The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-19
THE LECTURE COURsEIN GENERAL;
Miss Phoebe Couzins' in Particular.

DEAR SIR Now that the lecture course
has concluded is there any improperly in
casting back glance and criticising it in
apartial and not unkindly manner?
The management has been admirable,
everything that could be desired, and the
managers come in for no share of blame
in anything, but for full, hearty, need of
praise. Such entertainments were secured
as promised to give unqualified satisfaction
to the public. Human foresight could go
no further, and all would doubtless admit
that more promising engagements none
could have chosen But after the course
is fulfilled and people have paid their
money and got their enjoyment, the pos
session is their own and it is no refec
ton on anybody for them to tell their
neighbors what they think of it.
First, there is no use in saying there
was much excellence, as it was too percep
tble to need it. There is, however, le
gitimate field for remark in calling atten-
ton to drawbacks if there be any. There
is undeniably a general feeling that the
course, as a whole, was mildly disappoint-
ing. 1t lacked few points of reaching a
sound and generally recognized standard
of excellence.
The people were little disappointed in
Mr.. Talmage, Perhaps expectation was
unjustly high, or Mr.. Talmage not quite
up TO his usual standard, but whether the
one or the other, the expressions of dis
appointment, though not grievous, were
numerous.
Mr. Tourgee made complete and salts.
factory success, and to him must be as
cribed the place of best meeting the in.
telligence and taste Of our people.
The musical novelties rendered by the
Spanish Student Troupe and Tumbleroni-
can excited beforehand the greatest expecta-
tion. And as time goes by and the mind
fingers on those weird strains, especially
on the rendition of some of our national
and domestic airs, there is an inclination
to revise thejudgment Of the hour, and
give more credit now than then. Itwould
be something of treat to hear them
again, provided the Tumbleronican nuis-
ance, and his immense shirt front were
left out
Next to Mr.. Tourgee, the Nashville
Colored Troupe did best, although some as
good people as the town affords were
scandalized at what Mr.. Bret Harte would
call, "the proceedings"
Mr.. Rogers was an amusing fellow, but
complaint was made that the range of his
facial contortions, and of his vocal altera-
tions was limited to few kinds in each,
which he made do duty for the most wide
ly different classes of characters. But
when it is considered that no man can get
out of his own skin, that human capacity
is limited in every direction, and that
many of his impersonations were difficult
yet very distinctly rendered, the charge
seems little unjust If it be said, the tone
OF the whole was too low, no attempt at
refutation will be made.
Last and least came Miss Phoebe Couz-
ins, the woman lawyer, female suffrage
reformer, SC, &c, from St Louis. Is it
possible anybody dissents from this view
of her standing compared with the rest ?
If so, it must only be because no compari-
son can do the subject justice She must
bs judged alone, and relegated TO still
lower. position.
Let her be taken up tenderly, judged
sYmpathetically, yet the most favorable
criticism possible leaves little Of any
value. To begin with, there was an un-
comfortable. suggestion, in her change of
subject, that she deliberately -bugged
her audience. 1t seemed by her poor ac-
quaintance with her manuscript that this
lecture is new one, and she seized this
opportunity to give it new licking to get
it into shape, for what she regards as more
respectable audiences, that is, for cities
and opera houses
In setting out to criticise her perform
ance there is, Of course, an embarrassment
at the very threshold, because the whole
thing may have been intended as bouffe
affair, which none but those who do not
know joke when they hear it are ex.
pected to take in earnest, and which, 10
critically criticise, would be landing the
critic in a ridiculous predicament. But
Female Sufragists have always denied
they were not in earnest; it would be in
harmony with bouffe principles to serious
ly criticise that which was not intended
for criticism and even boufe can be car
ried SO far that acheck should be put on it.
It is perhaps lamentable to make such a
charge, but there Isl no doubt she was in
earnest.