Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-03-04


quence a. James X. Applebee, is. We win VEN
ture to say. such literary treat rs Ellsworth
never enjoyed before.
"Charles Dickens: Sentimeutalisi aud HUI
morist."
The above Il the title OF the firs, lecture in
the course delivered at the Unitarian church on
| Tuesday evening. The speaker opened by con-
| trasting Dickens and Thackeray. lie found
many points OF contrast, but few of rcsem-
! blance. Dickens presents Us with exaggerations
/ of human character; Thackersy with men and
women who never rise above the common lev
ell. Dickens was more of humorist than a
wit; Thackeray more OF Wit than humor-
/ list. Thaekeray became narrow where Dick
ems became broad. Thsckcray's characters
were always In costume. and though they
were very real. they always moved in society.
/ The only men in common life hom Thackeray
introduces are siorrkceper- " no drop their h'..
His greatest defect A. novelist was that he
WAS IN ari>toerai and slwsy, through
sristocratic eyes. He photographed arstocral-
ic life and its meannes>cs. We reverence most
aud we take closest 10 our hearts those writers
who can delineate real fe. Just a. writers
are manv-sidel. does a manN--iled human
/ ity turn TO them. Dickens pictures men and
women just they are, and hi books are ex-
ceedingly full Of very common people. making
| us see what they are capable Of. He always
/ wrote of humanity A. though he loved human
/ ity. He makes meanne>- contemplate. but
| he rarely makes mean men wholly mean. lie
makes u feel that kind hearts are more than
l.. f.1.l
blood. Mr.. Applcbce's Illustrations and reci-
tations from Dickens were yer, fine indeed
The speakers delineations Of Dickens charar-
ter and hi works were the denoaiions Of a
master hand to which one listened with de
| light. The speaker not only exalted Dickens
but be uuintcutioua!ly exalted himself by
showing that he was # the people and FER
| the people.
The second lecture which vs., given on
"Wednesday evening, was entitled
Hamlet: 4 Drama Of Destiny
Hamlet Is drama Of humanity. II shows
that people not only believed liz immortality
bu, that spirits could hold intercourse with
mortal>. The opening words 81 the play
w hos there are commentary on The IL
feet this belief had on those " no entertained
ii. They were uttered by Bernardo, nm Of
icer 10 Francisco. 4 soldier on guard II was
not the place Of an officer 10 challenge tho sem
tincl, but the duty Of the sentinel to challenge
the officer. n i shown by The rcply 81 Fran
cisco to the challenge: NAY answer me.
stand and unfold Yourself" The speaker ~
planned that Bernardo va, ~ wrought M hy
the expectation Of seeing spirit that he in
voluntarily challenge the sentinel. almost be-
lieI ing him 10 b" a ,critablc ghost Hamlet
was man Of sorrow. He mouruel not onl,
father dead, but mother displaced be-
tiny had brought him Srca; affection hut h.
lacked the heroic nerve Ia bear up manfull,
under u. Il j. the weakest people y ho most
give waH 10 tear. The strongest nay even
ri-c superior % ~ hat >ccm. per,cr.o ,lr-iin,
t. Hamlet thu gho,; q not onls that which
survive, aa4i cor>c, bu, /, ia king. hi.
father whom h. sdIr.-..> and f.a.,i,,- % r.
sponse. The ghost Do; oulv discourse, 81
foul sui most unnatural murder but Il
ds-n- 70 Civ some very sensational iuforna-
;lon relative 90 ~ stat. - ,Ai,'cn,. Il .a5. /.
Il AN ,hy father spirit.
n"nm,3 f.'r certain term n. N4-h thr uI.ht.
Nut. f"r 'h' Jay. .uutr'ri 10 f,,, loo fire..
a
Ar burned ami pur-"d away, Bur ihat au
forbid
To tel ih' ...r.i. ~ u., 81. -.;.-l.u...
could tsl, gufa.l. who's. ..-ht.--t word
Would harr"" ur 'h' soul. frarfs iAs ,oun.
blood.
Max, ID, iwu,tr-. l.At -tar-. .t4r' ts.m tL,Ir
sphere.
Tn, kno'l,,i aud complained t.-A. u t.s-'.
And Zach particular hl.F q. -'tr.l go H3
Like quii> upon ti" fr'tfu lsrgr,u.."
Hamlet Wa a man 30; ~ I,, rrll. -.I..r,.
lie That man aIon, b. inpY, ,l.l uuI- u.i
hi real he work and th,n ,..r,i-',ut.s follow,
it. Hamlet was man OF .Niul-ir,.y du.
thoughts. but b. was no hero. H. was iuc,I-
able Of deliberately ,u-asin.. Ia ri"fuu- pro-
ceedjngs. He was An e:.>t -."in- ,at uAt. Tor
fat men take things easily. Whoever beard Of
fat mems making a riot: Il j. your lean
men who mase trouble. Hamlet VA man
made for round hole but destiny forced him
into a square one.
A. the .peal proceeded be drew some iiue
lessons. Here arr some Of them. Etiquette +
not courtesy. Putting other, AT ease, that i,
courtesy. To b. honest - thi. world goes /.
10 BE- one among ten thousand Tru, honesty
and true worth are expressed in these line
II nto thine own self bt true. and il follows
the night the day, thou ran,t not then bc
false TO any man. Their csnuo, b..-aud there
ought not 10 be. il there could be-on, code 81
morals for men and another FOR women All
must be governed by the saline law n
chastity j. a. bad in men a, in women.
What the world calls fate h,> Iuur'I 10 Do
with our lives. Circumstances environ u and
to a certain extent hedge IL in: bat. after al,
our success or failure i largely in our own
hands. We are placed in thi, world to DO our
own work. Every life means something. and
every life means something different from
every other life. Each must work in III. own
way. Life, trial, and - Nperiencc- are shaping
Il, and making u what we are. Fathers and
mothers bury their children and then, arising
from the >caihng. take up their duties again,
stronger and better mcu and women.
The third lecture in thu course " hica was
given on Thursday evening was entitled. The
Merchant Of Venice 4 Lesson in Christian
Charity" The speaker introduced hi~ lecture
with the remark: / DO not think shall be
rampantly extrayagant, II ! ,sy that William
Shakespeare i the best religious teacher that
God has ever given 10 English speaking people.
Shakespeare i. pre-eminen,y religious poet
because he is the poet Of humanity. Few men
can gauge Shakespeare but all men feel that
Shakespeare has gagged them. \ genuine
drama reveals humanity to Itself. shylock i
syaricous. crafty and cruel. but these traits
are the result Of the influences which ~urround-
ed him. Bigotry and religious Intolerance are
responsible for the unloyely trats which We
see in his character; but >hylock had a GOOD
side and in many respects was a grand characi-
1 er. Because lac was jew he wa, pcr,ecuted
and hated. Heresy, such ~ he wa, supposed to
! possess. wa. deemed Il disease which must be
cured at whatever cost. His prosecutor, were
kind TO their friends and sincere. but they
were cruel hater-. Perhap. Calvin was the
most sincere Of men. but he burned Seryetus,
because of differences in religious opinions In
Antonio. the merchant OF Venice we find all
the elements Of religious prosecutor. and
Shylock gives expression TO the real merits Of
the case when he says:
"Seignior Antonio. many a time and oft.
In the Rialto. YOU have rated me
About NV monies and my usance>:
Still have | borne it with patient shrug.
For sufferance is the badge OF all our tribe:
Y gu call me mi>believer. cut-throat dog.
And spit upon my Jewish gaberline:
And all for use of that which i my own.
Well. then. IL now appears you need nv help :;
Go TO, then; YOU come 10 me and you say.
'Shylock. would have monte, : You say so ::