The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-19
WITH BOOKS AND WRITERS.

Senator Beveridge's book, 1.-The Russian
Advance" has reached the current Book
mans list of "Best-sellng Books" 1t is
the only serious volume on the list the
other five books representing fiction only
Now that the Indianapolis Civic Improve
ment Club is making such an effort to in
duce everybody with a front or back yard
to plant flowers in it, it may be worth
lille to call attention to a convenient
little manual entitled ..Beautifving the
Home Grounds, issued by the United
States Department of Agriculture. 1t con-
tains much practical information.
Nobody ever supposed Queen Victoria's
judgment in matters of literature and art
would be appealed to by her British
subjects. much they looked to her as a
model of domestic virtues 1t is said
that in consequence of the heading
Queen Victoria's Favorite Novelist, he,
ing prefixed to the new edition of William
Blacks novels the sale has reached 100000
A reviewer of THE Yoke" Miss Eliza
beth Millers novel having the Hebrew
exodus for its theme makes this point in
its behalf: In these days when. unfor-
tunately, the Bible is not well known. as
1t used to be. to the great majority of
people, we can readily believe that a read
ing or this story might drive people to the
Bible TO find out the source of Miss MiIler's
story; and once driven, they would con-
tinue to read it for itself" Biblical novels
are all right in their way, and THE Yoke"
Is an excellent specimen of the kind, but
have we really come to the place where
we must have novels to introduce us to the
Bible?
Mr.. Howells evidently has his doubts as
to the soundness of commonly accepted
theories of heredity. At least he causes
the family doctor in his story, 1.-The Son
of Royal Langbrith,' to make the reflec-
ton which his experience had often sug-
gested: He had SO rarely found the sor-
tow or shame of one generation carving
over from one generation to another, that
he had been shaken in some Of the most
Significant implications of heredity He
had been led TO revise his acceptances of
the whole doctrine, so far as to hold them
in a kind of suspense for further evidence.
He now saw the child of one of the most
II iserable of men so wholly inccntamnate
from his wretchedness, so blithe of face
and apparently so light of heart, that he
could not refuse to smile
A writer in the British National Review
enlarges on the benefits that may be de-
rived from the open-air cure in case of
consumption, and goes on to urge that
the scope of this cure be enlarged to in
clude other ailments. IF we follow up
this train of thought" he says. It will
occur to us that our violations of natures
laws have brought upon us many other
troubles besides consumption. and that To
most or these the simple wholesome life
OF an open.air sanatorium would be high
ly antagonistic." Precisely So. and If we
follow IL up little further reyersion IN
a &c
be inevitable If would be we'll we
must live out Of doors as our savage for
to cure our diseases to resort TO such ex-
treme measures?
No wonder Mr.. Kipling fingers in South
Africa. Some one writing from the Cape
tells this of him and his residences: AS
dare say you know. he has get house
here called The woolsack 1t is i'm the
suburbs, on the slopes Of Table mountain.
or rather DEVILS peak; and it looks over
a vide champaign of wooded country to
the blue hills far away 1t is in its
own terraced garden, edged and backed
with pines The house was left him for
life by Cecil Rhodes. Ii is modelled on the
style OF an old Dutch house, and " built
round sort of Roman atrium with We.
raLda round the inner square and round
the outside also II is tiled and paneled
beaten for chars by Mrs. Kipling And
kipling himself is the pleasantest host in
the world
He is occupying his time and doubtless
amusing himself-and others-down there
by making lively political speeches. And
the world would so much rather have hin,
write things not political.
Time was when literary fellers" were
given positions in the United States con-
sular service as a sort of reward of merit
and not because of their especial fitness
for the work. Sometimes they made public
return. as in the case OF Mr. Howells
whose Venetian Days serves as a charm
ing memorial of HIS oficiaI stay In Venice
Ofterer they do nothing in the way of it,
erary production beyond the dry statistics
OF their consular reports, and In most cases