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Title
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Minutes 19 January 1906 - Smith
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Description
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[Page 1] For the first time season the whole Club assembled at a meeting held January 19th, with Mrs. McConnell, at Dr. Smith’s. As the roll was called each lady responded with an apposite quotation from the life of one of Shakespeare’s heroines, giving if possible the scene and setting of each quotation. Mrs. W. R. Grey confessed that she had failed to procure for us our Current Events but no excuses are needed for the busy mother of five small children, especially when she undertakes cheerfully to bring “Events” for the next meeting! William Shakespeare - the very name appalls us, and his mighty shade seems hovering near to see that we do his memory full justice. We feel anew the shudder of him who stands beside his grave today at peaceful Stratford-on-Avon, and reads for the first time: ‘cursed be he who moves my bones!’ And so reverently we shall say & do only a little, revive a few memories within us, review only a few well known facts, realizing that in one short meeting we can do but little with a name and fame so great.
X X X .
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[Page 1a] X X X
Mrs. Graham kindly read for us a letter from Tudor Jenks, the author of the book of the evening, “In the Days of Shakespeare”: our author saw fit to write Mrs. McConnell a few very kind personal letter assuring her of his appreciation of our interest in him and his work, and recommending some books of reference to us as a Club. In closing, Mr. Jenks says that as for his own personal himself, feeling he never closes a perusal play of Shakespeare without again experiencing the old wonder as to how such a man could write such plays. This is significant, as coming from an earnest student of Shakespeare.
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[Page 2] Mrs. Harrison gave us a short account of the customs and usages of the Elizabethan period, the condition of London at this time, the general ignorance and superstition that then prevailed, ending with a description of the growth and levels present of the English Drama and its outcome, the English Theatre. Mrs. Dupuy gave us a true sketch of Shakespeare the man, dwelling regretfully upon the fact that there is so little that is truly noble in that life, so much that was carnal and human. Alas for the shattered idols that lie along our path-way when once we begin to study the biographies of great men! In that great mass of debris lie him we knew in childhood’s fancy as the pure faced Goethe, him of the noble sentiments & high sounding maxims. Sweet singers such as Byron Shelby, too are there; Robert Burns, George Eliot, Chopin, Liszt, and even do we catch a glimpse of a woman’s solid garment as we recognize George Eliot’s stern sweet face among the numbers of our broken ideals. To Miss Julia Holt are we indebted for a most careful and vivid analysis of Shakespeare’s women of tragedy: every word of her description was a vivid, wisely colored chosen color, used with
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[Page 3] true appreciation of bigness of her theme. Mrs. Martin gave us also an excellent talk upon the gay fantastic, and yet sometimes magnificently womanly women of the Comedies, dwelling at length upon the bold contrast here offered , as in character of Portia, born to rule, and that of Beatrice, heard in the holy seclusion of a convent, and yet both so strong when tested by life’s currents. We had a peep too at sweet Rosalind, wearing her man’s attire: bravely and strutting of over the her acting palpitating, loving heart of the most charming woman even given to us in song or story! X X X Indeed it was a pleasant hour, a fruitful hour, one that will make the contemplation of the next ephemeral novel of the day seem flat and insipid by contrast. And so, after more friendly intercourse, interspersed with the serving of good things, some of them manufactured by our hostess, ‘twas rumored, the pleasant meeting adjourned with the resolve at least in one heart to vote next year for an even larger proportion of earnest books, be they ever so old
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[Page 3a] X X X
Miss Thompson played for us a piano etude subtitled “How the moonlight sleeps,” & as her true touch caressed the soft tones, in imagination we too sat upon the silvered embankment and heard Lorenzo and the fair young Jessica whisper their stolen vows. ‘On such a night as this.’
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Subject
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Women-North Carolina-Davidson-Societies and clubs.
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Books and reading.
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Women-Societies and clubs.
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North Carolina-Davidson.
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Creator
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BookLovers Club
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Publisher
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Davidson College
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Date
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19 January 1906
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Rights
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For permission to reproduce image, contact archives@davidson.edu
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Language
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eng
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Type
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text
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Identifier
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bl-054
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Coverage
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1906
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4049696
