The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-06-24
THE BROWNING HUMBUG.
A Side View of Some of the Boston Pre-
tenders.

A genuine, serious Boston Browning
Club, writes Arlo Bates in the Provi-
dence Journal, is really n most deli
ciously funny entertainment, if ones
sense of the ludicrous is strong enough
to overcome his natural Indignation.
II is likely to meet in richly-furnished
parlor-BOSton clubs are seldom to be
found in unpleasant surroundings-of
which the only fault is likely to be that
it is Overstockcd with bric-a-brac. The
fair sex predominates, and there is an
air of eXpectant solemnity rs if some
sacred mystery was about to be cele-
brated. Conversation is in subdued
tones, and when the reader takes his
seat a hush falls over the little company
so deep that one hears the soft frou-frou
of Jet fringes or silken folds stirred by
the breath of eager and yearning souls.
Most of the readers have heard-be it
said with humility-have seemed little
dull, and there turks a dark and dread
full suspicion in my craving mind that
during the rather monotonous render
ing of some of the longer poems several
of the older and more corpulent ladies
present have listened purely with the
spiritual ear, the physical sense being
closed by an abstraction to the ordinary
eye not to be distinguished from slum-
ber. Be this, however, as it may, the
reader supposes everybody to be listen
ing, and if some sleep and Others
speculate upon the condition of their
neighbors it does him no harm.
Once the reading is ended, however,
there is an end of inattention, for the
discussion begins. The central and
prime principle of all these clubs seems
to be that poem by Robert Browning
is sort of prize rebus of which the
solution is to be reached rather by wild
and haphazard guessing than by any
process of reasoning. "What does it
meanP" is always the first question, al
though to an ordinary and common
place intellect it may appear perfectly
obvious that it means what it says. To
take a poem in this simple fashion.
however, would simply and at once rob
the society of any excuse whatever for
existence; and while parlor chairs are
easy, the air warm and perfumed, the
fashion to concern idle minds over mat
ters called by courtesy literary, the
societies must continue.
There are delightfully."- original ideas
evolved, now and then, in these discus
sions. One evening when IA Toccata
of Gallupi's' was being read, and the
passage was reached:
Those commiserating sevenths-"Life might
lastI We can but tryP'
.wero you happy2'-"Yes''-"And are you
still as happyT'-"Yes-and your
''Then more ksses"-.'Dfd l stop them, when
million seemed so few?"
Hark-the dominants persistence till it must
be answered to!
When a lovely young woman, her
dark eyes shining with the ardor of her
inspiration, suddenly bent forward with
clasped hands, crying:
20, why can't we get the toccata and
have it played; and then when the
sevenths and the dominant came in we
should know just where we were and
exactly what notes met those words"
l do not know if the ingenious
scheme has ever been carried out; but
the proposal illustrates excellently the
sort of literal Interpretation which the
students of Browning require.