The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-11
SOROsIS, LAST MEET
Before it Adjourns for Hot Summer
Days.

Days.
New York. June n.-After having
luncheon in the Waldorf yesterday. So
ball room by devoting her afternoon to
Shakespeare in song and story.
The programme for the day was under
the direction of the committee on drama.
of which DR.. Jennie de la M Lozier is
chairwoman. and the subject was "A Mid
summer Days Dream"
Mrs. Mary Lamberton Becker read a
paper on THE Songs of Shakespeare
mot those that he wrote, but no doubt
those that he sang" said she. His was
age when the working folk loved to
sing, not only solos, but part songs. as
they toiled." She quoted many of the old
harvest songs.
In fact" said she. music was then
considered a prime qualification in en-
gaging a servant-not only because it
denoted good ear. but good disposi-
ton as wen.''
Mrs. Edward Addison Greeley talked
about The England of Shakespeare.
and began her bright paper thus:
1.-The French cynics say, whenever any
startling development arises, 'cherchez
la femme In the glorious pageant of
history in the sixteenth century, on the
stage on which Shakespeare acted his
own brilliant part, we find. indeed, the
woman-a, grand and gallant queen-who
fostered the bold. imaginative spirit of
the England of Shakespeare. The age of
Elizabeth is the true dramatic epoch of
the Anglo-Saxon race
She said that the England of Shakes
peare had gathered in the treasures of
the world to aid her own swift growth,
and quoted among other things Caxton's
printing press, copied from Germany and
which became her slave; Galileo's tele-
scope, with which she swept the starry
skies, and finished by saying that this
great age alone could have Graded such
a child"
Mrs. Agnes w. Mastick. speaking on
1.-THE Times of Shakespeare regretted
being obliged to "cross swords with
Mrs. Greeley, but said that there were
two views of the Elizabethan period, and
she had chosen for her paper the one
not under the glamour of song.
Il will stick to facts" said Mrs. Mas
tick, and she began with the old Globe
Theater. This was his own theater. 1t
had,a pit in the center, which was indeed
a pit. 1t was open to rain or sun and
was a filthy place. The patrons stood in
it and drank while the higher class
lounged on seats above, drinking and
smoking.
THE streets of the city were hides,
crlDaDIy u1fty IN LnOSe days, ana when
the rough rabble at p. m. took them
selves home there were quarrels for the
inside of the walks, as not to be
splashed by market wagons.
AT dark all respectable persons left
the streets to thieves and drunken young
men. The houses were made of mud and
sticks, and forks were not known.
Queen Elizabeth ate with her fingers,
and the bones were thrown on the rush
covered floor. Shakespeare's brilliant as
sociates weree the most debauched men"
At the end of her paper Mrs. Mastick
advised her hearers to think of these
facts in reading Shakespeare and realize
how immeasurably far in advance of his
an age of debauchery, his works are not
tainted"
Mrs. Emily Palmer Cape spoke on "A
Modern Midsummer Days Dream" and
Mrs. Isabelle 8. Loveland on The Bee in
Song and Story" She said that in the
folklore of all nations the bee plays an
important part
Mrs. Alice Fairbrother Weber recited
the closet scene from Hamlet and re-
sponded to an encore. She also gave
1.-The Stowaway.'' There were short ad-
dresses in reminiscent vein by Mrs. Anna
Randall Diehl, Mrs. Margaret W. Raven
hill, Mrs. NJ. Louise Thomas and Mrs
Waite of Jersey City. Mrs. Beadle. presi-
dent of the Colonial Danes of New Jer-
sey. and Mrs. Higgins. vice president of
the San Francisco Sorosis, also spoke.
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