Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-05

| F'rancais of this city wishes to bring
here for a lecture next week, is said to
be an exceptionally agreeable speaker,
He is especially graceful and cultivated
| in style, and besides, is so exact and de-
liberate in speech, that even those who
know but little of French are able to
follow him with ease. Those who like
French at all will like him. M. Dou-
| mics topics are the meaning and
growth of French letters. Thursday he
spoke on Lamartine, whom he charac-
terized as the personifcation of poetry
in France and Alfred de Vigny, who, he
thinks, was underrated by his contem-
poraries, although now he stands as one
of the masters of French literature.
A paper has been placed at Putnam,
Davis & Co.'S for those persons to sign
who wish to subscribe for tickets to a
lecture by M. Doumic next Wednesday,
One hundred tickets must be engaged,
and the number of those subscribed for
should be known by Sunday. 1t has
been necessary to fix the price at 81 a
ticket
Social evolution" was the subject of
am exceptionally able and scholarly
paper delivered by Mrs Charles Wheeler
of Providence, R. l., Friday afternoon
before the Home Club and few friends,
at the house of Mrs. w. B. Hardy. The
speaker began with resume Of evolu-
ton considered as a scientific dogma,
and gave several theories beside Dar-
wins. Evolution she characterized as a
method of looking at life, and her paper
was an application of this method to the
consideration not only of the physical
life of the globe, buf also of human life,
as expressed in the general term, civil
ization, and as manifested in intellectual
and spiritual concerns.
1t was an entirely cheerful and op-
timistic view that the speaker took. The
theory of evolution, she said had come
as light into a world nearly given over
to pessimism, offering to man for the
first time an ethical justification for the
life of the world. Darwin's discovery
of evolution she ranked scientifically
with Galileo's great discovery. THE
world" said Galileo, moves from west
to east. 1.-THE world" said Darwin,
moves from low to high"
Then, speaking more particularly OF
the evolution of society, Mrs. Wheeler
traced the development of altruism from
before the Christian era down to the
present day, showing how the old, mar
row ideas of patriotism were giving way
before the socialistic ideal of Chris
tianity. The renaissance was charae-
terized as watershed between the an
cient and modern civilizations. Just
as rivalry and selection were the
conditions of evolution in the physical
world, so, Mrs. Wheeler showed, they
are the accomplishments Of progress in
the social world, for progress is bought
only at the cost of ceaseless and newt
able struggle The ideal of civilization
to humanize this struggle; the ideal of
socialism is to do away with it alto
gether. With regard to evolution in
religion, Mrs. Wheeler said that a split
and science, for if theology was
science, it must progress like all
the other sciences. AS it was, it had
become more human and more ethical.
theology can no more go back to its
medieval position than astronomy to
the Ptolemaic theory. The old theolo-
gical problems have not been solved so
much as outgrown.
Theology is coordinate with sociology.
In closing, the essayist spoke in a hope
full way of the future man, as being the
perfect being for which preceding gene
ratlons had been but preparations and
OF the kingdom of God as at hand.
Mr. J. N. Truda announces a pupils
violin recital at Steinert hall, Saturday,
March u. at p. m. The pupils will be
assisted by Mrs. Brand, pianist; Mr..
John Brand, cello; Mr. Angelo Truda.
tenor and Mrs. Jane Truda, accompan-
list
Mrs. Caroline Shepard, formerly of
the Piedmont church choir, seems to
have been the bright particular star at
a concert given in Boston, Thursday af-
ternoon, for the benefit of one of the
well known charity institutions of the
city. She was recalled after each ap-
pearance, and once received what is
popularity termed "an ovation" She was
in good artistic company, too Leopold
Lichtenberg, the New York violinist
formerly of Boston,, Leo Schulz the
Symphony orchestra cellist; Jacques
Hoffman, and Henry Hendl were the
other performers.
The engagement is announced of Miss
Gwendolyn Burris daughter of Elliott
Burris of Brooklyn N Y, to Mr.. George
w. Knowlton, Jr., of West Upton.