Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-11
AUTHORS AS CRITICS.
JOHN SHIRLEY WARD TALKS ABOUT
THEM.
The First of the Anonymous Lectures at
Emmanuel Church-A Large Attend
ance and Much Interest.

A large audience of expectant people
gathered in the lecture room of the I'M
manuel Presbyterian church last even
ing to listen to the first of a series of
anonymous lectures for the benefit of
the ladies' furnishing fund of that
church. The subject, Authors Opin-
ions of Each Other, was all that anyone
knew about the lecture, and question
ing looks were directed at every one who
came in the door to see if any outward
mark would indicate who the lecturer
was.
A few moments before s O'Clock Mrs.
J. w. Mitchell came forward and sang
several selections, accompanied by Miss
Conradi on the piano. The audience
forgot its impatience in listening to the
sweet voiced singer, and it was only
when the bird-like voice was silent that
the audience again looked at the clock
and found that it was twenty minutes
past eight.7
At this point Judge Haines came for
ward, and was greeted with applause
He made few remarks about the novel
ty of having lecture without announc-
ing the lecturer, and suggested that the
audience should at least have presiding
officer, suggesting the name of John
Shirley Ward. When Mr.. Ward had
come to the platform, Judge Haines
said:
.'Permit me to introduce myself as the
president of the evening and Mr.. Ward
as the lecturer" When the applause had
subsidized Mr.. Ward opened his manu-
script and at once started in on his lee
ture, which covered wide range in the
history of literature, from the time of
the songs of Homer to the "late unpleas-
antness." The lecture abounded in ap-
propriate quotations, was bright, inter
esting and comprehensive, and the at
tention of the audience was held unin-
terruptedly for nearly an hour. For a
church lecture it was rather novelty to
hear frequent Interruptions in the shape
of applause.
Authors, from the earliest times, were
shown to have had strong prejudices,
binding jealousies and sincere admira-
tions. The brightest stars in the liter
airy armament had their detractors, and
the same luminaries were the most
severe in their criticisms of brother and
sister authors. Burns was said to
have received the least criticism,
and Byron the most of all we'll
known authors. American authors were
free from criticism in large measure
because of the fact that their writings
were very modern, though Lowell had
followed in the path of Byron, and criti-
cised right and left.
The lecture concluded with tribute
to anonymous authors and the quoting
of the celebrated poem Music in Camp,
the author of which was only recently
discovered,
At the conclusion of the lecture Mrs.
Mitchell again sang, and was listened to
with breathless attention.
Among those present at the lecture
were: j. G. Salisbury, A. M. Robbins,
J. r. Boal, Mrs. Bascom, Miss Anna
Clark, Mr.. and Mrs. R. w. Poindexter,
Mr.. Crippen, Rev. and Mrs. Colney,
Major Elikan, Rev. ]. M. Boal, DIR. and
Mrs. Salisbury, DR.. Haynes, Mrs.
Stillman Drane, Mrs. DIR. Pepper and
son, Mr.. and Mrs. D. Gilbert Dexter,
Mr.. and Mrs. Phelps, ]. Shirley Ward,
Jr., Mr.. and Mrs. Brawley, E. S. Weav-
er, Judge Minor, l.. E. Mosher, Miss
Bingham, Judge and Mrs. Haines, Rev.
r. E. Hutchins and others.
People from all parts of the city were
among the auditors, and from the num-
ber of green or season tickets presented
at the door it was evident that the lee
lures are exciting unusual interest.