The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
mination Of a series of impressions far less
complimentary, far less charitable

mination OF series of impressions far less
complimentary far less charitable.
INFORMAL, BUT COURTEOUS.
There is the utmost informality among
the attendants at this meeting, in matters
of dress as well as of social comminglng.
The man who dresses well and keeps on
at it is looked upon with almost as much
suspicion as he would be at a Populst con-
vention. and the one who comes downstairs
at 1870 a. m, rubbing his eyes with one
hand and carrying collar cravat and shoes
in the other, is at once regarded as a char
ter member There is the greatest possible
freedom of discussion on any and all top
les outside of the range of the literary
works-or alleged literary works-of those
present, and the warmest words are occa-
sionaliy heard, yet ever in good nature and
with strict adherence TO the laws OF true,
underlying, inbred courtesy. one of the
most interesting of these Veranda debates
was that between James Whitcomb Riley
and Kathryn Staley. early IN the week A
young Indiana writer VINO would readlly
admit that he gives promise OF success was wa.
advised by Miss Staley to go to New York
Don't you do it! Don't you do 1t! Never
do It. Stay where you are until you grow
out of it. and then keep on staying there -
Yes" protested Miss staley, land make,
say, S15 TO SIS per week.
what if you do?" promptly replied
Riley. Il would rather have SIS a week in
TO the young writer in question, you'd die
at thirty years old, and when you did you
would fan dead running for a Terry boat
For you'd live twenty-five miles from the
ferry-you'd have to; they wouldn't let you
live anywhere else. Why, you can go miles
and miles through the best part OF me
city of New York and never once see a
little johnny-jump-up of baby face. IL
"oh, now" said Miss staley. I lived or
- street, New York and had really,
truly little kitchen, had dog and cat
and a window garden. Really L did!
Yes, but" began Riley.
Where was that-in hatE put IN W.
P. Fishback.
Yes" replied the lady;
oh yes" said the Hoosier poet, with
sarcasm. ''in fiat! When die, if l can't
get accommodated in heaven right away,
l want to be put into fiat. You want 70
live where YOU. can hear bird whistle
once in awhile; where you can see the grass
and the trees and be with the children
Stay in the West, young man, ana you II De
sensible, and Mr.. Riley went IN 10 dlnneT.
Mr. Riley and Ben S. Parker were talk
ing one afternoon about the tendencies OF
editors who handle poetry and nave not
within themselves the poetical spirit and
instincts. 1t developed. in course OF the
conversation, that an Eastern PubllSshIln[ ms
firm has recently edited an edluol, OF NJ
Riley's dialect poems. taking out the qua
lect, carefully turning his yellCf lht0
yellow" and making other very p]ous ana
Bostonian metamorphoses; ~ coutSe' me tIig
poet is comiCaly disguised with II all, ana
PHILOSOPHERS over it with his drou sarcasm
Young f. Allison, of Louisville, was one
of the UNIQUE figures of the meeting. his
talents are very marked. He is a rare wit,
a deep thinker clear logical writer and
taker. He was much sought by the lau%
members of the association, on account OF
his very companionable qualities ana also
for his somewhat marked eccentrlcltleS. IN
his paper defending The Vice or mover
Reading he spoke of those persons o
whom perception is a cerebral agony
and said that if novel reading were indeed
a vice the question invountarily resolved
itself into that OF helPs capacity Tor hold-
ing the whole intelligent portion of the hu-
man race His was, by general verdict, the
best paper of the meeting.
Another very distinguished young person
who is a general faVorite now and forever
with the association. is Miss Lucy >. FUR
man. of Evansville-she of the stories OF
a Sanctified Town" If ever there existed a
sweet-faced sweet-souled, grown-up enid
of nature it is she. She is still a wide
eyed obserVant unconscious, unassumlnS
child as natural as a flower. She cannot ne
spoiled by any amount of petting ana Wor-
ship of the literary world. She ana MISS
Birdie Blye, with her sweet music We're
two of the most attractive tgures or the
meeting.
RILEY AND BURDETTE.
On Tuesday Riley wired Burdette at Bryn
Mawr Pa to come at once to Warsaw.
Burdette started at once accompanied by
his grown-up son, Robert j. jr On
Wednesday Mr.. Riley received telegram
from Burdette saying that he would be
there that evening. Eagerly did Mr.. Riley
meet the train from the East at Eagle
Lake Station, but no Burdette. Just as his
disappointment had grown greatest, and
just as the train was pulling out for War
saw, the poet saw the funny mans head
protruding from window of the train. Mr.
Riley went back to the hotel disappointed
bitterly.
I'm a hoodoo," he said, sadly; I'm
hoodoo If l hadn't gone TO that train Bob
would have got off all right. I'm hoodoo
1 tell you"
And when the dummy train back from
Warsaw brought the humorist and his son.
a short time later, Mr.. Riley met them on
the hillside some distance from the station
"r didn't want to hoodoo you again, he
explained, after the effusive greetings were
well" piped Burdette you see. I was
prepared to get off at Eagle Lake II l saw
you. But just as l stuck my mead out 10
look for you / got a four-pound clnder IN
each eye and couldn't even see the lake. -
Both men appeared at their very best in
the entertainment on THURSDAY evening
and in the banquet on Friday evening.
To conclude The combined. persistent
and lasting impression resulting from
first visit to this association in its home
is that of really good hotel, the W1nona;
a pretty lake, some agreeable people and
some intensely otherwise the humor of
Will Cumback; the universal alteration Of
Riley; the Stiffness of some Of the new and
some of the old members as EVIDENCED IN
the porch chatter and some of the many
forms of toadyism and literary tiirting
the admirable discretion of the minority
the devotion of a few persons to the well
fare of the neutrality-suspicious. Mr.
Cottman and Miss J. NJ. Brooks, of Madi-
son; the laugh of the latter, but last and
best of all, the human kindness of every
body that manifested itself in a thousand
kindly little ways that would appeal to any
newcomer who had as much gratitude as
hornet
The leading and picturesque figures
of The association, besides those named,
are Mr. E. +. Edwards, of Wiscon-
sim Coates Kinney W. P. Fishback, the
sweet-voiced Evaleen Stein, Eugene F.
Ware of Kansas, John Clark Rldpath,
James Newton Matthews and others. There
was great disappointment over the failure
of William Allen White, the What s-the-
Matter With Kansas man, to appear but
Whites stories will. perhaps, go on being
read. ). w. GILLIAN.
Richmond Ind.
Women in the Colleges.