Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-12-01

effect upon the community in the midst Of
which the poor needlewomen OF the day were
Shaving in poverty, hunger and dirt and
receiving remuneration at the rate Of five far
things per shirt made by hand; and shaving
moreover, under these circumstances unnoticed
by their fellows, simply because public attcn
ton had not been forcibly directed TO the
horrors Of their situation. One woman died
Of starvation in dreary garnet and the par
ticulars Of her death touched the gentle poet
Hood so keenly that he Immediately sat down
and wrote his immortal lines.
Before sending them to the publisher, Hood
read his verses to his wife whose favorable YER
dict thereon was spontaneous and decided.
Hood could not be said to have lacked
gravity in his character Indeed his doing so
would have been something surprising in view
Of the uniform gentleness and philanthropy Of
his life
He defended occasional double meaning T"
salies by the reminder that they often carried
" double sense, but in no case during his long
literary career could any instance be pointed to
where good taste or tender susceptibiities Of
any one had been unnecessarily offended.
Hoods steadiast observance Of flial duty,
his strong domestic affections specially the
most happy relations with his wife and child
ren-were then briefly touched upon.
Returning from that slight depression, the
lecturer went back again to the movements Of
his hero as young man, giving the date of his
first literary connection with the Dundee
Advertiser as 1914, when he was, of course,
only IS years of age. His return to London
in 1890, where he assumed editorship OF the
London Magazine; his introduction to and cul
uvation Of the warm friendship Of such men as
/ Charles Lamb, Horace Smith, Dickens, s. T.
and Hartley Coleridge, De Quincy, Proctor
and William and Mary Hewitt; his marriage
to Miss Reynolds the birth and, immediate
loss Of his first child; the birth and training of
his succeeding offspring; all were Interestingly
though briefly referred to by the lecturer.
An interesting feature was made OF the assis
lance and solace Hood found in the love and
ministrations Of his devoted wife, who proved
not only keen and infalible Judge of his pro.
ductions and sympathzer with his aspirations
but an admrer--nay almost a worshipper OF
his talent; and, greatly to Hoods enjoyment,
most willing and good tempered victim Of
his practical jokes.
Then were touched upon the humorist's
trips to the Rhine for the improvement of his
shattered constitution his neat hand writing
with total disregard of punctuation; the bust
Iifbr,ltiae ,pb;cb II
almost to overwhelm him; his annihilating
satire at the expense of the Scotch divine,
Rae Wilson, then preaching in London, who
had most unjustifably laid at his charge
irreverence and even blasphemy. The lee
turer madea point OF reciting part Of the Satire
poem referred to, as he did also lines from
several others of Hoods best.
Then Mr. Hoffnung passed rapidly on to
mention Hoods sentiments upon the sacred
ness OF a mans views on matters religious,
which he charactized as those of noble, con-
scientious and truly devout man. His last i'll
ness, during which he was faithfully tended by
his devoted wife, so soon to follow him to the
realms of light and rest; his burial at Kensing-
ton Green, where the national monument
raised through the instrumentality of the poet
Eliza Cook now rears its unique design over
the head OF the sleeping poet; the spirit that
appeared to animate the nation--not only the
contemporary lights of literature but the un.
noticed members of the humber classes-in
connection with the contribution of that
memorial; the legislatures vote Of pecuniary
recognition Of Hoods genius and worth-in
behalf of himself during life and of his family
after his death-were the last points mentioned
in what the lecturer designated as the first por-
ton OF his discourse.
The second course was a series Of readings
of some Of Hoods poems, introduced by few
appropriate remarks from Mr.. Hoffnung upon
their character as literary efforts or the crcum-
stances under which the author had given them
birth. Among these were The Song of the
Shirt, The Bridge of Signs, November, and A
Black Job
Without attempting to be critical the writer
cannot resist expressing his belief that the lee.
ture--interesting and valuable as it undoubtedly
was-would have done Mr.. Hofnung better
justice if that gentleman might have spoken
withou, notes.
vote Of thanks to the lecturer brought the
proceedings to close before 10 o'clock.