The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-11-20
Cbe DatIp Hrotnoreite
ENGLISH LITERATURE.
Al Interesting Lesson In Shakespeare
by ArdmOre LadIes.

literature met at 3 o'clock Satur-
day afternoon and, although the
weather was cold, dreary and
threatening, the attendance was
good, and the expectant faces of
the pupils as they settled down to
work showed with what feeling
of interest they looked forward to
the exercises Of the evening
reading Of carefully prepared pa
pers on the different characters
and acts of AS Yon Like 1t. "
Each subject was presented as the
writer saw it, given in her own
language and according to her own
best judgment, without reference
to the opinions of others. This
finishes the study of this play,
which has been the theme of our
conversation for so many pleasant
Saturday afternoons. A month
may seem a long time to consume
in the study of a comedy; but
when we consider that Shakespeare
is the chief literary glory of En-
gland,' and that he knew human
nature as no other man knew it,
we may be sure that even in his
comedies there, are natures too
deep and true and sweet-charac
ters too confding and pure-to be
passed by with merely a superficial
reading. To be conversant with
one of these masterpieces we must
know the "how and why and
where" of it.. We must go deeper
than the outside show; we must
get behind the purple and the gold,
or the filth and the rags, as the
case may be, and find the motive
that prompts the outward act; we
must find the delicate hidden
springs that make the wheels go
round" if we would know the
1,riting of Shakespeare well and
the influence it has had on the
world.
Mrs. Ledbetter gave us beauti-
full sketch of Rosalind and Orlando,
two such sweet, such true and
tender lovers we leave them with
reluctance. Miss Norris had
Jaques, and she found something
interesting to say Of him. Mrs.
Webb wrote abo1t Touchstone
and Audrey, and in her intelligent
handling of the subject she showed
that even court fool" may be a
philosopher, and a country wench
may possess qualities worth loving
and living for. Mrs. Jordan had
.Silvius and Phoebe, and her de-
seription of these two minor char
acters was so original it furnished
one of the most pleasing events of
the evening. Mrs. Mccoy read an
entertaining paper on Oliver and
Celia. The other papers read were
a synopsis of the fifth act by Mrs.
Poland, second act by Mrs. Wal
colt, fourth act by Mrs. A. c.
Cruce. We missed the pleasure OF
hearing several Of the papers read
on account of the absence of some
of the members.
After the reading of the papers
Mrs. Barry gave us a delightful
and instructive lecture on the play.
In her lectures she draws from a
fund of information gained not
only from thorough and exhaust
i've study of all of Shakespeare s
writings, but from personal OBJ
seryation as we'll. She has visited
Shakespeare's home at Stratford'
on-Avon; she has looked into the
quaint interior of the old house ht
lived in; she has trodden the little
path that leads over the stile, OF
across the fields to Shottery, wher'
dwelt the sweetheart of his youth
Anne Hathaway. And as sh'
talked to MS about it all in that ele
CANT, graceful and pleasant man
ner peculiarly her own we felt al
most as if we, too, had seen tn
- E,c,lo,dfc. or,.aafaSt r0of