The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-26 00:00:00

SII N KSPEREAN ANNIVERSARY AT
_ DUDLEY.

--.11--e,, und ,- r th s ausplc,s or the thrrica
A Shakspere commeineraCon d;uner wa3 hek
on Wednes,laY evemno•' at the Saiacen's Head
llotei, I) di v
Club. r.i'lle ..ayer (Alderinan ilo-,vat) presided, and
e:‘:h.lr':4l: gleris7t,lLla a
lailttg',t'at4x
(16(e1131TI:io.Aisgi:Itillytiow;r) °
et_r'eocu-ekini-ccijw
iolilo:all. :tahe‘V\ V.vicii--
tleiton, W. .E. Walker, I. G. Walker, T. Biliiniz,
U, U. Bretteli ; Captain Round, Lieutenant lliggs ;
awl Messrs. E. n. Warmington (Town Clerk), xi.
S.
•Alien, Ballenden, Asinnead, W. Greenhill, J.
Addison, Walter Smith. James Whiehouse, S. Mills,
S. Waring, W. It Hayword, Edward Perks, Pion.
hound, W.
insou, and R. Whitehorn. The "Souvenir, as
"
T. Tra, is, F. Westwood, George Wilk-
usual, bore, a Shakspereati motto to each item.
.‘fter the loyal tJasts had been duly honoured,
Alderman W,dnwrighi gave ' our KiL;sf.dk."
Tne, Mayer responded fur theitiBi i.'o: rites,ntounacnidl,
Alderinaa ueerge Bagota; for tile n
Captain Round Linn Lieuteuttnt Higo for the Army
an Navy atiti Volunteers.
Mr. W. Howard Baker prop.ised the toast of the
evening—" I:he Luntor.a: Memory of William
sitakvere." After speaking of the veisatility of
Shakspere's genius, the speaker glanced at the
iaanwsz• in which previous cel brants had tmehed
to i OaSt at that dinner, and chose for himself the
task of delineating how kindly,
lovingly and faith-
jetty S.:sper() had writ Leis ot womankiwi, and
Ahow by Its ~.:.rittings he had elevated her in the
secial scat,. IL had shown to lio high, honourable,
and loving eminences they could and did reach by
Iv
their love and e.histancy under all circumstances,
even when met with ingratiiude or savngo carec-
tion. After brief sketches oi some of Shakspere's
heroines, the speaker held that by this elevation of
womankiad the pt.et had shown the sweetness of
his disp sidon, and ehat men a,ud women the weild
througn had heen
gainers. Die wise and bene.fic-nt
piset woo could ilo to much was surely the chosen
illBli inuein oi God, and his had nobly fulfilled his
trust, Shakspei.e was the laureate of wetnen. and
, taising
Lis inemoly dis‘,Lrve i the highest veneration for the
w ric he din in the
gentler sex trout the vas-
salage in w;.ieh they nave been held. His soul
was Lau cent-Med to the narrow prejudies.s of his day
wi.ich made the sister, the wife, or the mother
utmost noi,eaies, awl lii.4 writings; showed tl:tt,
men were the better ;siren they loved, honoured,
and trusted women, and when they treat, d them as
equat creatures o! God's will. Lovers i,f Shakspere
would therefore he wanting hi taith aud respect for
their bard if they did not connect hint and his
writin 0 with every noble esum2!e of female
,oura ~
faiAl, ccupiancy ant lov;;—(appiause)
"The Drama and the
sta2fr., introducedl.NeV. Greeniii,ll : " Ltera-
, 'l:ll,e,,,reiiiuillingtoabsyismwr•e.
; and the " _Dudley
tutiaren:,;',..gkicv
During t..e evening appropriate music was well
discoursed by the Lxcel.4iqr Gee Party, and toil—
tugs were effsctively dAivered by Mr. Fiala Rouud
given by
bpyrA. 13111eirinTInentgari att, .
and Mr. Map.