The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-12-28

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rooms, and 1t each end other flights Of
stairs which lead into the large audience
room, entering at the sides Of the stage.
The audience room is about sixty feet
square, and contains eight hundred
chairs. The Gallery extends sround
the sides and is capable Of seating two
hundred persons. The stage is twenty
five feet deep, and has adjoining dress
ing rooms. and splt ndid drop-curtain.
There Is q room above the stage which
is intended as q banquet room. The
painting 10 of . line order. The sntire
cost of the building is about SIC, 600.
The first use of the new Hall was for
EXHIBITION ss ssaAt.
by the Progressive Lyceum, on last
Thursday evening. The programme Of
the occasion began by beautiful tab
leau,entitled Bouquet Of FIowers,' COM
posed Of a pyramid Of young ladies tast-
lily dressed, and decorated with Tow
ers.
Master George Green. gave the salu-
tatory address, in fair manner, and was
followed by MIR. Warren Harris, in .
song. The piano solo by Miss Nellie
Brafett, eyinced~ musicsl talent of
high order. The next performance was
gymnastics by q group OF girls and
boys, dressed in handsome costumes
Their drill was most perfect, and being
eScored by the audience, they appeared
second time, and went through addi.
tional feats. The second tableau follow
ed their performance, aud consisted Of
the same children, arranged in two pic
turesque groups.
The second part of the evenings en-
tertainment was commenced with the
reoitatios Of Truth in Parenthesis,' by
little Jennie Upton. Excellentfy dSlIe
for one SO young. Misses Anna May.
and Nora Lupton sang Duet. The
third tableau was one Of most beautiful
effect, representing guardian angel
wstehing over sleeping infant. Instru
mental music on the organ and flute, by
Messrs Harris and Parks, was next on
the programme. The last performance
was q grand Spandogatta March. by
twenty young ladies, and concluding in
q tableau representing band Of angels.
Altogether this exhibition was one Of
best ever given in this city. III rs ssT
On Saturday evening, the 25,h inst,
the dsdicatory
LECTURE BIT WILLIAM DENTON
Was given. A large audience assembled
at an early hour. Mr.. Harris Gang q
poem perpolti to come fro m the spirit
Of Edgar A. Poe, through the medium
Of Miss Lizzie Doten. Mr. Denton read
an original poem, and spoke substantial
~ as follows: 9gb9 AZ {seg
We greatly ,surpass the ancienta. We
excel in every department Of science.
Old ideas of the world and it's creation
are gone forever. The little fat world
made six thousand years ago by the
Hebrew Jehovah in Eve days, has van
ished in its place we have the revolv-
ing globe performing its mighty circuit
through space. The stars made one
afternoon to assist the moon in ruling
the night, have disappeared, and in
their stead are numberless suns Of other
solar systems. So have the heavens
expended before our view. Astronomy.
Physiology. Geology, etc. have been
born in the last 1000 years New arts |
are con inually coming into existence. |
TIE few sciences of the ancieuts have |
been enlarged q thousand fold. We |!
have better heads. better brains and !
better minds than our foiefathers We
have better country, better govern /
ment, better schools. Why should We
not have a better religion2
Why should We creep back like . |
crab-why see forever through dead |
mems eyes? Why ia the mighty pres |
ent not be as far advanced in reli gion |
as in science. The same law of prog |
ress should apply to both.
There WIS time when the savage /
people worshipped the snake and croco- !,
die. These were the Orthodox OF their |
day. Finally q hereto dared to ridi-
Guile their system. Here said he ia |
the sun; giving us warmth and light, |
let US worship it. So they discarded |
their Shiny gods and worshipped the |
sun, and the race had made an advance. |
Religious sentiment grew among the /
Egyptians, and at last the time came |
when men could say. Worship the .Crea-
tor. and the world advanced to jude /
ISM An advance i: vas,- though it vet
remained Q bigoted and sometimes bru-
tai religion. But not alva ys could that
religion be palmed On man. In the pro-
cess of time, Jesus of Nazareth took !
another step-credit to him as q reform
er and man who gave better religion,
and opened the way to the glory in |
which We now live. But did he fathom |
it all? are we to walk forever in his |
footsteps? can no one ever overs.ep
him. Christianity is no finality,-we |
can 60 beyond it as far as it is beyond |
Judaism.