The Critic and record., 1891-04-21
MRS. BEsANTs LECTURE.
She Talks Theosophy and Avoids Mel
tioning Professor COues.

She Talks TheosOphy and Avoids Men
tioning Professor Coues.
a tall, we'll rounded woman, with gray
hair dressed after the fashion of Madame
du Barry, attired in a dark gown fastened
at the throat and girdled with silver
clasps, addressed an elegant and refined
audience of thinkers last night at the
Universalist Church, corner Thirteenth
and l. streets. A face full Of cloquence
and mobility expressed the thoughts of
the speaker before they were voiced in
deep broad tones, tempered with n de-
cided English accent. This distinguished
appearing lady was Mrs. Annie Besant,
the disciple of Madame Blavatsky and a
new champion of untrammeled thought
in the shape of theosophy.
Mrs. Besant controlled her listeners
from the start. She never altered the
position of her body during the lecture,
but moved her head from side to side aud
gcsticulated freely with black-kid-gloved
hands. When she became excited and
delivered some telling figure of speech,
her voice fairly trembled and vibratel
with scorn, impelling the audience to
loud applause. Her lecture was a burn
ing attack on the abuses of the upper
classes toward their lowly brethren,
throwing obstacles in the onward march
of theosopby, which meant universal
brotherhood
"What we are doing" said Mrs. Besant,
''is educating the children of the man
who spends his money in the gin palace
and the beer shop, and when his last cent
is gone stumbles home to squalid den
of poverty. We place in the hands of his
offspring works of the brightest authors
- . 10, a. 4
what is written. This education once ac-
quired, they will rise above the brutality
and sensuality that to-day keeps the lower
class Clingng like whipped ours at the
heels of their master-Society-t whom
their lives and souls are valueless beyond
the accommodation of required labor,
paid for by social aristocrats in cents
where dollars should be. But let this
| education become widespread and the
| world will experience a revolution over
| shadowipg any epoch since the creation" !"
The speaker referred to another danger
| that menaCed the people. The antago-
| nism between religion and thought, a diff
| ference that kept men of science like Dar-
| win and Spencer out of the church.
Darwin, " continued Mrs. Besant, was
cursed from the pulpit. Yet when death
came they inferred him in Westminster
| Abbey an acknowledgment that science
was mightier than religion. You have
too much lip service in your pews and pull
| pits. How very, very few follow the
| teaching of the Nazarene, who told the
| rich young man to distribute his riches
among the poor and follow him. What a
| number of rich men o.day who bend the
| knee and call Christ Master, but with Shy
lock hand keep their possessions and at
| tend church for social honor
Mrs. Besant defined matelalism pure
and materalism brutal. She spoke of
some materialists who looked forward to
| no future beyond ineternty, yet their
| lives were pure and self-sacriiicng in a
degree that should shame Christian
teachers. But there were materialists self
ish, and lacking the slightest idea OF
| mans duty to his fellow. The growth of
this thought, if unchecked, would crush
| out society.
"And how can that society be saved ?''
asked the speaker. by theosophy," she
| replied, (which is a continual regenera-
ton of mans life, purpose and destiny
"lhen, my friends, show to the world
| that which is noblest in you. Cultivate
the love incarnate that will make the
dwellers of this earth link themselvse
| hand in hand, animated by desire TO re-
organize the universe with the irresistible
force of brotherly affection, which is the
| nearest approach to the divine sentiment
| that flowed in blood from the cruel nail.
| wounds at Calvary
| When Mrs. Besant finished she was pre-.
sented with a beautiful bunch of pink
roses, and many of the audience pressed
around her to offer their congratulations
on her mastery effort.