The Newtown bee., 1892-12-30
NICHOLS.


 For the columns of your paper I send as requested, d general resume of Nr> Abbie Sage Richard sons lecture. T he lovers of literature in Ansona and Bir- mingbam have shown their thorough appreciation of Mrs Richardson by their constant attendance, and eager attentive ness to the "voice'' that dropped tones of such genuine sweetness
 To the energy of mind in Mrs Richard son, there is also to be added greatness, a vivid reality in the kindness, that shines upon you in her smiles, that you feel the presence of superior nature. Her sad and tragical life forms but the back ground of beautiful picture of virtue and religion. In the first reading her audience was taken back to the early part of the 18th century to comparative analysis of the works of Richardson, Smollett, Sterne, Fielding, Goodwin and Goldsmith.
 At the second lecture d thrill of joy ran through our hearts, when the lecture announced for her subject Dickens and Thackeray. Those two great English novelists standing side by side, giving to each other encouragement and applause. Of Dickens she says, 'He is to every noble hearted person friend, not vis- itor at intervals in our home, but d con- stant dweller there. His great degree of humanity, through the medium of literature has brought him into contact with the great masses of people, where he has yielded an influence radiant with charity and good will. Some of his creations may be overdrawn, yet withal, no historical personages, ever seem so near to us, as do the impersonations of Dickens brain.' Our speaker dwelt largely on the poetical quality of Dickens writings.
 Illustrative of that point she quoted the ''Song of the Cricket and the Kettle" from the "Cricket on the Hearth'' also this beautiful extract in blank verse from "Old Curiosity Shop:'' "Then, when the dusk of evening had come on, and not sound disturbed the sacred stiffness of the place, when the bright moon poured in her light on tomb and monu- ment, on pillar, wall and arch, and most of all Git seemed to them) upon her quiet grave in that calm time, when outward things and inward thoughts teem with assurance of immortality, and worldly hopes and fears are humbled in the dust before them, then with tranquil and sub missive hearts, they turned away, and left the child with God"
 Mrs Richardson in speaking of Thack- cray said, for the reading world, a most fortunate thing was his loss of fortune, for there is no doubt, but that precuniary reward was his great incentive to liter aIy career. That Thackeray possessed strong sentimentalism, can be seen plain ly, through the thin veil of satire, which peryades so many of his works. His de- lineation of the state of society as exist ing then is most vivid, and that portrait ure will be even more valued in future years. The ablest creation of modern fic tion is recognized in Becky Sharp, one of the heroines of his first novel, 'Van- ity Fair" Mrs Richardson considered the beautiful story of Henry Esmond, as standing first in the rank of English works.
 At the next lecture the poets of s!The Lake School," Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey, were brought before us. That the poetical scope in Wordsworth extended from the sublime to the ridic- ulous was the conviction of our reader. She says while the 'Idiot Boy," "Peter Bell'' and some other portical works of his are childish, yea almost foolish, we tu1n to the s'Excursion," which has ex- erted such noble influence upon the poetical culture and taste of the latter | half of the 18th century, and, again to the ode on the "Intimations of Immor- tality'' which in sublimity stands unap- preached by any similar work in the English language.
 That Wordsworth was most ardent | lover of nature, with thorough appre- citation of it's beauties is most fully con- firmed in these lines of his, ssTo me the meanest flower that blows, can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for bears.'
 The true womanly heart and out-reach- ing sympathy of Mrs Richardson shone forth in her charity for the distressing habit which had the mastery over Cole .idge. She says of him, aHe possessed are conversational powers, was ma estic genius, but the great mines of were unwroaght. However, lis ssChristobel and Ancient Mariner attained great celebrity which will go Town through all ages.
 We now pass on to Walter Scott. We ,ould not doubt the great admiration our ecturer felt for him. when she said, If we are permitted to know each otherl n the future state, the first person Imong the immortaIs whose hand IIl hould care to grasp would be that of Valter Scott. That he has given to Scotland throughout citizenship of literature is certainly proved. When his . Vaver1y works appeared they were ,reeted with wild appreciation and great vas the wonderment as to who was the uthor, Although his poetical works bound in romance and attractiVeness,