The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-03
PERIODICALS.

Captain Kings stories can be relied on to
have plenty of movement. adventure and
romance. with the additional certainty of
ending well" Rays Recruit" the COM
plete novel i'm the April Lippincott. is no ex-
young gentlemen of education and culture
who In a moment OF encouragement and
financial emit arraSSment enliSts as a private
in the regular army and speedily finGs him.
self in deeper troubles. That he energies
with flying colors after a series of more or
less exciting and unexpected events need
not be said. How ii is done is what creates
the interest of the story. and should not be
disclosed except as the reader turns the
pages
A sketch by Cosmo Monkhouse of Will
liam CUTLER RICHARDSON, r. ~, and his
work, beautifully illustrated with reproduc-
tions from his pictures. is a feature of the
April Scribner. Ar entertaining and in
structive article is that by Lewis Morris Id
dings on the art of travel as related to
ocean crossings. The pictorial features of
Scribner are OF the highest order and win
~tragtive of these Illustrations are c. ID. Glib
sons drawings of London types and scenes.
The frontispiece in this number is a repro
duction of William Holes "Dr. Jekyll and
Mr.. HYDE Two admirable out-of-door
papers are by Henry Van Dyke and Charles
ID. Lanier. a short story by Robert Cham
bers is readable, though 1t Is not one OF the
authors best.
Richard Harding Davis is making what
Miss Glider. of the Critic. might call a
rafting good story of mis- Soldiers of
Fortune" in Scritner's Magazine. 1t has
all the ingredients of a popular taie-lively
adventure, love. beauty. ~gallantry. wealth
galore and manly worth. with the prospect
that all will be so adjusted that love and
merit will win and at least one pair of
lovers be happy ever after. The authors
first novel is likely 10 be a success. Mr..
w. ID. Howells'S STORY OF a Play is too
realistic to be agreeable This novelist's
imagination is not one that lifts his readers
up. but has. on the contrary. the peculiar
quality of depressing them even when the
subject is treated lightly and semi-humor-
ousiy. The ideal side of life evidently does
not present itself TO him. and with all the
and keenness Of insight he cannot repro
duce that which he does not see. 1t would
be well to a k what he offers and enjoy
it for the charm il has. but 1t is the very
perfection of what is given that creates a
vague disappointment over his limitations.
In the Bookman is a temperate and we'll
considered review of Mr.. Cleyelands pub
lie career. by Harry Thurston Peck, who is.
if the Journal is not mistaken, a college
professor as we'll as a magazine writer. The
article is the more noteworthy from the
fact that in such a place and from such a
source it is not wholly eulogistic. the tend
ency of literary gentlemen and theoretical
statesmen being to shower Mr.. Cleveland
with undiscriminating praise. Mr.. Peck
holds that the American President is not
placed in office primarily to illustrate the
higher ethical virtues, but to do things; so
that his success or his failure depends al
most entirely upon the manner in which
these objects are accomplished. 1t is, no
doubt" he adds, "a.hard saying that in the
statesman purity of motive, integrity of
rnA nnA fhA 49, no a annxF1nTfnn a ~
not enough TO confer enduring fame; yet
this Is emphatically true. and history shows
that merely negative results ana excellent
intentions can give no rank comparable
with that which he attains who with wis
dom, calmness and that higher strength
which does not buster, onquers a COM
plete success and leaves u mark upon the
record of supreme achievement Judged;
then, by such a test as this, ii Is very hard
to see nov Mr.. Cleveland can ever find a
place lin the foremost line, OF American
statesmen" He goes on 20 show that, with
all his tenacity of opinion and stubbornness
of character. Mr.. Clevelands successes
party leader. and tina he carried through
none of the great measures he advocated
The revival of the fashion of filling wall
space with decorative pictures leads Serb
ner's Magazine to make the very good point
that if public buildings are to be
thus treated it should only be done UNI
der a harmonious general plan in each case.
Many mural paintings it says. "consid-
cred separately have been very satisfacto-
ry, but considered as a part of a whole they
have often failed in conformity and har-
mony. This has resulted almost entirely
from lack of a systematic plan covering the
whole building to be decorated. In place of
general supervision there has been individ-
ual license Nothing but praise has yet
been heard of the decorative work in the
RnGfnn Pnhltc ihrnrV and thR Congress
sional Library. but the wonder must nave
arisen in more than one mind as TO whether
there was a general direction and system in
each building. 1t appears not. says
Scribner: The work of Mr.. Sargent. Mr..
Abbey and Mr.. Puvis de Chavannes are
not in the same room of the Boston Public
Library, but are there many good reasons
why they should be in the same building?
y library is not a picture gallery. and a
representation of all styles OF art Is not
a necessity in it's decoration. Whispers
at Washington that some OF the pictures
not only swear at each other, but at the
building generally. What else could be eX-
pected? Many men of many minds were
allowed TO work In many styles. Evidently
a well-ordered system was lacking. " >
in a proper manner, a scheme of form,
light and color. planned and con-
trolled from cellar 10 roof by
some one person, would seem absolutely
necessary. And the scheme once estab-
should be painted to hit into it like cubes
into a mosaic. Let Mr.. A.. who paints
sage green's. or Mr.. b. who does an ar
ranGement in red. or Mr.. G. who affects
the prismatic, conform 10 the scheme, or
artist never yet suffered by architectural or
decorative restrictions. Indeed, his best