Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-12

Special Fentures Presented by Women
of Considerable Prominence.

Special Features Presented by Women
of Considerable Prominence.
CRETE, Neb., July 11.-(Special)-Th
special features of the day were, according
to the program, to be presented by women
more or less connected with the Chautauqua
circle Woman Before the Law" discus
sion Of their legal rights and wrongs, was
to have been had by three Lincoln
women. They were prevented by
sickness from appearing. Its place
was taken by Miss Chandler. who gave a
musical recital Miss Chandler's songs are
popular fresh air ditties that please the
people.
Mrs. Mary H. Ford, the idol of the Chi
cago club women, lectured at 10 o'clock this
morning on "The New Spiritual Literature
in France" 1t is news to most people that
anything spiritual can come out Of France.
Mrs. Ford said it was only lately that any
one beside the professional critic admitted
the essentially moral message of Bal
zac or of Zola. That casual read
ers are beginning to receive the books
especially of ZOla, In the inyestigat-
ing, scientific spirit in which they were
written shows that we are developing in
sight, along with some other things that
bring in more money, at first. The new
French literature is endeaYoring to find
a way that leads to reformation. The old
presented repulsiye wickedness repulsyely,
but left you in despair.
Charles Baudelaire, who died in 1856, is
spoken OF as an erratic poet because he
wrote a volume of verse which he called
Flowers of Evil" The title meant that
although the world was evil it was not all
evil and could produce flowers. The title
was its doom. The people who did not read
the book, and they We're everybody, thought
the poems themselves must be poisonous
and for years Baudelalre was shuddered at.
He was an idealist and set up goal which
a
Paul Verlaine, the man-loyng poet who
lately died, established cult called the
"Symbolists." Of which he himself was not
a member. lie lived in a garret, had not
the price OF a meal and went dirty and
ragged He never went hungry, because
he made the cafe. where he was in the
habit of dining, famous and the proprietor
of it let him dine for nothing for the sake
of the travellers who came from England,
Germany and America to see him dine and
incidentally dined themselves. Everyone
is familiar with his life OF dissipation. Few
know that he was Christian socialist and
suffered from want rather than sell the
copyright to his books, He might have
been as rich as Dumas fls, but he preferred
a life of eXultant poverty. The poets whom
he showed how are called symbolists be-
cause they make the sounds and length of
| the words and the meter convey the sug-
gestion OF what it describes. Veraine did
n unconsciOusly. They must learn it.
Inc REVUE uu fdIls ls newspaper eulteu
| by EdOuard Rod. the protector and advocate
of the new ideas Around him the youth OF
| France has begun to change the color and
! the influence of French literature.
Or. Scott will preach Sunday in his own
church on st. Marys avenue. Miss Treat
who has been singing here, will do the solo
work in st. Mary's on that occasion, Her
practice in oratorio work has given her the
| repose, precision and security OF a much
| older singer.
Mr. Bennet, the stereoptcOn traveller, IL
| Illustrated his lecture on Paris with 100
views. To those who are familiar with
the Stoddard lectures Mr. Bennet's talks
are a pleasant surprise. He keeps himself
out of the picture. The lectures are purely
objective and the audience is not once re-
minded OF the traveller.
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