Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-12-10

Miss Mary French Field daughter of the
late Eugene Field, will read some of her
fathers works at the Auditorium in Feb
ruary.
The "Walkiug Delegate" company.
which was billed to appear here earlier in
the season, was reOrganized after its first
collapse, but went to pieces again at Ports
mouth, n. II.
A bicycle owned by Watson S. French
was sold by auction in front Of the town
hall Monday under foreclosure of mort
gage held by Charles Nj liner. Mr.. Miner
bought the bicycle for $40 2j.
G. p. Gibson will sell by auction at his
Elliot-street stable at 10 o'clock next week
Saturday carload of light driving horses,
family and farm horses and heavy work
ers, also quantity of harness and sleighs
G. s. wilkins has retired from the Amer
lean House, having disposed of all his in
terest In 1t. He plans to go to Canada for
a carload of horses and will also engage in
the sleigh, carriage, robe and harness bust
ness.
The Woman's Foreign Missionary soci-
ETY. of the Congregational church met yes
terday afternoon. A report of the CON
vention of the Eastern branch at New
London was made by Miss Susan Clark of
West Brattleboro.
The chicken-pie supper and sale of fancy
articles and candy by the Methodist society
in grange hall last night was largely at
tended and yielded a snug sum. The can
dy booth was in charge of Miss Sadie
Wells and the booth for fancy articles was
In charge of Mrs. Fred Morse and Miss
May Plimpton. This booth was very
prettily decorated in red, white and blue
by Fred Morse, who has shown on several
occasions that he is a skillful decorator.
DR.. II. d. Holton will open discussion
following the paper, 1.-The Menace of the
School Building" by II. L. Stilson of
Bennington at the annual meeting of the
Vermont State Sanitary association to be
held at Rutland, Dec. II. At the evening
session Col. Waring, commissioner of street
cleaning in New York, will speak on "The
Proper Disposition of Sewerage for the
Smaller Towns" The railroads will give
reduced rates to all who wish to attend
the meeting.
The evening session of the Womans
club, assisted by a committee from the day
session, entertained the mothers of the free
kindergarten pupils at the home of Mrs.
Kate Cutler on Elliot street last evening.
The entertainment consisted mainly of
selections from the gramophone, in charge
of Mrs. c. =. Spencer, and two ENJOYABLE
recitations by Miss Minnie Brasor. Re.
freshments of cake and coffee were served.
At the close Of the evening it was still
disputed question whether hostesses or
guests had found more pleasure in the
gathering.
The Shakspere reading given Wednesday
evening in the Auditorium by Hannibal
Williams for the benefit Of the High school
library, was thoroughly enjoyable; the play
was given with appreciation and power.
The music rendered by an orchestra and
mixed quartet was an especially en- ioyable
feature. THE Tempest" is in itself less
popular and more difficult of interpreta.
ton than most Of the Shakspere PLAYS
presented on the stage, and this renders
Mr.. Williams's work especially praise
worthy. Mrs. Williams, who reads here
Dec. % will present "As You Like It,"
more popular play. She comes highly
recommended. These entertainments are
given TO help in supplying mcuh- needed
books for the High school library, and
they deserve, both for their own quality
and for their purpose, liberal support
The Second College Lecture.
One Of the most remarkable of all ltera-
ry monuments is the Niebelungen Lied, or
Song OF the Niebelungs, which Prof. II. b.
Richardson of Amherst college will de-
scribe at the second college lecture next
Tuesday evening. Like the "Iliad" of
Homer, to which it has been compared, it
represents the gathering up into one long
poem OF many Of the most stirring legends
of the Germanic races. The final compo-
sition OF the poem belongs 10 the 18th
century; the time of the action is in the
days of Attila the Hun, and although his
date Is little later of Theodore the Goth.
The historic background is the vast move
ment OF peoples from the east and north
who broke in upon the Roman world. OF
these nations the Burgundians, a mighty
race, came from the Oder and the Vistula
TO the upper Rhine. Siegfried, the hero of
the poem, comes from the Netherlands
seeking the land of the beautiful Knein-
HID at the Burgundan court. Gunther.
the brother Of Kneinhild, compels Sieg-
fried first 10 aid him, by his supernatural
powers, in winning Brunhild, the strong
maiden of Iceland. This done, Siegfried
goes to the land of the Niebelungs, where,
by overthrowing dragon, he has won an
enormous treasure, and with thousand
Niebelung warriors, who give their name
to the Burgundians, convey the treasure
to Worms, the Burgundan city, where the
nuptials of Siegfried with Kneinhld and
of Gunther with Brunhid are celebrated.
The rivalres of the two queens, the strug-
gle for the treasure, the villainy of Hagen,
Kneinhild's uncle, the murder of Siegfried,
the marriage with Attila the Hun followed
by the wrath and revenge of Knenhild,
with her own tragic death after the fight
between Huns and Burgundians, form the
plot of the 20 adventures of the poem.
Goethe called it Gigantic" work. Car
lyle declared that "the whole spirit of chv-
airy, of love, and of heroic valor must have
lived in the author. Wagner constructed
his famous Niebelungen Trlogy from this
material. Prof. Richardson illustrates this
work with 90 views, given continuously
throughout the lecture, and the opportuni-
ty for learning of the origin OF some of the
most famous of modern productions is a
notable one