The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-06-30


there to welcome us and bring kind thoughts OF
friends, and forever watch over us. So with
life. But the night OF ainietion is sent by God to
bring out the stars of character. Without atc.
; ton we should not have known Milton In his
glory, nor Bunyan
"in whose well told tale,
. Sweet tction-sweet Truth alike prevail"
Man is the same now as ever. Joy and sorrow
follow one another, and when dark days come
we look toward heaven aud all things grow
brighter with hope. The best part of man is de-
veloped by the darkness of aiiction, and when
sorrow comes, remember that the deepest dark,
ness of night is just before the brightness OF
day, and that the sublimity of character is in
suffering and yet being strong.
The delivery was in too low tone, but other
wise very creditabc.
| Following her came Miss +. VI. Eichcl5erger,
who read an exceedingly "cute"
DEFENSE OF xANTirpE,
AS the genial Artemus would say, Il was "sar-
kastikul." 1t was very witty and certainly one Of
of the most original and entertain efforts Of the
evening. Every age, she said, has its heroes
historyis fun of their names. Occasionally a
woman's name appears, but never because Ct
her domestic virtues. Xantippe was Of the lat
ter class-a domestic angel. Socrates married
her for mercenary reasons and the trial of her
life. He was lazy, drunken, improvident, neg
lectful Of her and her family, in short a phoso-
phical yagabond. She? a faithful and careful
wife. Socrates was poor provider; she, the
strategist who supplied the house while Socrates
was loating around Sabbling philosophy and get.
ting on drunken sprees. Shall she be chided for
being cross? Nay, let us admire her "spunk."
Socrates was peculiar man and tried her pa.
thence terribly. Imagine his being out all night
drinking, Gas he used be) and coming home at
6 A, NJ, to find Xantppe waiting for him, having
been up all night, of course.
Meeting him at breakfast time she says:
"Socrates there isn't bite in the house to eat"
SuddeRly he gets one Of 'his ideas" and rushes
off to dllate on it to his philosophical friends
forgetting all about breakfast, dinner and every.
thing, till noon, when lie comes home with a
bevy Of friends TO dinner! But see her patience.
Sec her love for him, when at last she follows
him to prison, and see too his cruelty to her in
driving her from his side when he drank the hem.
lock lest she should interrupt his philosophical
feet, it was not apparent, but let not her memo
ry be stained with the thought that she had not
done her duty. Rather let it be said, "She hath
done what she could" There are many similar
cases. Many q lazy, worthless man has been
reused to action by the patient loving, seedlings
Of wonan,
Next catae Miss Jessie \. Beckwlth, who
spoke, in g pleasant way, Of
MATHEMATICS IN NATURE.
! Mans work is irregular; Gods unerring and
accurate, SO that the study of mathematics is
necessary TO understand them. The rainbow is
formed by rcfraction ard reflection OF light at
the proper angle. Stones contain crystals of
geometrical figure. Natures principles are geo.
metrcal both in the animal and vegetable
world
She then gave large number OF interesting
peculiar examples, making the subject deeply
interesting. Concluding she said he who would
shun mathematics must fly the bounds of fam.
ing space and in the realms Of chaos that dark,
illimitabe ocean where Millions Satan wander
ed from the wrath Of llea zen, there he may pos
slbly find some spot visited by no figure Of geo
mctry, and no harmony Of proportion.
Smith, F. A. Kendall and n Cooley, then sang
''Lct me dream while shall linger," Mrs. J. /
Cameron at the piano.
Miss Belle Dewey followed with
THE BATTLE FIELDS OF SCIENCE,
recounting briefly and concisely the story Of the
battle of scientific truth against religious preju-
dice and Intolerance. The disposition Of The
mind, she said, is to refer all phenomena e
known laws. When none are found tue mci
nation is to deny existence Of phenomena This
is the reason why any new discovery must fgh
its way to a place in science. When opposition
leads to thorough investigation, it is an aid il
preventing the good-for-Lo thing from gaining
any foot hold. Scientific research revived al
the beginning of Christian era, but during the
middle ages spent itself till all knowledge be.
came confined to the monasteries. At the repiv
al of learning in the 10th century came the new
theories Of Copernicus, Kepler and Calico in
astronomy Even that science, old and estab
Ilished as il was had to fight TO maintain its po
sition and to progress against the obstinacy aud
superstition of the people. Victorious it came
forth from the conflict. Philosophy, natural snd
intellectual, also had the battle 10 fight Medi
cine met with much opposition, especially when
dissccting vas first introduced by Vasaluis. G colo
gy was objected TO, our account Of its being Oh.
posed to Revelation and Genesis. After bitter con
tention between science and the church, it is at
last granted that this branch Of science proves
rather than destroys, the inspired account Every
thing new must have its battle for rights and for
a place amongs worthy objects The battle would
not be so fierce nor so tedious IL We would re.
member "there are more things in heaven and
earth than are dreamed Of in our philosophy
The IOration Of Miss Lizet;e Strawn which
followed was the bodest night Of tue evening
The attention Of the audience was caught in an
instant and she held it to the end, both by the
originality and novelty Of her address and by
her clear and fall enuncistiOn which penetrated
all parts of the house. She wac without doubt