The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
Second Of the Series of Most Remark.
able entertainments Ever Given
in Indianapolis.
RECEIPTS WILL EXCEED $4,000
A BANDSAME SUM REALIZED FOR
HARRISON MONUMENT FUND.
Riley, Wallace, AIDE, Harrington, Mich
olson and Miss Stein All at Their
Best-A Reception.

Il will give one more sketch" said Mr..
Riley. who was last on the progra mme of
the Indiana authors reading at English's
last evening, "and If that doesn't remove
the audience we will fumigate the hall"
Then. with as much vigor as If he had
not. at the a.udience's demand, recited for
more than twenty minutes already, he en-
tered upon his caricature entitled THE
Peanut" He described an old-style Hoosier
schOoiroom. and straightway the audience
became the class and Mr.. Riley was the
visiting pedagogical expert introducing to
the children OF the wilderness the new
object lesson" method Of teaching. Over
whelmed with his Importance. the expert
rambled through an explanation of the
new method. with many expansive ges-
lures, springing upon his toes. smiling
vaguely on the blessed pupils in front of
him. He produced a peanut from his
pocket and began a delineation of its prop
critics and origin. but more obvious was
the fact that the children saw before them
one Of the most marvellous instructors that
the world had produced.
At Mr.. Riley's first appearance the audi
ence kept up it's applause so long that he
retired and then again walked on the stage.
kin and the Folders in the Shock" IAN
Old Sweetheart of Mine" and a character
sketch from. as the poet said. the interior
OF the jungle of Indiana" called THE Tree
Toad" The audience laughed continuously
through two of these bits, and was very
still through An Old Sweetheart of Mine"
as audiences regularly are when Mr.. Riley
reads his own poems and sketches. Thus
successfully the two evenings of readings
by native authors closed and if the audi
ences were delighted the committee in
charge was not Jess pleased, for the Harri-
son monument fund will be increased some
thing more than $500 by the receipts of the
entertainments.
GENERAL WALLACE FIRST.
Senator Fairbanks opened last evenings
series of readings by introducing Gen. Lew
Wallace. who, the senator, said was life
long friend of the great man whose mem
DRY was honored on this occasion. General
Wallace read a chapter from his novel,
"Ben-Hur the chapter in which the hero
of the story meets bearer of the news of
the coming of Christ. The older and wiser
man explains 10 Ben-Hur the purpose of
Christ. tnat he is TO be savior OF souls
rather than an emperor of men. and that he
heralds an immortality that the simplest
man can feel Is fitting TO his vague aspira-
tons. At the close of the conversation Ben
Hur begins to understand the approaching
revolution in religious thought. The chap
ter is a simple exposition of Christian
philosophy, and il especially had seemed,
General Wallace said, 10 please persons re-
IigiOusly inclined.
Meredith Nicholson followed General
Wallace. He read a number of his poems.
The first was '-The Bugle." and the writer,
before reciting it, described a military
scene that had given him the idea OF the
poem. OF far different character and of
fine composition were "A Debutante' and
shadow Lines" Mr. Nicholson closed
wit IN of mo- urff W no
was living in sight of the Rocky noun
tains- These Were Psalms in the Noun
tains." "A Shadow of the Rockies" and
a Prayer of the Hill Country"
George AIDE, the modern Aesop, as Sen
atOr Fairbanks had called him, began his
part OF the entertainment with the
nouncement that in contrast to the offer
ings of those that preceded him, what he
would read was not cOuched in the En-
glish language and was not fiction. He
read sketch OF a veteran OF the real
war who has just seen in the morning
newspaper that the veterans of the Span
ish-American war are 10 celebrate the an
niverSary of the battle of San Juan Hill.
The old man eXclaims that this would
make Sherman turn over in his grave. II
the survivors of the civil war were TO cele-
brate every .'pOpgun skirmish like that
a san JOon' they would have 10 hold a
celebration every day. Forty years ago
heroes were shipped home by the carloads,
and most Of them went right on through TO
embalmed beef" says the old man. we q
have been mighty glad TO get IT embalmed,
petrified any way.
Mr. AIDE also read two of his fables in
slang''-the one about 1.-THE night the men
came to the wOmen's club and the one
about THE preacher who flew his kite
The members of the wOmens club learn
that Milton had trouble with his eyes and
that Byron was not all that he should have
been. 10 say the least The moral OF The
preacher who flew his kite Is Give the
people what they think they want. These
fables are too of the most popular OF Mr.
AIDES large collection, and he read them
clearly and sOberly.
MISS STEIN AND MIR. HARRINGTON.
Miss Evaleen Stein read one of her longer
poems. I'm Mission Garden-San
Gabriel and. responding to hearty en-
core. "A snort and graceful poem, entitled
s.The Home Fields" She recited with more
dramatic skill than did any of the other
writer's except Mr.. Riley and she i'm
D. ed the audience with the admirable
acy OF her verses.
n Harrington followed Miss Stein
snd preceded Mr.. Riley. Mr.. Harrington
read a short story. Dance Music" written
several years before he came into promi-
nence as the author of The Gentleman
from Indiana Dance Music tells. in
humorous style. of a bachelor that falls
victim 10 moonlight. music and maid after
he has warned his younger companions
AGAINST the peril so apparent on every
hand The story has the vivacity by the
possession OF which MI. Harrington
longer tales have found high favor.
In the middle of the programme string
orchestra of thirty instruments, under the
direction of Hugh McGibeny, played the
TscnaikOwsky and andante cantaoile lnat
I-rf5sv- evenings audience heard and also
a pinuet by Boccherini. The orchestra
vas not. as had been stated, taken from
49, TndfanapOIis symphony Orchestra 1t
US comuOsed Of individual players who
volunteered their services. as the writers
and Mr. McCibeny did. for the Harrison
monument fund The opportunity LOT re-
bsarsaI was very slight. but the musicians
1-ere skillfuI and Mr. McGibeny directed
fben spiritedly through the TschaikoWsky
maze of beautiful melody
~ TnirersifN Club.