The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-15
mIDDLEBURY LECTURE COURSE.


"Ihc ArtfuI Dodgcr."
Friday evening the citizens OF Middle
bury had the pleasure of listening to one of
the most pleasing and instructive lectures
Of the season from the lips of their fellow
townsman, L. II. Higley, professor Of
Greek and German in Middlebury college.
The speaker drew his subject, "The Art
full Dodgcr," from Dickens "Oliver Twist"
He began with preliminary discussion of
Dickens power as charactersae,cher and
almost Immediately plunged into the midst
of bis subject. Quotations were made from
"Olivcr Twist" descriptive of the young
pickpocket, and recited to the best ef-
feet. Soon, however, tic audience
perceived that 1t was not the speakers in
tenton to daily long amid the squalid
courts of London with the Dodger, Fagin
and Bill Skies. but a broader, deeper work
lay eut before him The character of the
Dodger was to he applied TO the master
thieves of to-day-the rogucs and loguery
in high places.
Before making this application, how
ever, the Professor affirmed that he was
not one of those who bewail the "degen-
cracy" of the age or compared it unfavor-
ably with those gone before but Gas the
careful railroad employee scanned each day
the track with eyes only for the flawed and
dangerous rails, so he wished to point out
the worthless rails before the mighty train
of Social Progress"
He then proceeded to paint most wildly
tue shameful operations of our legislators
and hold up TO the shame and derision of
the people the low, base lodges of the lob
byists.
lie touched upon the great financial bub-
bles blown by mean, unprincipled capital
lists through the ppe-stem of our Legisla-
turc, wli"h il their bursting have ruined
many un honest toilcr and robbed them of
their ALL
He deprecated the lavish waste of public
moneys on the many useless railroads of
the West and derided those who point TO
them as evidences of our country's pros
perity.
In the most nimtabc and with provok-
ing manner he represented how the great
"Anthro polartropic family demonstrating
companies" induce our long headed states
men to fund their mighty enterprises and
feelingly remarked upon III" downfall of
our brightest names through their Tricky
schemes.
He spoke of robbery in 'ye Il len time,
and claimed the only difference between
the "then and now to be the difference
between violence and art. THEN the thief
was gentleman OF the road, who donncd
his suit of lincoln green or armed with
mask and pistol claimed toll upon the
moor Now, he is the spruce young bank
er's clerk who by some wonderful system
of commercial mathematics, 'feathers his
own nest and leaves the bankers bare.
Many other ''artful dodges" he took notice
of from the high-toned swindling of the
Bulls and Bears to the petty cheating OF
the western black-leg, who evades the Flaw
against Three Card Monte by playing with
an extra card"
In closing he spoke of his hope for bright
er times to come, of his strong faith in the
American people that they will change al
| this sad corruption, and of his belief that
the sturdy honesty of rare Sam Weller
shall be more than match for the wiley
| trickary nf tho 80 A rtf,l nndrar--copclud
ing the whole with the fine quotation from
Burns "Honest Poverty
| aye see yon birkie, cad lord,
Wha struts and stares an a that?
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He's but coof for a that.
Aprince can max belted knight,
marquis, duke and a. that
But an honest mans ab00n his might
| Guild faith, he mailna IA that
For a that, and a that
Their dignties and a That,
| The plth o. sense and pride o. worth
| Are higher ranks than n that.
Then let us pray that come 1t may,
| AS come It VIII for a. that,
| That sense and worth, DER a the earth
| May bear the gree and a that
| For a that and a that,
| It's coming yet, for a. that,
| That man TO man, the world DER
Shall brothers be for a. that.
Indeed so interesting was the whole dis
course, so mastery the interminglng O.
the comic and the serious, so uniquely wa
the subject handled that the speaker helt
his audience spcll-bound as it were and dis
missed them to their homes with a sense O
pleasure. in their hearts and strong desir,
| to hear him once again.