The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-19

large attendance. The program for the
afternoon was of musical and literary
character. No papers however, were pre-
sented-the following program being given
in lieu of a lecture or purely literary
program.
Piano duet, Miss Mary A. Edmond and
Miss Lillian Reoch; vocal solo, Miss Ethel
Read of Providence; reading, Miss May
Lamphere.
A musical romance was also given, the
chairman reading the question while Miss
Reoch, at the plano, played snatches or
songs which answered the questions. the
audience guessing the answer as the air
was played.
Following the musical romance other
solos were given by Miss Read and read
ings by Miss Lamphere.
The exercises of the afternoons closed
with a very interesting account OF the
recent annual meeting of the State feder-
ation-by Mrs. George III. Corey.
The next meeting OF the club will be on
on April Both, when the Fifth Wednes-
day Tea" of the club will be given.
CLUB NOTES.
On Wednesday morning next the Rhode
Island delegation of club women will
leave this city en- route for Los Angeles
Cal. and the big biennial of the National
Federation of Womens clubs, which
opens In that city on May 1st.
The delegation will be composed OF the
following: Mrs George II. Corey of the
Coventry Woman's club, Mrs. Ira Winsor
and Mrs. III. Mecherer OF the Ardirhebiah
club Mrs. Edward l.. Johnson, Miss Lor-
raine Johnson, Mrs Arthur Stonley, Mrs.
Charles o. Read and Mrs. James r. Mac
IN.ll Ill u. .Als.t
Mrs. Fanny Purdy Palmer. Mrs Brown
and Mrs. George T. Baker OF the Rhode
Island Woman's club
The annual meeting and election of Of
hcers OF the Pawtucket Woman's club
will occur on Monday afternoon.
The Providence Mothers club will meet
i'm the Classical high school on Monday
afternoon, when Miss Abby Marlatt. SUI
pervisor OF domestic science I'm the schools
OF Providence will give a lecture on
Bread"
The beginning of the end OF the club
season is at hand and next week three
of the principal clubs of the Rhode Island
State Federation will hold their closing
meetings for the year. viz: The Read,
Mark and Learn club" "Ardirhebiah
club" and Providence Fortnightly club
The remaining clubs of the federation
will continue their regular meetings
through the month of May.
RHODE ISLAND wOMAN'S CLUB.
The fifth In the course of lectures on
Poems OF Ancient Literature" by Pro-
fessor Fowler of Brown university, was
given I'm the Mathewson street church this-
afternoon, under the auspices of the
Rhode Island Woman's club.
The specific topic was The Great Mas
terpIece," and Professor Fowler spoke in
part as follows:
Each one of MS has a small private
library. made up of those books which
have met some need and satisfied II.
Such books are ours, whether they stand
upon our shelves or whether their legal
title is denied us. 1t Is one OF these
chiefest treasures I'm my own tiny coll
lection that | am to open this afternoon.
THE book OF Job has ever stood out.
by it's inherent beauty, against the effort
TO squeeze the great national literature
preserved in the Bible into the notion of
a single book.
Amidst all the controversy about date
and aim there has been agreement I'm the
conviction that this book Is one OF the
finest creations of the literature or all
ages.
SHELLEY. Goethe and Milton delighted
i'm it and Milton, especially. reflects much
of it's spirit i'm his writings. Browning
too. seems so deeply influenced by the
book that one often feels that JOB is
speaking through him.
'oThe idea and purpose OF the poem car-
not be formulated into a brief statement;
all that is possible for one 10 do Is TO tell
OF some of the things which the great
work has meant to himself or others.
'In outline the book shows q rigid
form with the long poetical Vart en-
closed between prose prologue and epl-
logue. The poem divides itself into sew
eral clearly distinguished parts, the curse,
the debate. the Elihu section and the
Jahovah words. The debate In turn, is
quite rigid I'm the order of its three cycles
or speeches The prologue Is wonder
fully condensed and dramatic piece OF
narrative. giving one OF the facts neces-
sary for appreciation of the poem.
I'm the main body OF the book the three
friends are not simply lay hgures nut are
quite subordinate I'm interest TO job whose
inner struggle constitutes the real action
The friends. each in his own way. pre-
sent the current theology according TO
which Job must be deeply guilty since
Jehovah has visited him with such mis-
fortunes.
IAN authority of ancient belief Is with
them and i'm their eyes Job is most pre-
sumptuous In questioning their doctrine.
Job stands forth alone. trusting only the
ltcht OF his own conscience and the facts
of life as he interprets them. He can
IRA power and wisdom IN the govern
ncnt OF the universe but no justice and
bitterly does he cry out for an opportunity
TO come before God and seek for Justice.
'rho three friends are silenced az last,
by his inslstence. though unconvinced-
ana the young man. Ellhu. speaks at
length. adding further argument.
"rhen Jehovah speaks from the whirl-
wind. revealing himself TO Job and the
troubled soul is satisfied.
'The honest struggle OF an honest soul,
through doubt. is approved.
The book has often been called
drama and TO the Greek dremas II shows
many affirities though the action is sub
iectivc since the real interest lies In