, 1872-12-14
The Female Suffagists Give a
"Matineo for the Benefit
Of Miss Anthony.
Lecture and Readings BY Hiss Emily
Faithful in Aid Of the Sweet
Idartyr.
4 Regular Noman's Adair---squeak-
ing Boots and Noisy Baby.

An audience OF some three hundred persons,
nine-tenths ladies' assembled at Myers Opera
House yesterday afternoon, On the occasion OF =
Grand Matinee given under the auspices OF
the Illinois Suffrage Association. An admission
Tee OF IS ce1ta was e1acted, and it was cheap
enough, considering the nature Of the attractions
and the merits Of the cause, as viewed from the
suffrage standpoint. Tho attractions were an
uouncod to ba readings from Dickens, Tennyson,
etc., by Miss Emily Faithful, the eminent Eng
ish philanthropist, and an address by Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, while the proceeds Of the enter
tainnaent were to be applied toward helping
Susan Anthony carry On tho lawsuit which she
is now defending on account OF having cast an
alleged Illegal vote et the last Presidential
election Fortunately, hlra. Stanton failed to
connect, aud WAS not present, leaving to Miss
Faithful thel responsibility Of the entertainment.
In this she succeeded admirably, leaving no
cause for regret that a1rs. Stanton stayed away.
The proceedings we're conducted Oh the stage,
which was occupied ty Miss Faithful her fnan-
ca1 secretary, and lrs Fernando Jones.
Miss Faithful began without introduction or
detained elsewhere, she herself had felt strong
~ inclined to run away; but, remembering that
ssEngland expects every man to do his duty"
could toward helping on tho entertainment.
She testified to her deep respect Tor Susan B.
Anthony, and Was glad OF the opportunity to es-
eist in raising funds toward helping her defray
the expenses Of the legal proceedings against
her.
For her first selection, Miss Faithful gaze
the 'sLady's Dream, by Tom Hood, which Was
followed by tho concluding portion Of ''Enoch
Arden" These wero given with no attempt at
facial expression, but in sweet, rich voice. and
with appropriate shades OF dramatic effect, such
as indicated clearly that under more favorable
circumstances, the lady is possessed Of marked
talent as render. Both she and her listeners
we're very much annoyed by demonstratiye in
fant, whose fond mother lacked the good breed
ing to recognize the fact that her darling wcs
terrible nuisance which she ought to remove.
+ was noisy, unquiet, badly behaved audience
altogether What time the WTetched baby didn't
squeak, the shoes Of perRetually PeEam5ulating
Lecturers must hare formed no exalted idea OF
the politeuess Of the strong~minqed women in
Chicago, in whom bad manners and itching
for the ballot seem to bo the chief characteris-
tics.
Eer readings finished, Miss Faithful eaid she
desired to submit a question to the audience,
which Was, whether, in the absence of Mrs.
Stanton, she should go on and enlarge her pres
lecture entitled 'sThe Best Society,"" An almost
unanimous desire was expressed to hear the
lecture, which accordingly given. There
was, however, no abatement Of the noise and
confusion produced by the miserable baby. the
squeaking Of shoes. ana the rustic Of dEapery, 80
that those sitting in the back part Of the house
we're unable to gather any connected idea Of
what the lecturess said. By the q Best Society"
she meant the society of books, which she spoke
Of as the stimuao-tal sons deifying their sires;
society circles open only to worth and merit;
wherein no tinse1 Was required, and no rever-
ence shown but to those who are great and
nor do they ever outstay their
welcome; who stand by Us in all vicissitudes,
co1aforters in our solitude. companions in our
10y. Lord Bacon sa;d Of books that 81 some are
to be tasted, others swallowed, and Some di-
gested-" It was wrong notion that it was bet
ter to real than to do nothing, for there we're
authors With whom it was much better to have
no comp1nionship. She referred to the artificial
literature, made up Of thrilling, sensational
stories, which were the growth of diseased imagi-
:. nations. She questioned whether there waa
ever tine wren bad novels were so plentiful,
or SO generally read as at present.
Atthe conclusion Of the lecture, Miss Faithfun
read thrilling and beautiful poem, entitled
"Jane Couquist," after which q vote Of thanks
WAS proposed by Mrs. ones and heartily
passee, and the assemb1age dispersed.