The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-30


There is as good loaing TO NC had in In
dianapolis as in any city in the Union. The
! PARKS are shady and cool. the shops full of
attractions, and the clubs abound in
fright, friendly folk. There is here in the
capital city to be found the last thing i'm
almost all departments of human activity.
My favorite place for an afternoon loaf
In Indianapolis is upon the benches OPP
posite the fountain in University Park.
Here are flowers, trees, blue sky and best
of all. a constant stream Of 'all sorts and
conditions OF men and women" Here come
the handsome, graceful daughters of Ham
in their shining brown skins and gay
oolors; the dandified cit in spotless linen
and correct tailoring: workingmen in toll
stained overalls and big unconquerable
hands; the quick-witted Hibernian and the
serious plodding Teuton: babies fresh from
heaven, with their bright eyes bewildered
with attempts to translate into baby Ian
guage color's wondrous robe; children mad
with Joy upon Ife's serious threshold; care
worn men and sweet. sanity women-all of
whom constitute what Sala, the novelist,
calls "The Passing Show" and 'The Com
mon Lot"
Il all ~ an A. kHAio
lugutrious us life worth living?" half Sis
ter to us marriage a failure?" Life worth
living. Why, life in all of its moods and
lenses is divine. In these passing throngs
the image of God" AS the great poet
priest says:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy.
Shades Of The prison house begin TO close
Upon the growing boy.
The youth who aaily further from the East
And hy the xfofon ap1an1fd
Is on his way attended.
At last the Man pereeives IL die away.
And fade into the light OF common day.
Why should manhood be less happy than
boyhood? The joys Of middle age-its la
borious days and n~ights-its conQuests OF
success-its wooing and w~inning-its family
and home life-its Astounding health and
growing wealth-its silvering hair and calm
old age-full of friends. love and honor
are all easy possibilities 10 every one OF
us And then nature, with her endless at
fractions. is TO be had for the asking. Now
that the heats Of summer are over, October
welcomes us with its wealth OF green and
gold; its mild sun and afternoons so long.
so bright and SO glorious" its infinitude
of leaves "reddening to their fall its
ripened harvests and orchards bending
down with red and yellow fruits, and end
less rows of corn-"armies of prosperity
against an autumn sky" What! These
things TO be seen in University Park
walled In as IL is with brick and mortar
and with the roar of the streets constantly
in our ears? Well, II this is dreaming the
reality surrounding US Is quite as good II
not far better. There is an unspeakable
charm in the activities Of a great city; In
it's jostling ~crowds-in its gay shop win
dows-fn its stately buildings-in its beau
tiful churches; in its throngs OF handsome
women-in its endless lines or exquisite
homes. What can be more picturesque than
the great presidential campaign now upon
us? Even the mud-throwing, which for
the next month Will be the chief occupation
of an army OF spellbinders, has its attrac-
tons, for no one really believes that either
Bryan or Mckinley, let alone Teddy Is
a tenth part as bad as the other side makes
them out TO be.
One of the joys of loafing is the right TO
moralize over these restless and busting
city ~throngs-so eager to get the utmost
something for the least nothing. and TO
you," and to repeat Emerson's words, so
hot, my little sirs, so hot" Suppose you
don't get IL all. Suppose your patronymic
is not in e~verybodys MOUTH Has IL never
has its joys as well as notoriety; that the
cool, easy back seats are far more COM
Portable than those upon the roost IN front
Of the electric lights and the brass band;
that to see has its delights quite equal 70
those of being seen and gaped at? Has IL
never occurred TO you. so anxious TO take
the lead. that the majority OF the great
problems OF life are settled by THE Aver
age Mang" As Garfield once said upon
a memorable occasion. 1T is not the grand
uproar of the ocean that settles heights,
bat the calm level below the storm"
And so my day OF in Indianapolis teaches
me once more the commonplace but nval-
liable lesson OF being content with such
the city better. but the best of all Is
the freedom Of Interchange and the privil-
ere Of the bucolic citizen of taking fire.
Quent days ca In his capital. Ii there n