Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-24
Gbe 9ap Spy: aaoster, GbusOap Nluing august a. 1871

+. w. EVANS, 1.-THE Shaker elder, who is
native of England, is in London, where, it is
said, he has made a sensation as sort of curl
osity Justin Mccarthy gives in recent letter
to New York paper, the following account OF
Mr. Evans appearance at st. Georges Hall:
al went there rather late expecting to find
plenty of sitting room anywhere. 1t was
bright, beautiful, glowing cvening-One of the
only genuine summer evenings we have had
this dreary year-and the hour was seven.
LOndoneTS in society" ought, at such an hour,
to he almost thinking OF their dinner; London
ers not in society ought to be having their tea.
| faucied that not many would be tempted TO
spend two hours in dingy, gloomy hall, listen
ing 10 Elder Frederick Evans But found the
hall crowdcd-crammed in every part, | won
der if Elder Frederick could, by any possibility,
get such an audience in New York! Hepworth
Dixon presided, and introduced Mr. Evans.
Hcpworth Dixon was supremacy patronizing,
dignifcd, mcllihuous and grand. He seemed
particularly anxious TO clear himself of all re-
spOnsibilities for Evans and his doctrines, and to
make it understood that he only introduced the
elder as a sort of natural curiosity. His air of
proud humility was quite artistic. Thackeray
once mentioned to friend that he had just met
Hepworth Dixon. The friend asked some ques'
tions about the meeting. "Wcll," replied
Ihackeray, with his tone and force of infinite
expression and inimitable humor he was kind
to me-"
''AIr. Dixon, the otter night was kind to Elder
Evans, to the meeting, to the American CONT
nent generally. Frederick Evans speech was
long, rambling, homely, genuine; shining here
and there with odd humor and the eoquence of
earnest, forcible expression. 1t was sometimes
almost thrilling; sometimes very tiresOmc.
Occasionally the speaker seemed to abandon the
thread of his discourse altogether, and, as Sam
Slick says, "run off into rave." Then he
would suddenly seize the subject again, and rat
tie it about the ears of the audience, who had
almost forgotten it, and were surprised to find it
itself once more. Sometimes he seemed Il mere
mystic; occasionally he almost descended to the
level of a buffoOn. Often, indeed, he made the
ladies drop their aStonished eyes and cover with
their fans their reddening cheeks at the scrip
tural badness of his illusions to certain sub
iectS aud the scrptural plainness of the lam
guage in which he discussed them.
He was often applauded, sometimes Kissed.
He was frequently laughed with and sometimes
laughed at. He had undoubtedly many sympa-
thizers in the audience; but the vast majority
were merely curious Londoners in search of
sensation. You probably know Frederick
Evans appearance-the tall, ungainly figure,
the iron-gray hair, the hard, shrewd British
ycoman kind OF face, reminded one of Tenny-
sons Northern Farmer" Evans, you are of
course aware, is an Euglishman-the lOhg-skirt-
ed, semi clerical surtout. The whole figure
seemed curiouSly out of place, whimsical and
interesting. 1t was worthy of note that all his
hits at state churches and state paid clergy told
admirably, and were received with loud applause,
and that his panegyric Of communism called
forth very vehement, though not widely spread
demonstration of enthusiasm.
Had the address been half an hour shorter, it
would have been decided success Even as it
was, | should call it successful, regarding it
from lhe Literary Lyceum point OF view. That
is to say, think it excited curiosity, amused
and puzzled those who heard it, set people talk
ing, and would probably secure for Elder Evans
other audiences, if he desired to have them. As
to the theological doctrines and the peculiar
habits of the Shakers, Mr. Evans said very lit
tie, and the audience, l fancy, cared still less
The people went to hear an eccentric speech by
an anglo-American Chief of an eccentric set, and
think they were not disappointed. There was
an attempt made at discussion, but Mr.. Dixon
calmly suppressed it, and so we all came away"