS-
tory of the State.
An article in the December Atlantic on
the question of whether state universities
are goddess is likely to attract consider
able attention. Before President Anger, OF
the University of Michigan, was appointed
minister to Turkey he invited the presl-
dents of all the state universities to CO.
operate with him in the taking of re
lgious census of these institutions. The
results of the investigation are set forth
by Prof. f. w. Kelsey, also OF Michigan
University. His conclusion is that they are
not irreligious, that the faculties are made
uD of men of high moral character, reVer-
ent and earnest even when not formally
connected with Christian churches. Thetr
influence is stimulating to Christian lie.
1t is not their part to teach religion, now
ever, and if there is any lack in this direc-
ton on the part of students, Professor kel-
sey holds that the churches, and not the
universities, are at fault The churches,
says he, have d duty toward the state
universities. This duty grows out or the
duty OF the churches as guardians OF the
highest interests of society. Do not Chris
tian people pay taxes? Even if 1t were
granted that the state universities have an
irreligiouS atmosphere, to whom should we
look to change it? Should the churches APP
proach the state universities IN spirit OF
criticism, or with deep feeling OF re-
sponsibility and a willingness to cooperate
in the promotion of the supreme interests
of youths At the very least, it is reason
able to ask that the religious bodies see to
it that men of marked spiritual and intel
lectual power be placed in the pulplts OF
University towns. But in more than one
university town churches fail to keep their
footing not because of an unfavorable en-
Vronment, but because the work is left in
charge of men who are not equal to it,"