The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-08
CURRENT PERIODICALS.

An interesting symposium on the question
of why the Confederacy failed appears in
the Century, the opinions being those of a
number OF general officers of both armies.
The Bookman for February contains the
first of series of biogra phical studies of
American boOkmen, Washington Irving
properly taking the lead. The subject of
the March paper will be j. Fenimore
Cooper.
The little pocket magazine issued by the
Frederick A. Stokes Company continues to
furnish a variety of good short stories. The
names of Blanche Willis Howard. S. r..
Crockett s. Barring Gould and Ruth Nc
Emery Stuart appear in the list of con-
trlbuJors tor FeDruary-a list which is its
own recommendation.
A Study of the American Liquor Laws
is paper in the February Atlantic that
will attract attention 1t gives brief sum-
mary of the legislation on the subject in
eight States. and the conclusions based on
the workings OF the statutes i'm force.
Among other contributions. one on Village
Improvement Societies is of general in
tereSt.
Making literary material of their own
most intimate personal experiences is so
common a thing among authors nowadays
that it eXcites little attention. nevertheless
when writer in the Century draws a COM
parison between the death of a pet squirrel
and that of his little the most cailouS
reader must wonder at the editorial judy
ment which finds such a passage unobjec-
tionable
The Bookman has a standing notice at
the head of its editorial page to the effect
that it will not return rejected manuscripts,
even though postage be inclosed by the
senders. Naturally ii is not likely to be
greatly troubled by accumulate of unso-
licited contributions, and its plan might
serve as mint to other magazines which
complain every now and then Of the burden
of unavailable literature which inconsider-
ate producers unload upon them.
The fourth number of the kindergarten
Monthly is just from the press and has its
usual interesting features. Mr. Meredith
Nicholson writes Of An Island Mission
ary;" Mr.. Allen Hendricks humorously on
Natures Deficiencies" Mrs. Anna Mavity
has story, The Commonplace Member. y
Miss Harriet Jacobs an interesting article
on University Extension" Mrs. Harriet
Newell Lodge a short sketch and poem,
also poem entitled AN Old Girl"
Joseph jefferson. the actor, is also an
artist, and is greatly interested in the re-
vival of an old-time method of picture-mak-
ing-painting upon copper from which a
single print Is taken on paper. IN the Feb
ruary Century there is an article by Will
liam A. Coffin on these ''Monotypes." Among
the monotypes reproduced in the article IS
one by jefferson himself. the original of
which is in the Players Club In New York
another shows him at work in his studio.
Gunton's Magazine of American Econom-
les and Political Science discusses in the
February number such topics as Practical
versus Metaphysical Economics" Decline
OF Cobdenisrn." Indictment of Organized
Charities" American Standard of Living,
THE Indianapolis Monetary Conference -
The Convict Labor Problem The discus
Sions are clear, concise and able. IT IS pub
lished by the Political Science Publishing
Company, Union Square. New York, at
81 year.
y striking portrait of Walt Whitman
forms the frontispiece of Scribner's Book
Buyer and is followed by a review of two
new books on Whitman An interesting
sketch of Phil May. the illustrator Of
Punch. with reproductions of Z. number OF
drawings. is also given. \ chapter Of read
able literary notes and gossip. and signed
reviews of new books by such writers as
w. Gable, give this little magazine about
literature a distinctive character il has
lacked until recently.
The critical estimate of John Jay Chap
man in the Atlantic OF Emerson Sixty
Years After" is sympathetic and apprecia-
tive and fair but is by no means the in
discriminatory euloSistic utterance that the
public has come to expect in studies of this
| American sage by Americans. Ii is close
| and careful analysis of work and character.
however. which will meet the approval OF
| many who have perhaps not Ventured 10
| formulate their own ideas OF this man OF
| genius, but find them expressed clearly
| here. The criticism is a fine piece OF liter
airy work
The North American Review gives its
| first pages to an article ON The Powers
of the French President" by our minister
| 10 Spain, in which ii Is shown that that
/ official hasn positive powers whatever
| Medical F0perts and the Homicide" by
DR.. Henry Smith Williams. Is not conapli-