The Indianapolis journal., 1904-06-04
WITH BOOKS AND WRITERS.

WITH BOOKS AND WRITERS.
The impression Booth Harrington gets of
the Pope, as indicated by his essay in the
June Harpers, is that his Holiness is an
Uncle Bill, Jackson sort of man. Only In
dianapols readers can know precisely what
he means 10y this alluson. but as they re-
call the benevolent aspect of that amiaple
old gentleman they will be able to share the
impression.
1t is not really necessary that a man high
in public service should have a talent for
literature. but lovers of literature are like
ly. nevertheless. to feel proud that a man
who, as head Of the State Department, has
served his country in distinguished way.
can produce such an exquisite sonnet as
his "Deathless Death" in the June Cen
tury. 1t is rsot only tribute 70 the mem
ory and famo of the soldier dead, but the
sigh OF the Torld-weary man or years 1or
vanished youth.
j. j. Bell author of "Wee McGreegor
and terAdventures of Wee McGreegor.'
is said to be a silent thoughtful, sad-eyed
man. who speaks very rarely. Possibly re-
morse is preying upon him.
Life unkindly observes Of the novel
called II: In Which Woman Tells the
Truth About Herself" that 1--WE are in
cined to believe. since 1t is evident from
the text that a woman did not write the
story, and quite certain that no man coulu
have written it. that the author is Edward
Box
Indianapolis writer's are we'll represented
in the June magazines-Meredith Nicholson
in the Atlantic, Booth Harrington and
Louise Closer Hale in Harper. James
ton and Jesse w. Weik in the Century, and
James Whitcomb Riley in the Reader.
If Madame Sarah Bernhardt really wrote
the Memoirs now being published by the
Strand Magazine, and did not delegate the
work to a professional writer, then the
world has to consider that in gaining
great actress it lost writer who might
have been equally great The Memoirs
certainly make good reading, even In
glimpses of the character of a remarkable
woman.
In Leslie's Weekly are some verses by
William Page Carter entitled, 1.-The Brave
Little Man." one stanza of which reads:
All torn. but sweet. is the old straw hat,
AS II hangs on the rack in the hall.
There's mud from home on two little shoes
Where he played on the hills last fall;
There's dust the kite and the little stick horse
Stands still as ever he can,
Listening. perhaps. in the corner there
For the voice of the brave little man.
OF course, the editors of Leslie's Weekly
never read Eugene Fields Little Boy
Blue" hut ii is not so certain that Mr..
William Page Carter had never seen that
poem, the last lines OF which run thus:
Ay faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand.
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of little hand,
The smile of little face.
And they wonder. waiting these long years
through.
In the dust of that little chair.
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there!
When a man writes a good thing some
other man is pretty sure to rise and assert
that il was not original with the one who
brought it o'the attention of the world.
but that he himself wrote it, One Dr.
Nicola Gigiiotti, an Italian author. charges
the late John j. Ingalls, with having pla-
giarized the poem Opportunity from one
of his own. Mr.. ingalls,. not being able to
answer for himself, Mrs. ingalls, could only
say that her husband did not read Italian
and, so far as she knew. never saw or heard
of Gigliotti's poem. Now friend writes
to Mrs. ingalls, that the senator read "Op-
portunity" TO him several years before the
Italian claims TO have produced his version
This ought to settle the matter but prob
It is rather a pathetic picture Herbert
Spencer presented of himself in a letter to
e friend in 1856 and reproduced in his "Au-
photography"
''You are doubtless perfectly right in at
tributing my present state TO an exclusively
intellectual life" he wrote, land in pre-
scribing exercise of the affections as the
best remedy. No one is more thoroughly
convinced than l am that bachelorhood is
an unnatural and very injurious state. Ever
since was boy (when ! was unfortunate
In having no brothers or sisters) / have
been longing to have my affections called
out. have been in the habit of consider
ing myself but half alive, and have often
said that I hoped TO begin TO live some
day. But my wandering, unsettled life,
my unattractive manners towards those in
whom / feel no interest, my habit of argu-
ing and of offending opponents by disre-
spectful style of treating them, have oeen
so many difficulties in my way
+ +
Mr. ]. NJ. Bowles formerly of this city.
where he published the beautiful magazine
Modern Art, is now living in New York.
His name and that of his wife, Janet Payne
Bowles, are frequently seen in the lists of
contributors TO periodicals. In the May
number of the Worlds Work Mr. Bowles
writes on the work Of the Home Gardening
Association of Cleveland. o. In the May
issue of the Craftsman Mrs. Bowles writes
of artistic dress for children.
The first mission of the drama is to en-
tertain. says Joseph jefferson. The chief
purpose of the novel is to entertain, says
Mr.. Howels jefferson and Hcwells do
their part but, oh, how far most of the
drama and fiction of the day fall short Of
fulfilling their mission!