The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
SERVICES AT HARRY HILL S
LECTURE by MRS. HALL AND MUSIC BY TIKI
JUBILEE sHoUTERs-A NOVEL ENTERTAIN


LECTURE by MRS. HALL AND MUSIC BY THE
JUBILEE sHoUTERs-A NOVEL ENTERTAIN
MENT
/: unique asseInbage that met in the lecture
room at the corner of Houston and Crosby streets.
drawn there by the announcement in the HERALD
that Mrs A. " Hail. noted temperance lecturer and
social teacher of Boston, would speak on Human
Nature" At eight o'clock every seat was filled, and
Harry HILL Esq. an Englishman of note who was
acting master of ceremonies. was compelled to
send into the adjacent saloons for fifty additional
chairs. Probably five hundred people in all were i'm
patiently waiting encircled by the clouds of fragrant
smoke that curled from the Havanas considerably
provided by the committee
The services were opened by hymn entitled 1.-THE
Lullaby sung by the La Port sisters. two sadfaced,
sweet-voiced little orphan girls, who under the pro-
lection of Mr.. Henry Hill, in this way for the
present subsistence. In the audience there were
number of sailors from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and
their sympathies visiby touched by the
charming little people whose pretty ways
a sure passport to popular favor. The
second number the programme was Sacred
Shouting by Il company of jubilee singers. Candid
reporting compels the assertion that there con-
siderably more of the shouting than of the ''sa-
cred" One particularly dusky damsel INDUCED in
series of physical and vocal gymnastics that would
do credit to the circus or the tabernacle and the
choruses were loud enough to suit the most exact
ing.
WHAT HALL SAID.
Mrs. Hall is a comely appearing person. with short
dark hair, piercing eyes and womanly manner. She
has spoken III Boston, Springfield and Cambridge
with great and although devoted to temper
ance as an adjunct. considers Help for Humanity"
her special mission 1Ir Henry Hill at little after
chosen phrases introduced the lecturer. Advancing
to the footIights Mrs. Hall said :-"Lalies and
gentlemen-and am so glad there so many
of tie former here-I spent the morning in
Dr. Talmages Tabernacle as Ispent last Friday even
ing in DIR. Beechers lecture room. went there, as
came here to study human nature and find it the
same in one place as i'll the other In other words
the sober-faced men and velvet-coated women l saw
in the churches appeared to me to be made OF the
same kind of clay, with the imperfec-
tions and the identical trademarks that char
acterize you. They have the same temptations the
hopes and fears and the same ambitions that
you have-no better, no worse. From this fact 1t is
evident that but one great lesson can be drawnvz,
the need of help for universal human nature.
Start us You please there is but common finish,
but in justice to my sex must say woman stands
pre-eminent among the human race When the
artists of the world picture Satan they make him
with mans face. There never was sculptor
painter debased that he could portray
a devil with woman's face. 1t is the
fashion in this town to be religious on Sunday night;
you can he just religious here you can in Tai
mage or Beecner s. luukc from tnc SiaSseS
freshment see before you that it is communion day
Harry Hills and, il 1t is Just as proper as if it
in any church. And here let me say that while
/ believe in Christianity. have no faith in Church
iany Human nature is the same the world over.
Tonight preach to you from the gospel of human
nature as l find It in Harry Hills" Mrs. Hall then
analyzed the nature and character of Dr. Tamage and
paid a compliment to the place in which she spoke
the character of its proprietor and the customs of its
patrons In treating OF the necessity OF mutual help
and comfort Mrs. Hall told many anecdotes illus
trations and kept her audience in continuous
of laughter, broken now and then by great applause
THE REST.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Halls lecture delivered
by the way, with ease and grace and fuency. Mr.
Charles w. Merton sang THE Vagabonds, Mr.. James
Grey Robin and Miss Hughes an Irish ballad. At
this time the spacious lecture room densey
crowded. that the young people who kindly car
red about cigars, lemonade, ham sandwiches and
coffee found great difficulty in going from table
to table. The walls were hung with pie
lures and mottoes--prize fighters, Queen Victoria
General Grant and ''Broiled Quail on Toast"
number of colored men joined earnestly in the SER
vices and smoked their cigrettes with gusto. The
orchestra cheered the congregation with series of
efforts-overtures, popular melodies, MY Grand
fathers Clock" and "Such an Education Has My
Mary Ann" So far the moral teachings OF Mr.
Henry Hills brief address and the longer effort of
Deacon Morton are concerned there was NO Der
ceptible difference from those of the ordinary
PRAYER meeting and the psalms and hymns OF
the choir such are familiar in many Metho-
dist conventicle. When the jubilee shouters came
on second time the character of the entertainment
changed materially. The female leader. handsome
brunette of perhaps twenty torrid summers, became
She laughed and cried and danced; she shook her
head, waved her arms above her head. threw
her feet about in the hveiest manner
writhed and twisted in time to the music and shouted
at the top of loud and rasping voice. In some re-
spects the entertainment last evening resembled a
variety performance in that different singers and
performers conspired to make the hours pass pleas
antly and rapidly. II is understood that certain
sober minded persons. desiring to utilize the other
wise unoccupied lecture room sunday evening, have
arranged with Brother Hill for series of perform
ances. and that Sister Tom Jon will follow Mrs Hall
in endeavor to harmonize the and elevate
kind Whether Mr.. Tom Ri-Jon, with Retaliator and
Avenger, will dance and sing is not yet decided but
they to appear with madame next Sunday
ing. Already the lecture room is proved too small
and it is contemplated TO secure another chapel
for the overflow.
In the audience last evening many men known
in official and profession circles. but although the
services continued until long after midnight.
the more serious members of the congregation
gretiully retired at the conclusion of the sacred
music that followed Mrs. Halls lecture. This
cessful attempt TO combine the practical with the
jolly has had precedent in several years but its
revival seems likely to open up novel field for
the work of sagacious teachers ard benevolent SYM
pathzers with the weak of the earth.