The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-12

that Keeps IN audience from ever feeasn9
restless or uneasy fer the speakers Own
sake Erect ~ IN athlete. his hesd oorne
wen up and his dark eye nashinx keenfy
and p<rssstensIy fun in the face Of his au-
d,ence. he commands the attention which
he knows so well how 10 utsiixe- his voice
Is pleasantly modulated, has xocd fauSe
and fsexfbsiity, never degenerafss nfe :
sinx-song or drawi. never rages INTO :
rant and never breaks into mysteries no1
drops into ina,tdihle whispersnEs
Mr. Crawford has been introduced TO
very many audiences, but it may well Dc
doubted whether be ever had enc o. ms
lectures presaced by D more admirable IN
PRODUCTION than that spoken iAst niSa, ~
Judge Thomas Burke. upon whom was az
VOWED the duty Of presenting him 10 the
audience. In fine harmony with the occss .Sa
Judge Burke spoke of the growth OF the
novel as a form OF literature, quotng oe-
licionsly from Sheridan's Rivals TO sno"
the light III which noyei-reading useo 10
be booked at He paid a high tribute 10
legitimate fiction as vehicle for the con-
yeyance OF lofty truths. He scored tne
writer Of vile novels as being on level
with the man who would poison his neigh
boris spring. but contended that In the
world of fiction as IN many OF tne FORCES
and operations Of nature the good ana eVii
were so close together as TO seem at times
hut VARYING phases or manifestations OF
>
the credit OF American literature that none
OF its great writers had ever tainted their
rares with foul thoughts. and in present
ing Mr. Crawford spoke OF him as man
who had never written book or chapter
that would not upiift and dignity human
ity- The entire introduction was IN judge
Burke's happieSt vein. and was itself
worthy to go on record as fine piece or
literary criticism.
Responding courteously to the introduce
ton Mr.. Crawford entered at once on the
discussion of his subject. which he first
briefly outlined. As a preliminary ne traced
the administration Of the papal throne or
Plus *. and the strong contrast between
that pontin and Leo XIII. was all in all
one of the most striking features OF the
lecture. Indeed. some students Of history
may be inclined to think that Mr.. Craw-
ford falls slightly into the MacauIayan
manner Of exaggerating personal traits for
the sake of a brilliant antithesis. It may
be artistic, but It Is hardly else defensi-
bic. to represent Plus TX as wholly and al
most puerilely weak and to say Of Leo
that he has accomplished more for the
papal see in the last twenty years than
his dozeM predecessors did in two CEN
turtles before him.
Mr.. Crawford Is manifestly a hero wor.
shipper. and Leo Is one Of his heroes.
Charm.ngiy does he delineate that unoues-
tionabiy great man In all his physical. in
tellectual spiritual and political aspects.
The word-picture OF the pope, moving amid
the stored splendors and dim galleries
OF tho vatican. his face shining like an
alabaster masque lighted from within, Is
in itself a gem OF art.
Everywhere throughout the lecture the
auditor IS made to feel that the speaker
Is thoroughly master Of his subject HIS
intimate knowledge of the vatican house.
hold gives added value to his brilliant
descriptive power. and his analysis of the
pope's political attitude on matters Of In
ternational and religious policy are un-
doubleday based on something more than
guesswork or speculation.
The lecture was pointed with a number
Of fine anecdotes, which would only be
marred by being thrown into print. and
by finely conceived parallel between
Gladstone, Leo XIII. and Abraham Lin
coin. It was interspersed throughout with
the most valuable, because authentic In
formation, and to the student or man OF
the world was worth half semester's
course n church history or International
politics. Leo's early life and family con-
nections: his habits and tastes in youth;
the precise path OF his life career: the cir
cumstances leading to his elevation to
the papal throne: the policy .naugura.ed
and maintained by him: the part played
by him as the steward of the church and a