The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1872-04-18

Letter % the n, Y. Tslbaae deserfbial
Her keeaafe In @0at0M.

$4,000
Letter % the n. Y. TssSese describing
Her Lecture In Beaten.
l have two literary events to chronicle in
he way of lectures; the debut Of Miss Viz
Iinia Vaughan, and the reading, at Mrs.
SarRent's OF Mr., Henry James brilliant pa
per on Emerson. Raeo aur dames; and in
his case the lady certainly deserved her
place. The Upper Horticultural Hall was
The scene OF Mis- Vaughan's triumph, for
triumph il was. Cnfortunates, who are not
EVEN suburban spokes of the Hub are not
aware, probably, what a dainty hall this IS
Il vas made for flowers and women, with its
many mirrors. its light and festive frescoing,
its counties gas jets, and its general look vi
freshness and gayety. And if the Hall be-
came Mis. Vaughan, Why so did Miss
Vaughan become the Hall. She was dressed
in silk of real Tyrian purple, made with a
sweeping train like that Of court lady. She
lind bright ewes 10 match her bright words;
and her manner Of speaking was worthy Of
especial mention, for il differed very widely
from that OF any other WOMAN l nave seen
upon the platform. Her delivery was some
thing more than the eloquent rendering OF
an eloquent lecture, it was the artistic and
dramatic expression Of powers not unusual
ly C lied into use by speaker. Her recita-
tons, in particular, Of an old Nedic
hymn thrilled her audience, as the
finest actress does in her finest points"
'Why, she looks and speaks like a sibyl, y
said one lady. adding. Il have never heard
a woman lecture before, but am CONVEX
ted" Her subject was the "Poetry Of the
Future" She led up TO il, however, through
the poetry Of the past. The shades Of the
great singers of all time marched by us in
grand, triumphal procession, chanting as
they went. She took the stronges, ground
against the idea that poetry must decline as
civilization advances, ard showed Ills that all
true development Of nation or world
must paw tribute to this highest form OF ant.
"Nature, +" she said, ''ihe srca, mother Of
the universe, is not poor, is not niggardly;
she who sows the infinite fields Of space with
countless consultations Of stars, and the
lonely wilderness unseen by man with con-
stellations of flowers; size who delights in
surrounding her secrets 10 all those who rev
erently question her; this great, tecming,
bonut;ful mother OF the universe is quite
able TO provide each generation with
Shakespeare, Homer; WITH genius-in
word, with great men able TO give express
ion to its highest thoughts" II genius Seems
at any epoch to fail, it is because some of
Nature leadings are disobeyed. She re-
viewed the great steps of the worlds art pro-
gress-the Vedic hyms chantel in it, early
dawnins; the poetry Of the Hebrews, fervid
with religious inspiration; Homer-to
whom Gods were but somewhat larger and
stronger men-singing with simple realism
and yet with heroic grandeur, in the prattling
childhood of the Greek race; Eschylus and
Sophocles, who wrote the tragedy ard pas
sion of Grecian mlturity; Dante, "rEe frs:
poet who towers above the dense fog that
settled upon the human mind during the
middle ages, who overlooks his co,emporar-
les like some huge mountain rising from a
barren plain, solitary, desolate, snow-clad
mountain, but whose brow piercing the
heavens, catches the glory Of the sunrises
and the roseate flushing Of the sunsets; above
all, who gave to the world the new, chivalric
conception of love as existing between man
and woman, and a new ideal Of woman
hood'-all these passed in review before us,
at her summons. With some Of the mnderns
she made longer pause. She called on ,ls to
look at Shakespeare with more criticism and
les. absolute surrender than i, the worlds
wont in presence of her mighliest mind.
She confessed his superlative greatness, his
insight equaled by that Of none other, into
the hidden workings OF the human heart,
his similar insight into the very soul
of nature and its relations with
man; but she claimed that che
never entered the highest domain Of thought,
neve. penetrated, even by chance, into the
serene realm where dwell the immortals,
into the world of universal hope, aspira-
lions, principles. He walks the earth god,
but if his spirit eye was ever fastened upon
the inmost sanctuary OF the heavens, if that
vail was ever lifted for him, he does not, at
least, disperse the vision. Although the
most objective Of writers, he has never drawn
single character carried away by an imper-
sonal enthusiasm, distinc,ively devoted TO an
idea. He il the poet Of human nature, but
Of human nature devoid of its highest in
SEPARATION. Shakespeare does not seem to have
written under the inspiration of any religious
faith; this il one of his most striking pecu-
liarities. He is neither Pagan or Christian;
nor, anticipating the inspiration Of modern
times, does his heart .hrob with the great
religion Of the brotherhood o: man."
1t was Shelley who took up the
prophet cry of humanity; aud of him the
exact reverse Of what has been said OfShake-
speare is true. or sll poets that ever lived,
thew offer the most striking contrast, and are
to the most remarkable degree each others
complement. Having followed the grandly
flowing river Of song thus far from its
source. Miss Vaughan concluded with the
portrayal of tie Poetry o: the Fuiuie. Her
sentences we're almost rylhniic, and they
al. forrcr nf hor
conception OF the Cheat Singer yet TO come.
who is to chant the new ungucssed glories Ct
a purer and more perfect civilization, a
holier religion, human brotherhood such
as the past has never knOwn-.his singer VIII ,
shall ''fill the ideal world with forms OF
eternal beauty, strew its .irmamen; with
spiritual consultations, with glorious suns
and starr, of which the splendoss Of the ma
terial universe are but a passing symbol
Railroad Facts.
from the New York Tribune.
The statistics carefully collated and judi
ciously interpreted by the Board Of Railroad
Commissioners of Massachusetts have enabled
them 10 present in their annual report, just
out, important facts in rev light, and TO
throw doubt upon the correctness OF some
opinions hitherto generally accepted. The
tabulated returns, by Mr.. Charles SOule, Of
Boston, form compendium Of knowledge
on railway subjects no. previously attainable;
and the work OF Mr.. Charles Francis Adams,
Jr., is rs valuable in substance as il is lucid
in style.
The recent extraordinary inter erence with
one of the most important branches Of our
national commerce by certain railroad mo-