Daily inter mountain., 1900-11-10
THE WOMAN's LITERARY CLUB OF
ANACONDA.

The later brilliant years of Elizabeth,
the sad fate of Mary Stuart, and the re-
ligious movement that was % influential
in moulding the destinies of our own
country will come before the Woman's
Literary Club of Anaconda next Satur-
day.
In connection with these subjects it is
interesting to note the exceptional glory
that has crowned the dominion of Eng
land as we'll as the exceptional brilliancy
Of literary achievement, during the
reign of the three queens regnant.
In the days of Elizabeth, England was
a thinly settled and comparatively poor
country. The sentiment of nationality
was in it's infancy. Instead Of the glor-
ious empire, which it frequently appears
to us to have teen. there was only fac
tion cursed struggling people.
The masterful spirit OF the virgin queen
combined with the devotion and genius
of the men whom she summoned to her
support welded the discordant elements.
and made the little island a potent force
among the empires of the world The
great helmsman was William Cecil, Bar
on of Burleigh, but he was ably seconded
by Howard Raleigh. Leicester Drake,
Hawkins Sidney and host of others.
In the domain of letters the age was
great, even if we do not consider Shakes
peare. For Spencer Sidney. Raleigh.
johnson, Bacon, Greene, Marlowe, are
but few among the strong thinkers
and sweet singers who filled the spa
cious times of great Elizabeth with
sounds that echo stil"'
The darkest cloud that darkens the ef-
fulgence of Englands great queen is the
tragic death of Mary Of Scotland.
Whether we consider the execution of
the unfortunate queen as an instance of
inexcusable cruelty, or as a reluctant
recognition of a dire state of necessity
our hearts go out to the lone woman who
had enjoyed so little and who suffered so
much. The career of Mary Stuart is inn
portant in respect to the annals of
France, Scotland and England. In con-
nection with each of these countries her
character has a different interest. The
brilliant opening Of her political life In
the few happy months that she was
queen consort of France, were followed
by her troublous experience among a
people whom she could not understand
and by whom she was not understood
when she was queen regnant of Scotland.
linen came the dreary and hopeless per-
iod of imprisonment and her tragic
death.
The story Of her life has never been
fully told, and such biographies as exist
have been written from preiudiced
standponts. One who wishes the facts
must read through the lines of two biog-
raphies as we'll as of histories of France.
England and Scotland. The cha in
lmbert de Saint Amand's Women of the
Valos Court, which is devoted to her. is
brilliant picture of the happy days in
France. The account of the. life of Mary
In captivity as recounted by Scott in the
Monastery is as essential to an under
standing of her days in darkness, as the
perusal of Kenilworth is important to
one who wishes comprehension of the
brilliancy of the palmy days of Eliza
beth.
The third subject under consideration
by this club. Puritans and Puritanism,
is an integral portion of English history.
But it is ESSENTIAL to an understanding Of
much that has been wrought into our
own institutions. The most important
study of this topic is Campbells Puritan
in Holland, England and America. while
the most vivid idea Of the potency of
Puritanism is conveyed by the brilliant
essays on Bunyan and Milton by Lord
Macauley.