The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-12-18
DIR. HUFHAM'S LECTURE.
THE Romance in the Early History Of North
Carolina"

At st. Mary's School last night, Rev.
DR.. ]. D. Hufham l~ectured on Romance
n the History of the Carolinas."
1t was the second Of a series Of lectures
that will be given there this winter, and
It was q most charming review of the
same stirring scenes enacted in the
early settlement Of this State and her
Southern sister.
DR.. Huffman began his discourse with
a definition Of the word romance, which
tie said was "a description of men and
women at their best-best in sentiment,
highest in thought and noblest in achieve
ment.'
lie then gave instances OF this, most
Of them drawn from local happenings,
but all showing the human mind and sent
iment striving Upward. This feature Of
| characteristic tendency to higher and
nob1er things-runs through all hui
mainly" he said. "and crops out here and
yonder like the strata Of rock that forms
the backbone Of some noble range Of
mountains"
Then he briefly discussed the romantic
in literature and divided it into two
great classes: Realistic and Romantic.
The Realistic, he said, describes hui
manity at its worst. with a tendency to
sordidness and dirt. The Romantic de-
scribes humanity at its best, shows its
longings for the higher things of life and
how they are reached.
Authors illustrative OF these two
schools were named. and the speaker
warned his hearers against what is known
as Realistic literature. He added:
People laugh at romance-at the girl
who dreams dreams and the young man
who walks on air and bumps his head
against the stars. But they are to be
envied rather thar laughed at. They rep
resent humanity at its best.
THE Bible from first to last said DR..
Hufham. "is a historical romance"
He gave instances: The story of Ruth,
the biography of Abraham, the trans
actions of Jacob and others. Touching
he trade between Jacob and EsaW, he
said:
Il sometimes think Jacob lived toe
soon. He ought to have been born in the
latter part of the Nineteenth century
There is no telling how many railroads
ne would have stolen. how many banks
he would have wrecked. He swindiet
everybody that came in his reach. He
even gouged his father-in-law, who, by
the way was considerable Of a rasca
himself.
But in the record Of Abrahanls life
God throws in much romance-au true
but more the less romantic. He SHOWS
US ever the old Datriarch's downfallings
and uprisings, a longing, a striving 1o1
The better and the nobler.
and the lesson Of it all is that to bf
men and women we must be ronlantlc-
you must dream dreams ana nave hisi
thoughts"
This brought the speaker to the cen
trail thought OF his discourse-the romance
n early North Carolina history, and tn:
he discussed in most charming and ia
niliar manner. giving many interesting
happenings in North and South Caroline
history during the time that they Wer'
one province. :,
It was q discourse as no synopsis VII
10 Justice to. A delightful talk of an OLE
nan to a room full OF young women
s,ch a talk as one would imagine tn
venerable Or. Oliver Wendell Holmes o
he delightful George William Curt
would have made under similar clrcum
stances and to such an audience.
The lecture was enlivened By man.
quaint sayings and delightful sallles o
wit, and the hour for the lecture ha'
passed almost before anyone reaiize'
Chat it had well begun.
III cOIliiuSIOIy III INC A@'A
Young ladies'. there are two tninS
hat I would tonight ask you to remember
Il. The hu1ndrum and ordinary are no
he true life and true character. DO no
Sc afraid to dream dreams and have hlgI
thoughts.
"2. The man who rises above ina
which is sordid-these are the men an
women that uplift the world and BRING
nearer heaven and bring heaven down
the world.
ct is the romance in our history tina
makes US proud of it
Loud applause greeted the close OF ID
Hufham's lecture.
The official report OF the finances OF III
Paris exposition show a loss OF two MI
lion francs. The total OF expenditures
lie. 500, 900 francs. The receipts amounte
tn IA rOO n00 frames The loss ia les