The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-13
HOL MES HIS THE ME-
Judge Wall DisCourSeS on His
Life and Works
TO A LARGE AUDIENCE
An Interesting Subject Very
Ably Handled.


Of the drinking fountain fund which she
has so generously undertaken TO collect
The audience was all that could be de-
sired for the encouragement OF a lecturer
and that it had marked effect in the
inspiration of Judge Wall. there is no
| doubt. The speaker was at his best and
he discoursed with unusual brililancy on
the life. character, characteristics, an
cestry. habits, humor and works of the
great writer Of both prose and poetry.
The lecture showed extraordinary famil-
iarity with the best products of Holmes
talent and he was especially accurate in
the reading and Interpretation Of his
poems. After quoting a great many of
them and calling the attention of the
audience to their pretty points, he dwelt
at some length on his prose writing say
ing:
But Holmes wrote more than poetry,
| and if ne had never written a single
verse yet as writer of prose he would
take high rank among the eminent writer's
who have made American literature what
| it is.
eff were in solitary confinement and
could have but one book of three hun
bred pages, 1 would without a moment
! hesitation select 1.-The Autocrat at the
Breakfast Table" While it abounds in
humor, yet he seems TO have touched
| every question and phase OF life, as with
a master hand.
Turn to an edition with a complete in
! dex and you viii see that the old auto
crat talked of politics, government, lib
! erty, law. medicines, science, religion,
morals. war. good citizenship. learning.
! life, death Immortality and love and all
that interests and concerns US in this
world
This book well deserves place among
the classics where it has long been put
and will always be kept. The papers
appeared in twelve numbers Of the At
lantic Monthly and with the aid of
! James Russell Lowell, made the maya
zine success.
When they were published IN book
form the British Review, never very
much other praise: "A book to possess
marked. thumbed and dog-eared and one
to stand up in its pride of place with the
rest on the shelves. all ranged in shining
rows as dear old friends. and not merely
as holding acquaintance
"The Autocrat, like Holmes, himself
! is most lovable; despite the name he is
never over-bearing and ponderous like
| DIR. Johnson. He may be likened unto
/ Goldsmith for his sweetness and consid-
crate regard for others.
Full of worldly sense yet a moral tone
/ typical of the best New England blood
and yet again devoid of that austerity so
frequently found in Holmes contempora-
/ ries and in the characters which they
created.
The Autocrat is ever elegant, high bred
Astounding in dainty fancies. About the
/ breakfast table at which he sat, dys-
pepsia fed; his quaint and humorous
] fancies were more potent deterrents of
/ indigestion than all the tablets made
/ for dyspeptic people.
A professor of ability Of English
/ literature in ore Of the great universi-
/ ties in a recent Retrospect of American
/ Humor' said it almost seemed imperti-
nent TO subject humor to criticism or
, dissection. and that fears had been ex-
pressed that by doing so it might be
/ found that American humor depended on
our food and digestion; I have no fears
that an analysis of the humor Of the
Autocrat would result in such revala-
ton. but on the contrary, it would be
found that his humor was not the result
Of digestion, but that digestion waited on
his humor.
Holmes put around that famous break
fast table the average kind OF people
found in an American boarding house
! -,
this material he has wrought with
vivid touch and faithfulness of portrait
ure and won a most legitimate literary
triumph where others before and since
have failed.
The sayings OF the Autocrat which
were wont to set that breakfast-table
in a roar viii not soon be forgotten. Who
can forget the dear "old gentleman who
sat just opposite the Autocrat; the pale.
sweet school mistress. with whom the
Autorcat fen in love; the landladvs
daughter with her soft voice and long
blonde ringlets and her invariable yes
and who played the accordion or read
Upper. while ner mother made the pud-
dings; and there was the poor relation
with the black dress too rusty for recent
grief. the professor under chIo-oform:
the boy Benjamen Franklin the poet
and the divinity student
These characters were sketched hy
the hand az an artist and are oil paint
ings. the passing years but add 10 their
merit
THE delightful Autocrat was succeeded
az the breakfast table by the Professor.
Dr. Conan DOYLE. sou viii remember. said
that for seif-protection ne had 10 kil
or his MASTER character. Sherlock
Holmes. while Holmes did not XII the
Autocrat yet he married him eff q the
sweet schoo. mistress Who accepted his
invitation u take the lons walk to-
sether."
"Perhaps Dr. Holmes thought there
Would he an inconEruity il q married
man talking 81 much. as vas the habit
az the AutCcrat. anu so he was sup
planted by the Professor. The personnel
Of the boaTders is much the same the
Professor grown little older than tha
Aut2cIat is somewhat Jess loQusc.aus. (
but IS 51st as cherry ana gentle, his
themes sre quite as numerous and treat 1
81 wish The same versatility. as TolHes
himself. has said. the Professor has talk +
cd less than his predecessors but be has 4
thought sad seen more. This sec5u8 sole (
uree " Esl-nes IS worthy a place oy his 1
first ANA the bsst volumes ~ our litera- +
ture are Ia good company in ans library 4
w-th The Professor ~ ilr Hr 1At4st 4
Table
Dr .sjl.mes Ia vFias u< a5 4
series Of rsr-rs- u4s somewhat o3n-
e-ta-i. ~ h.s f.i-uls Were Isst De- rr. sh- .
FAN to k--a thm up g. the hish stand 4
-.F .-r -ae-- s.-. f.--5azs-r-. r-a.. s..------