JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY 397 artist. Wave upon wave of applause followed his recitation of a dialect poem — a character sketch in verse — and late as it was encores were demanded. Newspapers next morning gave him much praise and his fame was firmly established in the literary and artistic world. He continued to appear in platform work for ten years or more, part of the time in company with * * Bill ' * Nye, but chief- ly alone. He was very successful, always drawing big houses, but the life was distasteful to him. He disliked to travel, and as soon as his finances permitted he withdrew from the plat- form and for the past ten years or more has appeared only on special occasions, usually in Indianapolis. In outward incident his life has been uneventful. He made one trip abroad — a short visit to England years ago — and has seldom left IndianapoUs save for brief journeys since his professional tours ended. He never married, but a pleasant home in the household of the widow of a Civil War veteran, a lady of much culture and refinement, and a host of friends of all ages and conditions keep him from loneliness. His life to the onlooker seems an ideal one for a literary man, with full honors and recognition bestowed upon him while yet living, respected and loved by the people among whom he lives, adored by children, his writings cherished by people everywhere, he goes his way serenely, with a hopeful outlook on this life and the next. For what Mr. Riley has spoken in his writings is an expres- sion of his real self. The humor, the optimism, the tender sentiment, the sympathetic appreciation of all human experi- ences, the wise and kindly philosophy, the faith in eternal goodness, that characterize his printed utterances are signifi- cant of the man as he is best known. High-minded, sweet- souled, with an insight into the hearts of his fellow men that has enabled him to meet them in all their moods, he has gone his way through life bringing smiles and cheer and comfort to a multitude whom he has never known, as well as to those of his immediate circle, because he has spoken from his heart
