The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-02

have something to sleep over and to
give us intellectual caste We were
ready, even impatient, for illustrated
newspapers and illustrated magazines
when they came. If the Edinboro or
the Quarterly, when it can't get such
word pictures as a Sidney Smith, a
Macaulay, or a De Quincy could paint.
would supply the lack with pictures.
how they would tighten the dreaFy
pages of matter that is highly informa-
tive but extremely difficult to read in
the pretentious and poverty stricken
language OF Mr. Intellectual Nobody.
Here is a suggestion for the editors
in-chief Of some Of our so-ealled solid
magazines. I have in mind one which
can present an apparently almost flaw
less title to being the Oldest CT our serl-
Gus periodicals-and in its early days il
was, with brilliant relapse now and
then, a mighty serious matter 1t
never smiled if it could possibly avoid
IT, 1t was resolutely determined to con
Ney Information in a way which few
cared about. Once In a While a real
writer seems to have broken into it =
possibly the dearth of real writer's was
IN part responsibility in the main il
hadn't caught up with their vocabu-
tarles, as ex-senator Jones of Nevada
would say.
Responsibility was its chief claim to
consldera -Iespectability plus an oc-
caslonal burst of almost Apologize time
Aness or human interest. Whenever it
( became or showed signs of becoming q
magazine worthy of a human being 5
while as he sat in the lightning express
that darts us from eternity to eternity.
human beings showed their appreciation
by buying it. Usually il remained I'M
read and respectable a fit ornament for
the center table of an unused library
The following story of book selling in
the east is now going the rounds.
On, East is East, and West is West, :"
says Mr.. Kipling. This seemingly APP
plies with special force to business mat
tiers, in which Orientals have little to
learn, if the following is a fair sample
of their modus operandi:
A Mussulman is forbidden to sell a
copy of the Koran, and therefore a for
eigner who desires to purchase the sa-
cred book must proceed as follows: Go
into the book store. having on your face
as pious an expression as possible, and
to say to the proprietor:
" L shall consider myself eternally in
debted to you if you will present me
with a copy of the Koran
:. AS am a devout believer the pro-
prietor will answer. I think it my duty
to assist any unbeliever who desires 10
instruct himself in our law. Moreover,
You seem to be a serious man, and
am convinced that it is not vain curl
osity which prompts you to obtain a
copy of the Koran, but a sincere desire
to study our religion. Therefore am
willing TO make you a present of this
copy, though 1 value it highly, for I
paid a good price for it,
You Will then put the book in your
pocket. and a minute or two later the
proprietor Will say, I shall consider
myself eternaly your debtor if you viii
make me a present of -' naming q
certain sum. If you think the price too
high you may bargain with him, but
you must take care not to make the
slightest allusion to the copy of the
Koran in your pocket. for in disposing
of it the proprietor has clearly broken
the law, and it would not be good policy
for you to remind him of that fact"
Miss Louise F0rssland, author of The
Story of Sarah" and The Ship Of
Dreams has been obliged to go to New
Mexico for her health She Will remain
at least a year In the interval Of her
absence from Long Island. however.
Miss Forsslund hopes to complete a Sc
ries of short stories Of Vonstradan. the
Dutch town of her story Sarah A
Long Island village is the real Nonstra
dam, and most OF the stories are to be
true. with the eharzeterS easily Fecog-
nizable by those who 41nesv the Dutch
settlements of that seetion Of New York
state.
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