The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-15
CITY INTFLLIG BNUB
IFor Additional Local lsms sec FiJb T,gs

MUSIC-LeCture on "P6ctNtur PeOBle One of
the fullest houses of the season greeted Mr. John
B. Cough, at the Academy OF Music, last evening.
on the occasion OF the delivery OF his lecture
under the auspices of the Young Mems Christian
Association, upon Peculiar People, Mr..
Cough was introduced by Mr. George W. Fddy
and was welcomed and greeted throughout his
address by hearty applause. IL is almost need.
less to say that the lecture was replete with
humor and pathos, intermingled with true
artistic skill, and swayed the vast audience from
tie boisterous appreciation of the most gro.
tesque delineation OF human nature, through
the kindly, delicate touch OF genial humor to the
saddenlng picturings OF suffering and degrade.
ton. Mr.. Cough sad:-
In whatel er direction we turn we meet ami.
NAL life. Earth, air, and water are replete with
living organisms, and TEEN with evidences of
Vltalty' But no two leaves, no two animals, no
two shells on the sea-shore are alike. And men
are most peculiarly distinct from each other.
Every ones experience teaches them this. The
faces have universal form, and so the hearts
have universal capacity. Still many strikingly
differing shades of character are apprecable by
all. He did not intend to speak in sweeping
condemnation oil individual peculiarlties; but he
trusted to be able to portray some characters-
Tics that would do more thau merely amuse the
audience. Take the words lady and gentleman,
and see how differing are their opinions of it.
An advertisement OF a waXwork exhibition said
that no lady or gentleman would be admitted in
state OF intoXlcation. And another exhibition
OF the lighting OF one hundred rats said none but
gentlemen would be admitted. Coleridge and
George ~ were called gentlemen but those who
debased themselves by drunkenness we're not
gentlemen. Wealth cannot purchase the name
man may be the possessor of millions and be
weak, mean, desplcabe, miserable screw. The
hlt hest nobility may be typi6ed by the poor
English letter-carrier, who tOuchingly told him
he was accustomed, whenever he saw the cheek
OF the maid-servant to tern pale at the sight of
black sealed letter, to take off his hat in silent
sympathy. Society is made up of individuals
and though one were to shut his eyes, 10 fold
his arms, and to keep silence yet he exerts an
influence by his very position. We have heard
said, what pity that man has so many queer
peculiaritles. But some are advanced as much
by their Deculiarties as their companions are
cast behind by theirs. Some have the happy
genial popularity of casting a light, Joyous
atmosphere around them, so that all are bright
ened and refreshed by their presence; while
others, bearish and intolerable, are what they
call rank spoken persons who have the most
uDenvable peculiarly of making every one
most intensely dissatisfied. There was an old
story, but good one, that q literary man told
about friend whom he had invited to join him
IN writing literary work. "What," said his
friend, how can horse and an ass work to.
getherW What do you mean? Why do you
insult me by calling me horse ?" responded the
writer to his grum friend. Some have the queer
popularity OF not appreciating Joke like the
man who heard Joke at 81 and laughed at it
at ~. Some have no music in their souls; they
only know two tunes, and do not like any
others. Some are inveterate grumblers. As
the old woman said to her neighbor, "Ah, she
may think she will get to Heaven, but when she
gets there guess she won't find the things to sut
her" In striking contrast to this was the
story OF the old woman who was tossed about in
most umbled-up condition; and who replied
to the conductor asking if she was hurt, and
telling her that they had had a collision and
Killed haltdozen men, "Why,, sir, thought
that was always the way in which you stopped
the carsW Oh this is a glorious world Ii is
most happy privilege to live in it and 10 work
IN II. Let man do his work Tor himself, for
humanity, and Tor his God. Let man be true to
himself and to his God, and he may brave
every calamity and live down every enemy
Let man conquer hmselt-that is his great
est enemy and that is the greatest fight he has
10 60. Coming in the cars from the West, he
noticed little child who was suffering with
slight cough. A big, sympathizing man stepped
up to the mother and said, Marin, what's the
matter with the little oneW II fear she has the
Group, sir" ''Dear me, and she is Just the age
TO die OF the Group" responded the queer con-
soler Queer things are peculiarities. Witness
the man who when he had swum across half the
river turned and swan back again because he
was afraid he could not swim across. And the
old lady who, learning that the bridge she had
Just crossed was a very dangerous one to pass
over cried out, Dear me !" and Immediately
drove back again. There was an old school
the father OF Zebedee's children" Nobody
knew. "Who Is the father of John Smith,"
"Mr. Smith," squeaked out a childish voice.
well, then, who is the father of Zebcdee's
chidren?" 'Mr Smith," squeaked back the
voice. Then comes the Photographic mama.
Some one has been presented with a book,
an album, and thereupon assaults every
one, begging for a photograph; for the
victims to spend quarter piece to be put,
perhaps, between the fat boy and Tom Thumb.
Now, q little coincidence for you to hear,
whether you think it one or not. 1t is lust
tWenty-three years ago tonight that / made nv
first speech on temperance. Then the mania
was for mesmersm. Afterwards ii was for
having the bumps felt, and every one inquired,
"Have you had your head eXamined?n At last
one poor man was caught, and answered, mo,
never since my mother used to examine it,"
Next came spirItrapping, following after all the
other isms. most perpleXng and tiring pecu.
harity s that manifested by those unconscious
bores who intrude themselves so incessantly
upon their acquaintances and strangers alike.
All! how intensified are those bores when one
Is suffering from a severe attack of sea sickness,
prostrat'ng AL ones energies and desire of life,
and they persist in their intrusive offers of food
or dlsagreeable questions. 1t is proper to Joke
right TO Joke, good to joke. Man Is the only
animal VINO can laugh, and we all feel we can
trust man who can laugh a loud hearty laugh
But those terrible, persistent iokers who laugh at
everything, are taxing to human patience
These lokers are apt TO TAIL INTO irreverence 1t
is In reverence to laugh and rear away the false
decoration and sophistries which some have
thrown about religion: but TO Joke at the HOLY
Scriptures, TO twist and turn the lessons and
text of that Holy Bible to tests and scorn. is
wlckedness and impiety. No one has right.
no one should dare to th-oT out a slur that NAV
turn brother, struggling Tor the light OF reli.
gion, away from the true path. He can only do
that by imperilling his soul. On the other side
is that whining cant that some have in talking
OF religious things; but, perhaps, that cant does
not ahect Philadelphia In talking to a Young
man OF religion do it from the heart, with love
Outglowing. Do not come TO him with the face
heightened out the corners of the mouth drawn
down, and that detestable whining voice. He