New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-10
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
KATE FIELD AT STEINWAY HALL

KATE FIELD Al SIElNWA1 HALL.
Miss Kate Field appeared at Steinway Hall,
Hast evening and, in happily devised aud smoothly
written narrative described her personal experiences in
the Adirondack woods The occasion uncOmnony
agreeable and was enjoyed by alarge audonce-n which
the intellect culture. and fashion Of the city were wen
represented. Miss Field has but recently adopted the
lecturers vocation. Her brlNancy Of mnd however.
and her soft, gentle, refined yet pquant manner ..
delivery have already gained for hera hgh
rank
Her first discourse delivered here last season. assere"
womau's right 20 appear in the Lyceum, and cOgehuy
and cleycrly discussed aud dspeed divers conventions"
objections 70 woman as public speaker her soc0nu
lecture lent a peculiar emphasis TO TINS Simple anu
sensible doctrine. It thoroughly good piece vi
work in substance no less than expression; and
woman who can speak thus has the best possible justin
ea,,o for speaking II her listeners gained nothing
Iswlcb vas not the case. for the lecture sparkled
with humor and loving observation OF nature-they
must a least, have drawn valuable moral from the
success OF this pleasing eOrt for they must nave re-
fcctcd that all persons whether women, ought
freely aud fully labor in whatsoever useful and honor
able pursuits are open before them. II all the women
speakers OF the wOmanly, and at the same
time IA individual and characteristic as Miss Fleld
neither their number their loquacity wonld ever
prove distressing.
was notable among other facts that the speaker had
somethngt say Miss Field passed considerable portion
hills drinking IN their beauty with the heart no less than
the eyes aud what she thus experienced she has repro
duced in tins narrative IL seemed peculiarly fit that
gentle womau-whosc nature is simple, whose tempera-
mont IS poetic and whose mind IS unWOrn and unfaded-
should thus descaut woods and mountains, rocks and
streams and the ovelues and mystery of the wilderness
Subject and speaker in complete accord, and the
effect OF the work kindred with that Of musical
and mauy-cOOred pastoral poem. Miss Field pecu-
harry fortunate in her choice Of this subject since the
choice grew out Of her own life. All good works OF ART
tins way The true poems OF nature are written
not by men like Thomson, who used TO stay IN BED I'LL
noon. and who scarcely knew one flower from another
Notwithstanding 1.-THE Seasons, but by men ike Mat
thew Arnold who as you may in "Thyrss" live In
intimate fellowship with leaves and grasses the fragrant
EARTH the moods Of and cloud the music of flowing
brooks, and the loneliness Of the stars Miss Field has
happily found her Inspiration at this fountanhead In
her treatment of the subject too she has been equally
fortunate. fine OF symmetry and just percep-
ton Of dramatic effect percepuble the arrange
of incidents, the Of color, and the distribution
OF light and shade. This deserves particular mention,
merit So does the sincerity Of the work, which
impressed the deeply because it is so seldom met
with in any direction With Miss Fields vvacty Of style
our readers have had frequent occasion to become IA
mar. 1t is vvacity compounded of keen yet kindly
satire and lively fancy and it found ample scope, last
night the lecturers "reminiscences OF the minor mis-
eres campe and in her sketches Of characters en-
cOunteFed in the woods Several Of the latter were com
ically eccentric, and were favored with the shrewd
serse and dry humor which prominent and so pc.
cuar in the pnmeyal American man. In depicting
these Miss Field brought into play lively faculty OF
imitation and here and elsewhere she employed great
many fectes Of humorous phrase We should add that
portions of her lecture especially rich in delicate
pOetcal SMILES. Another Of IFS charms was its sympa'
thy with hearty wholesome ideas of vng-these ideas
being in instance tedously expanded and enforced
but many instances quietly and tersely suggested To
the feminine portion Of her audiences Miss Fields expe-
rence must possess positive fascination Many wo-
man. we dare day, hearing how this one Jared In the
woods will wish to initiate her brave and spirited exam
pie. Happy If such wishes be fulfilled! for woman in
the family would be finer and nobler being for having
been woman in the forest Miss Fields discourse closed
with touching mention Of her visit TO John Browns
grave in the Adirondack country and tender tribute to
his memory.