The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-22
MIR. MABIE ADDRESSES THE
RHODE ISLAND WOMAN'S CLUB

II was indeed feast of season and .
fiow of soul" for those who listened last
evening to Mr.. Hamilton w. Mabie in his
lecture on Literature as a Personal Re
search"
The lecture was given in the Mathew
son Street NJ e. church. under the aus
pices of the Rhode Island Womans club
and q large and representative audience
was present To book lovers the lee
ture was an inspiration as will be fully
understood by all who are familiar with
Mr. Mabies delightful literary style and
with his charming literary creations in
The Outlook, of which he is the asso-
oiate editor.
The lecturer was introduced bv Mrs..
George J. Baker, the president OF the
Rhode lsiand Womsn's club who grace
fully welcomed those present by say
Ing that that she believed that the ideal
club OF the future would include both
men aud women. Tonight" she said,
"we welcome our husbands and brothers
I'm our midst and IL is a relief 10 turn from
the perplexing problems which but re-
Gently occupied our thoughts at the
biennial 10 listen to words of wisdom
from our friend--one who has so often
allowed us TO sit by his study fere
awhile"
Mr.. Mabie responded to the Introduction
In a most gracious way and before enter
ing at once into his subject told several
stories which proved him an adept IN
this art as well as in that OF literary
critic and man of letters.
II am TO speak to you tonight" he said,
mot about the average book to be found
on the news stands and carried through
the trains but of the greaest literature
nf all tha
Il do not apologize to you because my
subject is old but because II is so great.
Ii seems an impertinence for me to stanu
here and speak of Homer, of Marcus
Aurelius. or Epictetus. all inspirers or
what is noblest inliterature. An impert-
inence TO speak for Dante with his mys-
teal record OF the journey of a soul of
Browning, whose heroic voice Is heard
wherever there is doubt and pessimisIn.
of Tcnnyson. with that high thought OF
his that shall live forever ian the musical
ear. or Shakespeare and the rest who are
constant source OF inspiration.
We'll 1t would be an inpertinence 10
speak OF such voices as these were IL not
for the fact that preeminently we are tue
people who ought to be fed by these hign-
er sources of inspiration.
THE social conscience OF our time l. so
keenly awake that If there is any source
Of inspiration or help II is our duty to find
It,
"One new thing has come into the
world: world consciousness OF human
conditions and human sorrow. We not
only know, every morning, how all the
world fares but how the other half lives
and the sorrows OF the world are on our
hearts.
Some of us, men and women OF sens-
tive souls. are almost in despair because
we realize how much there is of suffer
fn..
so little help. Our time feels this social
consciousness and-because OF this IL
there be any sources of vitality. let us
grasp them. We need the Inspirations
that comes from living with the masters
of thought
What is a great book? you ask-no
man ever lived who was great enough To
make great book out Of himself
great book is fashioned first in the heart
and consciousness OF race. Our great
writer's are the men who owe the most to
the world The keyword Of a great book
is life and II is great I'm proportion as IL
transmits life. The great books of the
world contain the life blood of the whole
race Every one of them is revelation
Of what man has done and of what he Is
capable OF doing
Just here Mr. Mable entered into n con-
sideration of some of the great books of
the world.
Re called attention. first. TO that little
book which never grows old, The lmi-
tation OF Christ" by Thomas Kempis.
''Why" he said, lis this little book
alive today when so many greater books
are strandedP Because ~ is book OF
life and because a mans life went into
the book" Continuing Mr.. Mabie dwelt,
I'm a most fascinating way on the works
OF the great Scotch authors, Dr. jon
son, Scott, Burns. CARLYLE, stevenson
and Barrie TO illustrate his thought of
life. vitality, humanity and inspiration
These writer's he believed dvinely i'm
snIred for. said he, there has hardly
been n time when some inspired Scotch
man has not had his fingers or the KEYS
of song pressing out music Why nave
the scotch people been so successful IN
those higher realms OF thought? For cent
turies the Scotch people have known by
heart some OF the greatest literature OF
the world. You cannot know the Psalms
OF David. the history Of isaiah ana Jop'
as they have, century after century,
s.t,hon, being inspircd. The trouble Is we
do no, live enough with inspired writer's,
hu, we do live too much with the news
papers. -
- believe ufc could he ~ times as In
s,irinp as IA is and YOU and ] 70 times
moro inspiring and interesting IL we Nv
cd with the inspired all the time and not
with the mediocre things OF life.
You and I do not know how 10 r,au
the great books OF the world until tneN
cease TO be literature and become nfe 10
US
Nr Nabic closed with n plea for the
onaiity Of ioy IN life; Joy In work. the
fitness OF feeling which Will greet
every experience, as n u had never hap,
pened before. ils strongly depIecatcu
me norbid literature, morbid psychology
of modern times 49, - ..
"Thls auality of vitality. this freshness
OF spirit Is characteristic OF az greas
never grow old Tho secret OF great
iife is not 60 escape. bat 90 live.
Live IN intimate tamiharitN WIN the
Great hooks " the world--they have the
powcr OF vitality and Also the power OF
renewing your ideals which " quite tbs
highest service they can render YOU. we
could not live I'm this world without our