Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-12-01
1N morn WTrH ron noon
Mr. Hognnn0's lecture

The world wide popularity OF the
lecturers subject, the worth Of the cause
and the fattering reputation Of the gentleman
who leciured ought to have filled the hall.
The lecture was well advertised and It is a re-.
proach s. the city that it was so i'll attended.
Mr.. 8 b. Dole introduced the lecturer At
the samE time he remarked upon the claim Of
this community, by virtue Of its being an Eng
fish speaking nationality, to have ready sym
pathy With Mr. Hoffnung and his subject on
this OCCASION. Though not Americans and
though not English, we belonged to the
''Grcacr Britain" Of English speaking people,
whose pride, too, in honoring the greater
lights oar mother tongue-such as Hood
We shred in to the fullest extent. lie had
much pleasure in introducing to those present
a gentleman who had made a life study of the
character and genius Of one Of England's
greatest literary lights-the poet and humorist
Tom Hood.
Mr. Hoffnung, who was well received, ex.
plaind in the course of few PREDATORY re.
mark the circumstances under which he had
prepred the lecture which he was now called
upoi to deliver. He had been elected presi
dentof literary society at Liverpool and had
ehosn Tom Hood--his Life, Character and
VIKINGS" as the subject for his first address.
Partb from dread of having a maiden effort
too .vcrely criticised and partly from a con.
seiouness Of many impeHections IN his lecture,
he hi not consented TO have il put into print
on tat occasion. And, notwithstanding he
REGARDED a manuscript in lecturers hand as
decided non-conductor of that electrical cur
reniof sympathy that ought to pass between
the,peaker and his hearers, he had regretfuly
nowto make use Of the manuscript of his
formt delivery, in order to give his present
audiece the benefit OF that safety associated
with ,e use Of notes.
Win undertaking TO deliver his Liverpool
lectur,he was in no difficulty about choosing
subjrt. In selecting Tom Hood for consider
alton was not only influenced by his parti.
alry f favorable author but by regard for
poctryas the music of literature, the sweetest
fragrate Of cultures flowers.
Theecturer made passing allusion 10 the
so-calld philosophers of the Gradgrnd
type, admirably portrayed by Dickens in
his fah Times, who made it practice to
deride al sheer at things poetical demanding
facts, acts men who too often, also.
found itbnvenient to disparage sentiment and
religionfn whom fancy even the charm
Of childbod's winning prattle found no res
ponsivepilsation OF soul-who seemed so able
to reconise anything rather than that which
s,amyt their fellow man as the possessor of
a b,sIed immortality. He then began his
re;refce to the subject Of his memoir,
reh Hood was born in 1899. His father
was boSS.seller. and publisher in small way,
man of thoneh responsibility and some
literary tastes No doubt the influence of his
inclinations irresponsible in some measure
for the early delopment of his sons remark
able literary pveis-powers that had since
been the meansf giving to the Englshread-
ing public so UGH firesde enlightenment in
the shape Of Humorous writings and poetry
which could ckn perhaps the highest place
OF all its kind GER penned by English authors.
Early in Il Hoods system manifested
symptoms ofhal superlauvely insidious and
painful maladI consumption and at 40 he
succumbed tdhe attacks oil the disease.
So long vs. as illness and so severe his
suferings, thi tie greatest wonder In connec-
ton with thsmlter was that the sensitive
mind and fir holy did no, break down be.
fore In athiioI to this, in connection with
other mund,e affairs, his life was a long
hand-to-han struggle with hard times and
discouragins circumstances. But Hoods
bright andoble nature bore him bravely
through it |. Indeed, his life was IN this
respect a iching exemplifcaton OF Long.
fellows sernent I" How noble It's to suffer
4. and be strg Notwithstanding what he
himself h to endure, his sensitiveness,
anselfshne and nobeness of heart
was, hover, unbounded and one might
almost. sa, with safety unparalleled. In
contradistiion to the majority OF men of let.
tiers Of hisy and of antecedent times, especi.
ally wits humorous writers, Hood was as
reverent considerable as he was in satire.
unexpectedly effective. But though his
character a writer Of witty and humorous
salies waniqne, he was poet in the truest
sense of tword, and his productions might
not inaptbe likened to the sparkling stream.
let's wateiashing back the golden sunshine
$50 na,u pure and altogether lovely was
the chara OF his singing. But ii was as a
humoris,a, he posed so high above the
H. m. 4 4
from the Is OF Shakespeare down to those Of
Dickens, NIB and Sydney Smith--one of the
sirongestlures connected with our English
literature The lecturer went so far, in his
think ,haad he call to pray FOR special gilt
to be besed by Heaven upon some right.
minded I'll, he would unhesilaiingly inter
cede for ,stowal Of the humorous faculty.
Humoristse Hood and Dickens were real
beneiacio' their species, because they ranked
in virtue heir powers among the greatest of
human teers. Certainly the blessed results
did not ays attend the efforts OF different
writers al because many humorists Of all
Languages not exercise their influence al
Ways in direction Of beneyoence, morality
and truth
Hood a noble and generous sympathy
geavraledi,h his fellow creatures; and
intimacy narrowing circumstances, under
which m members Of the less fortunate
glasses Of day suffered, were responsible
without q Tor he production Of his mobiles,
shons-wly, The Song Of the snir, and
The Bnds Sigh, both of which pathetic,
ah'powerhoemi made sensations a, the
times OF ,hhrs, Ppearing in print, and have
remained Kites b whatever languages read
ny to the p.nt dS
spSakine rhelong Of the Shirt, the lee