The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-21

Gods love is limitless.
These lines were written by James Whit
comb Riley of another poet, but they are
strikingly applicable TO his own work. For.
If ever was one whose song is always
of good cheer, it is Mr.. Riley. From the
beginning he has, through instinct or de-
liberate purpose, the insight of genius
what matters it?-avoided the rock Of
melancholy over which so many poets come
tc wreck, and has steadily upheld the
gospel of hope and courage and joy. Heed
less readers, recalling the gayety of much
of his dialect verse, and the queer conceits
OF expression put into the mouths of mis-
quaint rural characters, might be likely
to say that humor, keen and irrepressible,
is his most noticeable Characteristic The
humor is there, truly, but those who know
his work best see In It, first, the evidences
Of a quality at once less and more than mere
mirth or jollity--a persistent and inspiring
optimism. He has written voluminously, but
through all his books cheerfulness is the
prevailing note, and the morbid and hope
lessly gloomy thought is sought for in vain.
Even his pathos, in the expression of which
he is such a master, has undercurrent
of hope IT is safe TO say that this element
of cheer has had quite much to do with
making this poets popularity as the clev-
erness and accuracy of his dialect, the
LONELINESS of his themes or the simplicity
of their treatment. The wholesome phios-
ophy is not less manifest in his latest vol
ume, Home Folks" just issued, than in
its predecessors. Curiously enough, the
proem gives a glimpse into his mental
methods-the manner in which the cheerful
thoughts are coined by the alchemy of his
mind. There is more than suggestion in
1t that joyous words not always upper
most, but are sometimes born of sadly
meditative moods In this proem he is evil
IDENTIFY addressing his old friends in the
neighborhood of his boyhood haunts:
You home folks: Aid your grateful guest
Bear with his bordering, wandering
ways;
wtcr fdIezsske e. 5stslest
Being a dreamer OF the days.
Humor his silent, absent moods
His restless quests along the shores
OF the old creek, wound through the
woods.
Yea, bear with him little space
His heart must shoulder on a while
Ere yet it flames out in his face
wholly fearless smile.
There are many fearless smiles in this
volume, and some where the smiles are
| close to tears. Again, in the opening poem,
| this time, he addresses "home folks di-
rectly. He greets them in homely phrase
and sounds their praises, and in conclu-
| sion says:
oh. home folks! You're the best Of all
AT ranges this terestchul ball
But, North. er South er East, er West,
It's home is where you're at your best.
It's home-its home your faces shine
In-nunder your own fig and vine.
Your family and your neghbors bout
Ye, and the latchstring hangin' out.
| Home folks-at home. | know o. one
Old Teller now at amt got none.
Invite him-he may hold back some
| But you invite him, and he'll come.
| In another place he also expresses the
| love of home:
GAS love of native land" the old man said,
'Er stars and stripes wayin' overhead,
| Err nearest kith er kin, er daily bread,
| A Hoosier's love is fer the old homestead"
! And here is cheerful Tilt:
| It's a purity good world this is, old man
It's purity good world this Isl
| For all its follies and shows and lies
| Its rainy weather, and cheeks likewise,
| And age, hard hearin' and rheumatic
| We're not faultin the Lords own plan
All things jest
| AT their best
| It's a purity good world. old man!
Here is stanza from MY Dancin'
! Days."
| What is il in old fiddle chimes at makes me
| ketch my breath
And ripples up my backbone till I'm tickled
| most TO death?
1 Kind o like that sweet-Sick feelin' In the
long sweep of swing
| The first YOU ever swung in, with yer first
| sweetheart, i-jingi-
| Yer first picnic-yer first ice cream-yer
first O. everything
| AT happened fore yer dancin' days wuz
| over!
| Closely allied to the cheerful spirit of Mr.
| Riley's verse-in fact, one manifestation Of
| it's the religious feeling expressed fire.
| quently. a deeply religious sentiment is so
common to the verse of this poet that it
| may be said TO lie a characteristic of his
work, and yet it is a quality so seldom
mentioned that it seems to be scarcely rec
| ogniZed. Comment recently made the
| poets of this end of the nineteenth century
| was to the effect that as class they lack
| spirituality. If confidence in divine good
ness and wisdom and a simple, childlike ac-
| ceptance of life's mysteries as problems
| which a Higher Power will solve for human
good-if these indicate spirituality, then
Mr. Riley does not come within the criticised
| category Expressions OF such faith, to-
gether with utterances showing sympathy
| with frail and suffering humanity distin-
guish his verse to a remarkable degree, at
all events. and speak the truest religion
This for an example;
Forget not that no fellow-being yet
| May fall so low but love may. lift his head !;
| Even the cheek OF shame with tears is wet
If something good be said.
And so I charge We. by the thorny crown,
| And by the cross on which the Savior
bled,
| And your own souls hope of fair reaown
Let something good be said,
Here is this from the Hymn Exultant,'
for Easter:
Son of Mankind. He wakes-He lives once
more,
o soul with heart and voice
/ Sing! Sing. The stones rolls chorus from
the door
| Our Lord stands forth-Rejoice,
Rejoice o garden-land Of song and flowers
Our King returns TO Us, forever ours,
1t is seldom that his religious faith is
given such formal expression as the fore
going; commonly 1t Is merely incidental
utterance. and thus the more impressive.