Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-08-04

the waters cover the sea. And as it is
taken up and carried over the earth
watering and refreshing it with life
giving showers, 80 the gospel of Christ
Is being carried to scientific fields and
infidel natiuns and is gradually making
its influence felt upon the very hardest
soil.
TUESDAY, AUGUST l.
Those who have been fortunate
enough to have attended the Black
Hills Chautauqua assemblies from the
tirst to the one now in session are
unanimous in the opinion that the
program thus far this year is the peer,
if not the superior, of any that has ever
been placed upon the same platform,
perhaps excepting the first year. And
this being the case there is much
disappointment that the attendance is
no larger.
The different classes-childrens. w.
q. L. U. and chorus-;,re now fully Or
ganized, and the instructors of each
are doing magnificent work, greatly
pleasing those who attend, and giving
valuable instruction.
Interest upon the series of lectures by
DR.. Anderson upon English literature
is growing, and all who have thus far
heard him express great delight in
them-at the depth of thought, origi-
nality, eloquence and information con-
tanned in them. His Monday afternoon
lecture upon Edmund Spenser was
grand. He said:
1t anyone ignorant of Spenser, and
the writer's succeeding him, were to
search the literary remains of the next
one hundred and fifty years after the
death of Chaucer, he would be tempted
to think genius had deserted the Eng
lish people, and that the possibilities Of
the language had been exhausted in the
production of one masterpiece. Eng
land during this period was plunged in
to innnmerable conflicts with France.
and OH her own soil the red and white
roses Waged blcOdy warfare. Books
were scarce and the ability to read them
even scarcer Ii we look at the great
ness of the ideas evolved, the fertility
of production, the effect upon after
generations. the probability of literary
Immortality for the authors, then can
not see but the Elizabethan era is of
equal Importance. Cicero is no surer
Of immortality than Shakespeare, and
Horace will be remembered no
longer than Spenser. A poets opin-
ion of Spenser is voiced by Thomson:
"WhO like a cOpious river, poured his
song DER all the maZes of enchanting
ground" He was the first Englishman
after the reformation to write ANYTHING
like meritorious poetical production,
and continuing to write long after the
illustrious period had begun, he not
only usllered i'll that period but was it's
second brightest ornament The date
of Spensers birth is clouded in obsurity
but it is now generally conceded to have
been in 1862. He received his masters
degree from Cambridge in 1876. He had
a vast store ofclassical knowledge The
simplicity OF style. the quaintliness OF
language, the love of nature, the hatred
of sin, the love of virtue, the alteration
OF the beautiful, the musical lines, the
impassioned narrative. the knightly
cllaracter-all these We're bu, the imper-
feet expression OF that pure soul. The
pictures of vice which he drew, and
which are thought by some to mar his
otherwise perfect pages, are simply
photographs of his times. Men were
sordid and narrow, and base, and pas
sionate and vile. AS well blame the
water in the river for mirroring the
poisonous serpent colled upon its brink,
as blame the poet for faithfully portray
ing the passions of men, when these
passions are the central theme of his
work. So also his verbosity. his cling
ing to antiquated words and customs
grew out of the fact that the English
language itself was in transition peri
cd and authorities upon whom he might
lean were entirely wanting.
OF low little moment, after all, is
uring rod with the which to measure
Immortality We say that Spenser has
been dead for three hundred years, and
yet, as we study his life and works, he
stands before us. breathing, influencing
our desires and aspirations, our motives
and our actions
IN THE EVENING.
The Orphean Qualtet-the only and
original, consisting of Messrs. Dickover,
Eaton, Frame and Hawley-gave one
of their pleasing entertainments, as per
the program published last evening
The Orpheans have been separated for
Il long time, but time and separation
have even made their voices seem more
melodious, more richly blended, and
their songs more appreciated. They
were enthusiastically encored time and
again. The other members were all
good and heartily applauded. After
the completion of the program Prof.
Murray gave few stereopticon views,
and all VIII. saw them will be on hand
tonight to witness the reproduction of
the beautiful passion play of Oberam-
mergau.
THE ELIZABETHAN DRAMA,
DIR. Anderson is surprising his most
ardent admirers in this course of lee
lures on English literature. The sub
M