River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-11-25
prof. Cumnock,s Lecture.


Prof. Cumnock Of Northwestern
University delighted the hearts Of his
old disciples in town and won a good
company Of new admirers boy his visit
Of last Monday afternoon and his
recital OF Monday evening. He in
trOduced the new Epworth League
Lecture Course with a very happy
grace. and sounded that courageous
note that lends confidence TO the
beginnings OF civil cam paigns as well
as TO the more martial affairs of
soldiers. For there is something
about Prof. Cumnock that inspires a
complete personal trust,-a feeling
that he will say and do the right
thing. with a fine human sympathy
and d shrewd appreciation Of his
audience and the point Z. view. And
this is exactly what he did do, with
no suggestion Of patronage, without
mannerisms and with that unc0n-
sciOus reserve that comes with the
larger and truer education.
In the afternoon Prof. Cumnock
addressed the students of the city
schools, and any others who were So
fortunate as to know of the informal
meeting, at the Normal Chapel. He
gave suggestions on the art OF making
public addresses, and afterwards
recited several selections in prose
and verse Ia the evening. at the
Congregational church, lac was greeted
by full house. Young lazy ushers
directed the patrons to their seats
and at shortly after eight o'clock Rev
Bdlch made bis acknowledgements tC
the house and after announcing the
next lecture and G. rtain privileges in
regard TO season tickets introduced
| Prof. CumnOck.
The first selection given was the
woOing scene from King Henry y, q
| dialogue which for sprightly wit anC
unvarniShed elOquence perhaps equal,
/ anything in Shakespeare. As Prof
/ Cumnock gave il, withan apt emphas
| is and balance TO each of the robust
| speeches of Henry and certain coy
| ness TO the words Of katherine, The
| characters leaped TO life again anC
| carried on as delightful a battle al
! rcpartee as one will find in literature
| And throughout, there was an uu
| broken intellectual finish TO the
] dialogue. "A fine discrimination o.
| moods. and a succession Of gesture
| that Sprang So naturally from The
| situations in hand that one quite for
4
| iuvment of the character lac portrayed
| The tone of this selection indicates
to a marked degree the stamp uf TIT
| program. For the most part ii wa
| heroic and strong, free from con
ventionality, sparkling with a cleve
/ Wit and iuStled now and then with I
| broad and very wholesome humOr
| This was the case with the ScOtcl
dialogue in which Willie, who hat
| been sent on a 'guwk'S erraud.
insisted On deccntly laying out" hi
| HeighbOr's dead cow on a stretching
board broIght especially for that
| purpose, under the miscOnceptiOI
that it was his neighbours wife wht
had died. This was the case too Will
| Thackeray's The White Squat, tn,
selection from Mark Twain and Bur
dette's The Brakeman in Church.
! An apt object lesson in the distinc
| tiuu between wit and humOr va,
furnished in the two lyrics from
| Samuel Lover. In the two clOSinl
| mum bcrS on the prOgram-the stOrl
| Of poor Conner and The Charge o
! the Light Brigade-the heroic not,
| stood almost alone, though ineyitabl,
| Softcned and greatly deepened by TIN
| intimate and Overwhelmi pathOS o
| the stories and the splendid dramatit
gift Of the speaker. For ConnOr
with his hopes stripped from him at ;
| blow. his great longing buried Will
! Nora and his little hoy at sea. stood
! before rs in the midst Of his homel,
! ympathiZers at the pier with a yer,
real and very beautiful appeal, anC
! in glimmer of lights and rainbow
might well have gone from thing
terrestrial to things ethereal In til,
momentary hush that followed the
| recital.