Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-11
Talks.
Women's Club Has an Intellectual
Treat at the Regular Meeting
Wednesday.
Miss Wadsworth. Of Boston, Talks Of
the Historical Works Of
Shakespeare
Two Opening Lectures on Shakes
pearean Subjects Under the Aus.
pieces Of the Hawthornes.


The meeting of the Women's Club
Wednesday afternoon was fitting one
for the first of the new year The his
tory department., Mrs. Evalyn Van
Week chairman, had the program in
charge In her opening remarks the
president alluded to the fact that while
the holidays had been a happy season,
they had ..,,csfi iis;s.ii.s9ca By the death o.
one of the members, Mrs George r.
f.stabreok. A committee to prepare
resolutions was appointed by the chair.
Miss Pearl Benjamin gave the first
number on the program playing Mem
delssohn's Spring Song and The
Butterfly by Grieg. The selections are
especially appropriate fol, Miss Benja-
| min, as her delicate touch gives just
1.-the dainty rendering they demand
Miss Mary Wadsworth, Of Boston,
was then introduced. Miss Wadsworth
lis no stranger to Marshalltown, for on
! her visit here last spring she read a
number of her papers on literary sub
4 jects The subject for "Wednesday was
The English Historical Plays OF
shakespeare. Ten in number and GOV
slsering scores and scores of years, they
are of great value To the earnest stu-
ldent of history. The first of the series
Ills Henry III. and the last is Henry VIII
/ The passing OF feudalism and the riss
4 of the common people are clearly de
picted. Ii has been said that Shakes
peare had no love for the common peo'
{ pie. but the study of his works WI
prove how unjust the accusation IS
q There are those who would deprsciat'
1.-the value of these plays. from tn
standpoint Of the historian, and no on
| can DENY that they do contain anachro
risnls. but this must always be tn
lease When di-amatist seeks TO en-
lsbody history in his plays. But IN ms
tory, as in all things. the spirit is NOR
than the letter and Shakespeare wa
) true to the spirit. King John IS per
hans the least accurate Of all the play
:. and Richard II. the most accurate
) Henry y. is more Of the nature of a
epic and has seldom been used on tn
J. stage. 1t is 10 b.. regretted that tn
great writer should have done the II
Z Justice he has to Joan de Are in IN
! play Of Henry VI. and his portrayal {
, her seems strange to US. VINO nav
Ilaarned TO do her homage and wnen NJ
!, tchurcn has, but recently canonized ne
"a as d sairts In the same play, howsVe
J the description Of The demagogue IS
: true 10 human mature that the pictu
= might be takan for q likeness Of ms
= whom we see today in the politics
=, our time The great PLAY 81 ften
i VIII. is perhaps the mast popular
all these plays and With Richard "
/, the most familiar 70 ,heatsr-goel
!. t,Dnsummate skill VAS needed IN =
Il handling OF this theme for Y MAS VII
~ ten in the time of Elizabeth aud Z
10 story of her parents might not ie I
:. most pleasant thing in the world.l
,,a is often thus with truth. But Shake
= peare did his task we'll. The ;yirs
I, !, Queen was not displeased, Meth
M Roman nor Anglican could take {
70 Tense. and yet the play shows the cha
acter of it's persnnnR and the TIM
Miss Wadsworth handled her suble
with skill. / was not an easy thing
do. for in an audience where no spec
study has been given TO this series
PLAYS less interest would be arouse
~ perhaps than by other selection
On which might be called more popul'
n An enthusiast on Shakespeare, I
o sneaker did not close without an eu
y sy on the great play writer Qnu'
Is lions we're asked and answered
70 around the tea tables the ladies {
" ioyed a social chat.