The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-20

with IL the consciousness that yet an
other season among many Of our wom-
ems clubs is drawing toward its close,
there Is yet no diminutlon OF activity.
no thought Of ennui or unrest. but rath-
en- club life seems 10 thrive and TO grow
the more assiduously as surely winter
recedes and the reviving plants and
singing BIRDS proclaim the presence OF
spring.
The past week has been characterized
by number OF exceptionally interest
ing and valuable meetings among the
home clubs. Conspicuous among these
was the regular meeting OF the Provi-
dence Fortnlghtly club. held at the
Church of the Mediator, on Tuesday
afternoon. March IA In the absence or
the president the chair was occupied b.
Mrs. Samuel Hilton. who conducted 4
discussion relative 20 the attitude the
Fortnightly club should assume toward
outside work As a result Of this dis
cussion the club voted that their help
should be given 10 any and all work
undertaken by the Rhode Island state
Federation. In connection with the
study of English History Of the Nine
teenth Century" which has been gen
winter the special topic TRANSPORTS
tion" was the subject of paper by
Miss Alice Sprague. The paper de-
scribed transportation as the means
adopted by the English OF getting rid
~ their criminal population and dating
back TO the time of Charles III. when
the Judges gave power for the removal
Of offenders TO the North American coll
onics and continued II until the year
1857. when the system was wholly abol-
ished. The paper notes the apparent
success or the system NJ first. for II de
posed OF the criminals so far as tie
people al home were concerned hut.
continues the paper: The colonists
very soon discovered that these men
who had been pent up i'm penal settle
n'ents possessed natures SO brutalized
that they were veritahle demons ard
their intrusion soon came 20 be an IN
sufferable nuisance. they were too nl-
merous 20 be wholly absorbed by the
population and they carried contagion
wherever they went" The revolt of the
American colonlsts against this system
md the necessary further removal of
the convicts 10 Botany Bay. on the
eastern shore Of New South Wales 1nt
their still later hanishment 10 Tasman-
ia and Norfolk Island was described
together with the circumstances which
caused It's final adjustment.
Following Miss Spra gue's paper the
main subject OF tho literary hour was
introduced viz: "The Life and Works
of Elizabeth Barrett Browning The
first paper by Mrs. Addison Monroe
gave i'm "a most interesting narrative
style THE Life OF Elizabeth Barrett"
The paper first speaks of her birth IN
Durham England on March G, 1909.
and the beautiful home surroundings
there: of the later removal OF the fam
ily 30 Hope End; her great talent.
manifested even at the early age of
eight years and her close .companion-
ship with her father and studies pur-
sued under his care. OF her father the
paper continues: "By his side was al
WAYS this delicate child with her large,
dark expressive eyes gazing at him
with reverent love. and n shower OF
curls hiding her upturned face. They
were close companions and whatever
she wrote was sacred - his eyes. To
whom she lovingly dedicated her first
volume of poems; as my public and
my critic
The story of her life In London. where
her health failed her literary work
there. her friendship with Carlyle and
Wordsworth. the meeting with Brown
ing and their marriage in 1876 (when
che was i'm her thirty-scventh year,
was admirably given, not emitting the
account of the stern opposition of her
marriage by her father, who never for
gave her. The Ethiopian existence OF
the Browning's in Italy, the later liter
airy career of Mrs. Browning. her
friends. her influence, her character.
were all themes of much interest. The
paper describes her death as follows:
1T was on June %. 1861. that this frail
body, bearing the burden OF two great
n brain, broke at last, under the
weight. After brief illness she gently
died in the arms OF the man who for
fifteen years had made her so absolute
ly happy. With look OF rapture on
her face she exclaimed: 1t il beauti-
ful!' and her spirit fed. God took her
to heaven as you would lift n sleeping
child from a dark uneasy bed into your
arms and the light, We're the words II
her sorrowing husband"
The second paper by Mrs. Selleck
wife of the pastor of the Church of the
Mediator enlarged upon the beauty AMI
subimty Of Mrs. Browning's poetry,
deemng il the fitting expression of her
beautiful soul. the result not merely Of
genius but of almost divine inspiration
The paper from beginning to end is
So full of literary merit that we can
hardly choose special points to form an
abstract, but shall quote at length,
realizing that no true lover of the
poetry Of Mrs. Browning will weary IN |
it's perusal.
"1n the beautiful city OF Florence up
on the walls of Casa Guida, there rises
a monument sacred to the memory OF
Elizabeth Garrett Browning. placed
there by the loving and grateful pec-
pie of Italy. But the monument that
viii endure forever is the one raised in
the hearts Of a poetry loving people ina
al lands. No one will ever know Of the
tributes that have been laid at her feet.
of the lives that have been made bet
ter and happier b. her writings.
IT Is well 10 know Mrs. Browning i'm
timately: IL Is well ~ count her among
your friends. " Is said that 20 know
a nation YOU have but 90 read it's lit
craturc: what is true of nations Is true
of individuals.
Mrs Browning has left a wealth
of literature ana IN what way can we
know her better than by reading what
she has written cut OF the experience of
a deep ana true lie?
Indeed it is y fancy of mine that
N Is the only way To really know peo-
pie. FOR Is % not every ones experionc,.
that ttGn 90 ,ur most intimate frf.pI