The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-01

past week, and others will close during
the coming week Several OF the clubs.
however. will hold meetings through tho
month OF May, notably the Rhode Island
Woman's club. and the Pawtucket Wo-
mans club. To all club women. however.
the close OF the club year brings reiief.
since the season has been full TO over
flowing with good things and-just now
the world OF out OF doors presents at
fractions which surmount all things In
the Intellectual or social realm.
RHODE ISLAND CATHOLIC WON
ANS CLUB.
The members Of the Rhode Island Cath
Ollie woman's club may we'll be proud OF
the great success OF their closing meeting
OF the club year. held In the Eloise last
evening.
II was not only the closing meeting but
on "open meeting and the announce
ment that Mr.. Sidney Woollett the noted
reader and impersonator of Boston was TO
read king Lear'i called out an audience
which filled the Eloise to overfowing. A
representative audience II wes, too,
many we'll known Shakespearean stu
dents being present together with MEM
bers OF the various literary clubs through
out the city. Rt. Rev. Bishop Harkins was
also present and almost every member OF
this large and progressive club NUMBER
ing more than 300.
The great gathering was called 10 order
at shortly after s o'clock by Miss Clara
Craig, the president, and after a few
graceful words expressive OF the PRIDE
and satisfaction that the club felt In the
success OF the year just closing, she intro
duced the distinguished speaker OF the
evening.
Mr.. woolett before entering upon his
magnificent rendering of King Lear
explained the salient points OF the play,
describing its historical setting and CIV
ing n very clear conception TO MS near
! ers OF the haracteristtcs OF the chief fig-
uree I'm the play, the grim old Lear hin-
self
"The Lear OF Shakespeare is not for the
| stage. II cannot be acted" declared the
! speaker. "It is too terribly human. In rem
dering this play we not only see Lear but
hear him speak. II is n tragedy too nara
and stormy to be tampered with. travel
ing back into an age OF darkness and
| barbarism where the brute forces or men
ragged unbridled and uncurbed.'
Continuing Mr. Woollett brought before
his hearers the figure OF King Lear. as
he appears at the beginning OF the play
man OF august presence, venerable,
naughty, yet tender In heart ana mag
nanimous In disposition.
THE play begins" he said. like
bright day in summer. IL IL all bright
ness but the brightness Is lurid and back
OF II Is the tempest" Continuing. Mr..
woollett took up the female characters
OF the play. the daughters Of Lear. dwell
ing especially upon the beautiful char
acier OF Cornelia and contrasting 1t with
that OF her two sistrs, through whose
wicked. dark lives the tragedy OF the
play IL revealed.
The Interpretation Of the play, as given
by Mr. Woollett, centered around KING
Lear, much OF the text being neces
sarily omitted and the story being strung
together with explanations and COM
| ments.
| The interpreta ton as whole was
given by Mr.. wooliett in a way seldom
| heard and In certain portions OF the play
| notably where King Lear discovers the
| perfidy and deceit OF his daughters, ms
| work was simply marvellous. The anger
of Lear was magnifcently portrayed as
was also his terrible anguish ana hhhi
heartbroken resignation and despair
AS n whole Il was n most finished anu
,,aster,v Interpretation and gave un-
| qualified pleasure TO all who heard It,
RHODE ISLAND wOMAN'S CLUB
Tho announcement that Mrs. waiter
| stokes Irons, the talented ana popui,hda,
| lecturer and reader OF this city wou,a
! ct,S st the Eloise on "wednesday after
! noon Nas-as will be fully understoop oy
| those who have sat under the spell oi ~
,asinpn,Se msSn,nt,SSe' magnet which attracted the
largest audience of the season On ,,i, ,he
| ocoa sion Mrs. Irons enlarged upon .re 's
life and WORK OF S'nmey n,scs y. one of our
! greatest poets, and her story was oouuS
Interesting and possessed an sdneo .s,uv, ,hn
for her hearers, because 1a n,,,ar @ with the
work OF I.anicr than with otner mg .,n Inv'o d,s
writer's. The story OF ms lue. a,tions w, ~.
brave struggle Win trrsa saVe.s sns character,
,sas was hw The speaker as most piufui.
,lea nnS at 10 the same time most inspiring"
Continuing Mrs Irons nesr.ansnil,ye enmrseinl uI: hi.
rnp. talents as a musician, his distinction @
as a student, his power as poet anu '"'
Inherent nobility of character v,,o, ,o,.
| loved. the greater stress was lald on nM,s M
poetry as the essential expression or MS ~ :
genius His prose. however was "shu ,,I,,..
.,n .ouvns" 1T. w,t were read. Though the
| Marsb noems were undoubtedly Laniei
best work, the speaker took mosf 0r hss az
rcadlngs from other poems feeling, a.,
sSe said that the Marsh poems were al
| ready tho most familiar. Z,
Ms Irons delightful narrative was VI
Illustrated by the foiiow,ng simn,e. I'M,
| aryected and altogether charming ws
"a song for the Jacauerte, "a bal1as aas
Of Tree. and ,ao,Ii. The ana Mas;fr stSer. '"
IN closing she urged the reading OF
| ran,er's pcetry as a means or mutuai
a~oyxth and spiritual development
EMBREAso CLUB.
A,o,her Of those charming "open meet
| tro," for which the Embreaso club "a so
| h,stly celebrated was held. on Wednes-
! Sav afternoon. Mt the residence or Mrs
] Milton Hall. on Olney street opposite
tho reservoir.
Mrs. Halls beautiful home Is admira-
bly suited 10 n large gathering which
an open meeting Of the Embreaso cluo
| invariably calls out the large reception
I hall and the ample pariors on either SIDE
being especially we'll adopted for large
nssemblage such as gathered tnere on
| Wednesday.
Thcn, too. the esthetic elements 20
dear TO the hearts OF refined club women.
abound In large measure In this hosplta-
bic homo and thus II happened that this
closing meeting OF the season was the
/ most largely attended and the most brli-
liant OF the scasn. The features OF the
| ux,. Hserarv musical and social.