Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-10-27


Is done. Tho rector of st.
Andrews was not one Of those more fiery
natures, whose Office II Is to wake up
! Cbrisl's people from sloth, prophet-like to
cry out against the abuses or perversions
| in faith and practice which MAY have been
accumulaiing for ages, against indolent,
Indifferent acquiescence In things as they
| are, be they right or wrong-those whose
lives must be perpetual struggle with
| enemies on every side-but his whole faith
aud sympathy were with the onward move
| mcnt OF The American Episcopal Church.
| he never lost sight of what might be best, so
far as he could see, for The individual souls
| committed to him. Slowly,
carefully, each step forward was taken F; II
seemed that the inward spiritual life was
unfolding in the outward manifestation (;
and the priest whom God shall call TO sue
coed, II is believed, will find no step to re-
trace, no false move to withdraw. So the
rector's work was begun and Is ended"
THE LYCEUM IN BRATTLEDoRo-A RETRO
sPGcTrvE dLANcE-THE COMING SEASON.
The modern lyceuml or series Unpopular
winter night entertainments, haRbecome
well nigh necessity In every considerable
town and village throughout the land
where anything like adequate attention is
| paid TO intellectual culture and innocent
|
TO promote social intercourse and widen
the too narrow boundaries of social amen
| ity. The value OF the institution increases,
II Is true, in proportion to the distance from
metropolitan centres, but even here in New
England, where IL has been most gener-
ously fostered from the first, 1t Is still one
of the indispensable features of our long,
bleak winters. These reflections are sug-
gested by The bill of fare presented by the
management of the Braltletoro Citizens
Lyceum for the season now at hand, and
that appetizing programme also induces a
retrospective glance at the history of the
modern lyceum In this town.
| The first legitimate effort TO arrange a
course of lectures under this system was
made in the autumn of 1864, aud during
the winter and spring following, our citi-
zens had the pleasure of listening to lee.
lures by Rev. John s. C. Abbott, Miss An
ma Dickinson, twice, ]. ii. Hough, Prof.
Kellogg, of Middlcbury, and Fred Doug
lass. The lectures were only iolerably well
attended, Miss Dickinson alone receiving
anything like an enthusiastic reception.
The leading spirit in the enterprise was
Henry c. Willard, Esq, who was its prac-
teal manager, and evinced in a marked de-
gree the peculiar and not easily attainable
qualities and capabilities imperatively
needed to carry 1t through successfully.
The next season, 1865 Go, the experiment
was tried again under the same direction,
with very encouraging results. The speak
eis were John b. Cough, twice Miss An
| n IL. ~
Phillips, Major J. b. Merwln, U. S. A., and
S. NJ. Hewlett. Good audiences were the
rule and general satisfaction was expressed.
There was an extensive total-abstinence
revival during the winter of 1861, and
the only lectures here were on that subject,
delivered by L. II. Uniac and Dr. Charles
Jewett. On Wednesday evening, March
Is, 1867, Mr. Willard introduced Horace
Greeley, and the veteran editor, in spite OF
the most execrable weather and travelling,
met with grand reception. The lyceum
system was again ignored in lS67-6s and
the people were entertained with a series Of
discourses from local aud adjacent clergy
men. In 1s6s.G9 the Young Mems Chris
tian Association took the matter in hand
and got up very interesting course of lee
lures by Gov. J. l.. Chamberlain of Maine,
Prof. II. r. Nye OF Springfield, Rev. J. o.
Peck of Worcester, Rev. w. II. Milburn,
the blind preacher, Prof. G. n. Weber OF
Middlebury, Col. T. w. Higginson ofNew-
| port, Prof. II. /. ii. ii. Lincoln of the Ly-
man school, Boston, and d. r. Locke, (Pe-
troleum v. Nasby.) Mr.. Willard virtually
ma naged the course for the Association,
| Al, Ill
ed so well that similar series was arrang-
ed for the season of lsG9-70 as follows /:
| Wendell Phillips, Kate Field, DIR. /. I.
Hayes, John G. SAKE, Rev. Stephen II,
| Tying, Rev. w. II. Milburn and the Hutch
inson Family. This popular course was
supplemented by series Of lectures from
Professors l.. Clark Seelye, Mather, Hitch
cock, Smell, Clark and ]. II. Seelye, of Am
herst College.
| In 1901, Mr.. Willard fairly inaugural
ell our present Citizens Lyceum and en-
| gagged the following lecturers on his own
responsibility: Gen. J. S. Hawley, Prof. ].
II. Seelye, Justin Mccarthy, Prof. w. c.
Richards, Petroleum V. Nasty and II. ].
De Cordova. The result was sufficiently
encouraging to stimulate fresh endeavor,
and in ls7l-72 we were entertained by
Mark Twain, Prof. L. l.. Youmans, II. ].
De Cordova, p. b. Du Chaillu, Louise
| Woodwork Foss, Hon. &. n. Goulding,
| Miss Minnie Swayze and the Barnabee
Concert Company assisted by Arbuckle,
the great cornei player. 1t will be noticed
that musical entertainments of high or
| der were here introduced for the first time.
| The season was made more memorable by
the appearance of Charlotte Cushman, I'M
der Mr.. Wizards management, on the eve.
ming of December %, 1871. This was one
| OF the red-letter nights in the history of
Brattleboro amusements. The seats in the
town hall were arranged ON an inclined
plane so that all could have an unobstruct-
ed view of the stage, and the audience was
very largo and deeply impressed by the
magnificent histrlonism of Americas
greaest tragedienne.
The course of lS72-73 embraced Mrs.
cott-Siddons, Miss Anna Dickinson, John
b. Cough, Rev. Robert Collyer, Rev. W.
ii. ii. Murray, Rev. L. Ii. Chaplin, Hon.
w. C. Parsons and the Barnabee troupe.
In 1874 we had the Ingleslde Quartette
Club, Thomas Mast, Mrs. Livermore, Hon.
w. C. Parsons, John b. Cough, VIM. s.
Andrews, Hon. N. p. Banks and a combi-
nation concert by Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph p.
Cobb, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Heine and Miss
Clara Nickels. Henry Ward Beecher was
engaged to open the course of lS74-75, but
for reasons well known failed TO appear.
The list otherwise included the Camilla
Urso Concert Company, Rev. w. II. II.