Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-10-29
UNIVERSITY CENTER.

UNIVERSITY CENTER.
Last Tuesday evening. after al
entire week of Arctic weather, tn,
first cloudless night for some tim'
spread the silver light of the moor
over the city of Baxter Springs aut
the class gathered at the usual
place.
Tho following persons were pres
ent: Mrs. John Opperman, Mrs
I. D. Brewster, DR.. and Mrs. Thomp
SON, Mr.. and Mrs. Noble, Mrs. T. T
McAboy and Miss Bertha Quigg
Their work was to complete Roman
literature for the month of October.
Prof. Noble spoke of the elder
Pliny and his works. He said that
Pliny's observations and writings
were as extensive as the literary
works of Aristotle, but lacked his
original powers of analysis, in
sight and classification. Pliny had
no system; Aristotle was perfect
system connecting all of his
thoughts with a golden chain Of
logic which captivated the world OF
thinkers for more than two thous.
and years.
Mrs. McAboy was then introduced
to read a letter written by the
younger Pliny to Tacitus, the Ro'
man historian of whom we spoke
in our last. This second Pliny was
a nephew of the former and in his
letter he gives an account of his
uncle's death at the eruption OF
vesuvius which buried the two
ancient cities of Pompeii and Her
culaneum, where he went ashore to
study the phenomenon, which de-
votion to science cost him his life
Mrs. Thompson gave very inter
esting talk on Seneca who in HE
works avoided speculation, and aP-
piled the wisdom of the world to
the vicissitudes of human life. A
careful observer, he had deep in
sight into the human heart in all
it's varied nature, and rises to
heights of moral vision unsur
passed, perhaps unequalled by any
other pagan philosopher.
DR.. Thompson presented Juvenal
and with Mrs. Noble read the first
satire of Persus.
Mrs. Opperman gave a talk or
Pliny, the younger, whom she con-
sidered the most faultless example
of cultured gentleman that Rome
could furnish. He was the foremost
lawyer of his age and his several
volumes of letters which he col
lected and published show the re
fined and scholarly character o.
their author. HE letters to the EN-
peror, Trajan, furnish valuable in
formation in regard to the early
christians.
Mrs. Brewster said: After the
second century the creative litera
ture of pagan Rome was of little
importance. She named several
historians, but not to be compared
TO Livy and Tacitus.
Rome's most important works
during the second and third cen
turtles was in the literature of juris
prudence. 1t was in this field tina
Rome during her five hundred
years of the Republic and the fiv,
hundred years of Empire surpassed
all other nations that have existed
Those writings became the founda
ton for the municipal laws of con
tinental Europe.
The last work of the evening wal
an essay on Julius Caesar by Mis-
Bertha Quigg. She treated entirel,
on the life, character and writing'
of this distinguished parsonage
without doubt the most importan
character that Rome ever produced
and as Shakespeare said "the great
est man of all the world"
The class 10 now anxiously await
ing the return of Mr.. L. N. PerkinI
when they will be more than de
lighted to visit his choice and yer.
valuable Roman museum.
They can now more fully appre
ciate those rich treasures than eve
before.
Next week the class will begin tn
study of German literature. -