The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-21


Miss Anna Nicholas has written "An Idyl
of the wabash and nine other short stories
and the Bowen-Merrill Company has print
ed them and bound them together
Since Edward Everett Hale produced that
perfect specimen, "a Man Without a Coun-
try" the short story has touched. if not al
ways adorned, every school known to fic-
ton. The realist. the idealist, the roman
ticist each in turn, and often, has shown
what he can do on a six-inch canvas. Nor
has he ever been deferred by the sweep of
the horizon, the completely of the social
conditions or the intensity of the human
passions. Out of it all has come much good
work. And to-day the short story has a
fixed place In the literary armament, is ac-
cepted seriously and is judged in accord
ance with the established code of criticism.
The stories of Miss Nicholas belong to the
domestic school She has set down the
'''short and simple annals of the poor" Yet
not SO simple; either, for she has shown
that into the narrow lives of everyday men
and women come love and hope and disap-
pointment and the final tragedy. The char
acters, the properties and the stage settings
are for the most part commonplace, cheap
and unpcturesque. But such characters in
the book as Abner Hale, Miss Callsta and
evident in every line an interest in them so
genuine, so appreciative and so sympathetic
that the reader catches the enthusiasm and
loses sight of the unlovely environment and
the featureless landscape. In fact, it seems
to me that the authors kindly interest in
the doings of her simple, commonplace peo-
pie, heroes on whom the lime-light never
shines, is the high note in these ten stories.
Between the covers of this book, which, by
the way, are from drawings by Miss Eva
leen Stein, there is battle, murder and sud
den death, even as sudden as by hanging.
There are many shadows on theascreen in
sanity, jealousy, poverty and the like, but
through it all there is no pessimstic moan,
no sense of hopelessness. The way of the
transgressor is shown to be as hard as ever
but MISS Nicholas liohfS II nm with a gep
tie out genuine humor and scatters plenty
of good cheer as she goes.
The charm of the book lies not in the
stories but in the telling of them, and /
will not mar them by giving you the
viewers usual condensation. Indiana forms
the background for most of the stories, and
the now famous HooSier dialect is used with
gratifying moderation. THE Solution of
Text" Is told by "Aunty Smith, the African
dame, who represents that domestic insti-
tuition known our girl " and is mighty
well told at that. l feel that l can give you
the solution" without spelling the story.
''Aftah while, when de proclamation set
de cuAed people free, de family bruck up,
an went up to Louievile for to get wash
in an fnin'. Dab / met Mistah Smith at
pra'r meetin'. He were pow'ful in pra'r, an
he seem struck with my ,,pearance. q had
de second pra'r meetin he tole me he'd
had a hebenly vision which sayed / was to
be his second pahtnah, Co'se | couldn't
OATS why rs now Mrs. Smith.
"Whatll do in hebben wild so many hus-
bans? 1 won't hab but one, bless de Lawd,
~ LAT he he 6ab
he'll be so tuck up wild de harps an de
banjos dat he won't think OBJ muffin else
an Mistah Smith can joy hisself wild dat
fust wife.
''III hab CAESAR an I'll hab Rosy, an
We'll hab little mansion with a passion
vine an roses roun de do; an Wen be
happy for ebber an ebber Glory! Glory!"
And so Aunty settles, to her own satisfac-
ton problem that has made many
theologian sit up late into the night and
then take it to bed with him unanswered.
Il shan't call 'em Disciples" shifted Miss
Callista, Jest as if they were as good as
the Twelve, an l shan't call 'em Christians.
The idear! Jest as if they had a patent on
the name. They don't like to be called
Campbellites, but. shall call 'em Camp
human being can believe in the docterns of
that church does beat me-"
Miss Callista Rogers, late of Vermont,
but now of Honeyport, Ind. made the fore
going remark shortly after she came TO
Hoosierdom to be the central figure in IAN
through she has hard time to decide be-
tween the Presbyterian minister who has
been willed to her by his dear departed and
the much-despised Campbellite. 1t is a
pretty race. with close finish. 1 hope the
best man won.
Miss Nicholas, I fancy did not try to
write purpose stories, nor to preach SER
mons, vet there is something helpful q
don't like to use that wOrd) to be had out
of most of these sketches. 1.-THE Quickening
of a Soul shows up in sorry light the
failures and hypocrisies of the emotional re-
vival, as conducted by the boy evangelist
And "A Farmhouse Drama" pictures the
awful misery that may come from divorce
and marriage after. Now ! can see no
happiness while we both live. ] am like a
murderer, Father Alleni But my punish
ment has come The Lord does not wait
until the hereafter" This is a delicataA sub
ject, delcately handled. But to my mind
the best work in this unpretentious collec-
ton is IAN Itinerant Pair" and 7 am sorry
that IT was not made the titular story. You
cannot read ii without a warming OF the
heart and a hurting in the throat. IT is an
essay and story combined An essay on
cheerfulness and resignation. and the story
of the sweet and gentle lives of the Lords
servant in the Methodist vineyard" old and
OF the old school. and Of his wife. Who
can help but love her when she says in
49, II, ~ hor xyfr fax,tNa