Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-13
They went and told the sexton, and
The sexton tOlled the bell.O

He said that told and tolled were not the same
word, but were really verbs of different
conJugations, and the wit consisted in
the use of these different words of the
same sound. He then addressed the Young
ladies who were present, and asked in
confidential, condescending way, if they had
ever thought of cultiyating their voices in read
ing and speaking, as well as in singing; or if it
had ever occurred to them that poem gained
something from being read aloud and read well?
He illustrated this by intoning or chanting some
of Hoods shorter poems; a style of reading 10
which we are unaccustomed, and which is not
pleasant. The audience was very patient, very
much surprised, very much disappointed, and
little hurt at being treated like babies or imbe-
Giles. They had so admired and loved MacdoD
aid; his books had been help and strength and
comfort to them; they were so proud and glad
to have the man himself with them, 10 sit at his
feet and have their minds and souls fed directly
by him. 1t was rather hard on them to give
them pap. Admiration for the author, and
courtesy to the foreigner, have spared the pub
lie criticism which Mr.. Macdonald deserves as
a lecturer. If he were an American he would
be obliged to do better work on the platform, or
to speak to empty walls.
1t is very difficult to describe the impression
made by MIR. FrOude, who delivered his first lee
ture here last Thursday. He is tall, spare and
awkward, with legs and arms very much in his
way; his large strong hands are an endless
trouble to him; he hides them neryousy, or de.
family hooks them by their thumbs to his waist
rDnh nlo aud
breastplate over his chest. His hair is dark
and straight, his eyes rather gloomy, his mouth
decidedly depressed at the corners, his face
strong, commanding, but not happy. He looked
at first like hard-workng powerful Methodist
minister, and carelessly tied white cravat
added 20 the resemblance He was apparently
unconscious of the prolonged applause which
greeted his appearance and which was renewed
when Judge lIoar introduced him; at least he
did not acknowledge it by even bow. He
began by asking in tremendous voice, that the
people at the back of the hall would tell him if
they could not hear; and added that the more
urgently they told him, the better lie should like
it. But he soon adapted his voice to the hall.
and then everything went we'll He is unsym.
pathetic, or rather he expresses no sympathy:
his business is with his subject, not with his
audience, and he pays no attention to them.
They, on the contrary, pay deep attention to
him, but not having been encouraged to express
their pleasure, they discreetly remain silent.
The lecture was interesting and concise passing
rapidly over the history of Ireland and the Irish
from the earliest annals to the close of the
fifteenth century. twas not picture of still
life, but II did not seem unfair. As Mr.. Froude
went on, and became animated, he became per-
sonally intensely interesting; more 50 from that
which he did not say than even from that which
he did sudden glimpse would reveal I'M
fashionable depths of satire, or rich vein of
humor; but we were never allowed more
than glimpse, and that probably
piqued both curiosity and in
troude confined himself almost entirely
to grave history; but the one Scotch
story which he told Illuminated his sub
Ject and his way of telling it was inimitable.
ms lecture was Introductory. We know from
IL that Mr. FrOude does not admire Ireland: that
he does not believe that she ever had an early
golden age; that England has treated her
hardly but the fault has been not in excess of
OF interference, but in too little ll-tmed inter.
terence; that the Irish have as fine traits of
character as any other people; and that it is in
America, and not in Great Britain. thar tbe
question Of their future civilization and place in
the world is to be settled. Mr.. Froude did nor
excite any enthusiasm, but he did awaken in.
terest IN his subject and himself, an interest
that grows and deepens as we think about both
Gen. F. J. Lippitt, whose readings given in
private, and for charitable purposes, have been
SO successful the last few years, gave his first
public reading here yesterday. In expressing
delicate shades of fun or of pathos, he has no
rival among public readers. 1t is allowed by
those who have heard him most frequently that
he reads Dickens almost as we'll as Dickens
himself He has also entire command of many
dialects, and of the broken English Of Dutch
and Frenchmen, and reads from Bret Harte aud
Hans Breitman as nobody else can read The
contents of his repertory are quite unlike those
Of other public readers, and would probably be
unusually attractive to many audiences.
The household artco company has opened its store
on fremont street. This is an entirely new
thing 10 Boston, and If it is encouraged, prom.
ises 70 give US what we have SO long desired
beautiful household furniture at moderate prices
But have no room in this letter to describe the
collection, 50 must wait ill my next
Jean lngeow's novel, "oG the Skelligs" Is
peculiar, like nothing else in fiction, II is in.