The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-17
FOR FEMININE READERS
TALK MORE or LES PROFOUND on
BOOKS AND OTHER MATTERS.
Married People should Take Thought
for Their Unmarried frtends-
Passing of the shirtweist.

80 $50 49,
a wide and shady side porch OF a North
Meridsan-stree house the other morning
when the black-eyed girl IN the pink shirt
waist and white duck skirt arrived. She
said Good morning" tossed her hat on a
table and sat down, placing her chalr IN the
position she wanted it Will unnecessary
energy.
she seems to have something on her
mind remarked the girl in the willow
rocker. speak. sister; tell you troubles,
IT'S better for your appetite"
eyes. tell US" the others chorused.
Girls" exclaimed the new arrival,
sdoesn't IL make you mad when a man
YOU happen 10 sit by in the street car
takes the liberty OF paying your fare just
because he knows you and you spoke to
him out OF 20 iteness? He must know
that you are prepared to pay your own fare
Or you wouldn't have got on the car alone.
m the worst of II Is that he thinks he's
doing such a polite act and looks so pleased
and complacent about II that you can't say
'Siri' and give him an awful look, but just
have to protest mildly and thank him and
look like a slmpleton. Oh, 1t enrases mel
such a man is a cumberer of the ground
-or the street cars" said the girl in blue.
"But who was the wretch"
The girl whose fare had been paid had
suddenly recovered her temper. Free speech
had been good for it.
HE belongs 10 one of our best families
as the society column and obituary notices
say. But never mind his name. Long ago a
woman OF experience warned me to name
no names when / said en- uncomplimentary
thing, especially in Indianapolis. She said
the chances were that, in a company OF
five people, at least two would be related
by blood or marriage TO the person you
were talking about, and that, while they
might dislike that person as only relatives
can dislike, they would a your remarks
as a personal affrcnt- How much have you
read Of The Crisis?'"
The five girls groaned. and then looked
at each other in a surprised way at the
unanimity of the groan.
why, / supposed the rest of you would
have finished the book" said the girl with
the black eyes. II found IL dull reading.
but 1 thought it was because l hadn't the
right sort of MIND to appreciate it."
1T must be a good story. or so many
hundreds of thousands wouldn't have been
sold-isn't 1t hundreds of thousands? And
everybody you Know asks IL you've read
it and tells you it's a great book said
the fluffy blonde girl.
WELL" said the lawyers daughter. my
father says it's an excellent picture Of
the time 1t represents. and that he greatly
enjoyed reading it; but, TO tell the truth. 1
don't take much stock in my fathers
opinions Of novels. He likes the history In
The Crisis and L suppose that's what we
ought to like. since We set out to read
history, but. to my notion, it takes more
a. Il N 1901 1919 &la,, s..of aof
1t should, perhaps, be explained that these
six girls had engaged to meet twice a week
during the summer to keep up their read
ing. There had been some difficulty in
deciding just what to read. The professor,
at whose house they happened to meet the
first time. advised colonial history. and
recommended that they follow a certain
book Until some especial event attracted
them, when they could branch off and
learn more about that event. reading a
novel dealing with II, for instance.
The objection at once raised by the girls
to this plan was that they, being inveterate
novel readers. had already read. as they
declared, dozens" of colonial and revolu-
tionary novels, and were tired Of them.
Well" suggested the professor, dryly,
there Is considerable history in the West.
You might try that. You might even take
up Indiana"
But objected the girls, suppose we
get tired of the dry ~history-there are no
novels TO turn to as byways, or side lights,
or whatever you might call them"
How about Alice OF Old Vincennes?'
the professor asked. "And II you want
more flavor OF old times there Is Mrs. Cath
erwood's Story of Tonty' and Old Kas-
k~askia'-not Indiana tales literally. but
close to IL. When you come down To the
civil war-it's mighty little you girls know
about t~hat-there's hat clever tale by the
Charlottesville lady. knights in Fustian.
with It's scene laid right at home; there's
Judge Cox's picturesque story OF the Nor
ran raid, The Legionaries,' and for social
studies which are In their way historical
there are Eggleston's books describing
southern Indiana life. Then there are one
or two stories by a Mrs. Teal-I think that
Is the name-descriptive OF early life in
northern Indiana Oh. there are novels
enough. young ladies. no trouble about
that"
When the actual reading began the girls
decided that as the weather was hot and
the did not want To AXE up hard study
they would reverse the professors plan and
read the novels he mentioned first until a
line OF inquiry should be suggested thai
they could follow up In serious history
This plan worked very we'll. They had
not yet undertaken any research, but hac
read all the Indiana fiction they could find
and had finally undertaken "The Crisis a:
a book In keeping with their line OF read.
ing. To-day they had gathered to discus:
THE Crisis"~-and other things.
"For my part" said the little girl with tn,
big ~pompadour, II don't think much o.
stephen Brice. Mr.. Churchill's nero. Eek
cept when he buys the slave girl he never
does anything to justify the prominence
the author gives him and the attention
other people OF the story pay TO him
and - oh. girls. there goes DIR. jim
and his lady love. A warm morn
ing to be out pleasure riding. but / sup
pose they're so taken up with each othe
they don't think OF the temperature"
The girl with the black eyes and an am
bition 10 be literary merely gave tn,
passing couple a glance.
What 1 don't like in Mr.. Churchill.
book" she said. lis the way he patronize
Abraham Lincoln. Makes him out a grea
man. TO be sure, but seems TO take credi
20 himself. or rather 10 Stephen Brlce, 70
the discovery. And he gives the impress
sion that Lincoln was a clown I'm manners
lacking IN personal neatness. and. though
he doesn't say IL In so many words. an of