The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-12-25
Members Of the Woman's Club Dis.
cuss the Literature Of England at
Their Meeting Wednesday.
CLEVER PAPER BY MISS BROWN
Literary Works of the Reigns of James III,
Charles IL and william and Mary
Prove Interesting Topics

ne rdlner prOSa1C ana uu1ntereS ting
literature of tie closing years Of
the seventeenth century in England
was the subject brought before the
Womau's Club Of Kenosha for discus
sion at their regular fortnightly meet
ing at the Library building on We'd
nesday afternoon, and the subject
matter was SO splendidly and clever1y
brought out by Miss Edith Murray
Brown that the meeting proved to be
one ofthe most instructive and inter-
estingever held by the mem bers of the
club.
The subject of Miss Browns paper
was ''The art and literature of Engla nd
during the reigns of Charles II, James
II and William and Mary Miss
Brown showed in her paper that there
was scarcely period in the history of
England IN which literary spirit was
so dormant, and the full literary work
Of this period of more than fifty years
had been centered about the work of one
or two men. The great political ques-
tons which were ever in the ascend
ency in England during the turbulent
reigns of James and Charles gave
little time for levity and the writer's
developed in that period were prose
writer's whose works had either not
been worthy of representation or who
we're so unfortunate as to have had
their names lost IN the squabbles
which followed the misru1e of these
English kings.
A few of the writer's became great
but none of them became famous.
The writing of religious tracts filled
up the most of the time of the men of
great learning and only here and there
name was found which has remained
till today.
In her paper Miss Brown spoke
especially of Samuel Pepys and his
diary and brought out the fact that
while the diary was written as an inno-
cent amusement for its author it
stands today as one of the few
classics" produced during this stag
mated period of English literature.
The dry humor and optimistic phil
osophy of Pepys has made his work
famous even today. In John Dryden
Miss Brown found another writer who
added something of the laurel crown
to the period, and she read number of
the best selections from the diary and
from the poems of Dryden.
Miss Brown spoke of the decay of
art during the period and showed that
it brought into bass relief the work of
a few great artists.
The discussion which followed the
paper was led by Rev. Marion Muir
dock. 1t brought out many points of
interest in regard to the art and liter
allure of the age and the ages which
followed.
Mrs. J. W. E. Rodgers spoke espec-
tally of the work of Algernon
Sydney and the high place that should
be accorded to him for his loyalty to
principle, although forgotten almost
by literary people of today. Mrs.
Rodgers found in Sydney one of the
most heroic and praisworthy writer's
of English. Miss Buck read number
of selections from Dryden in charm
ing manner and Miss Lew Balm
closed the afternoon by reading Sc
lections from Hudibras.
Mrs. Kaltenbach played very
charming piano solo and the usual cup
of tea followed, Mrs. Peter Fisher and
Mrs. George S. Baldwin pouring.
The next meeting of the club will be
held on the afternoon of December 81.
when Miss Francis Lewis Balm will
read a paper on american Pottery
and Glass;