Evening capital., 1905-03-15
.AN EVENING WITH THE POETS.
A LARGE AUDIENCE GREETS
DR.. F. vi. BRISTOL.
Pleasing Entertainment With Lit
erary Program at Maryland
Avenue M, E.
Church.

cesstul entertainments none can give
them quite so successfully as the Mary
land Avenue NJ. Z. Church. The con-
gregation feels in duty bound TO pat
ronize its own whether it be a-movIng
picture entertainment, a evening of
illustrated songs. lecture, a supper
or festival or an .'evening with the
poets.
This church is always full OH every
occasion where the good of the church
is the object, and its congregation is
one of the few that works shoulder to
shoulder in all efforts TO accomplish
a common good-that of wiping out
the church debt Before s O'Clock last
night seats in the main auditorium al
Maryland Avenue Nj. +. Church were
at premium. Indeed, few minutes
after s O'Clock. the last two seats
were taken and chairs had TO be
brought in.
For any lecturer or entertainer 60
be greeted by such a large audience
as that which greeted DR.. Bristol last
night in Annapolis is the highest
compliment that can be paid him, foI
Annapolis, taken all in all, does not
like lectures or anything that sayors
of literary entertainments. Before
introducing the speaker of the even.
ing the pastor, Rev. /. K. Peters, ex.
pressed his gratitude at the support
the city had given the work of the
church. He said men and women of
all creeds and religious sects had help
ed the Maryland Avenue Church to
raise its debt of $50, 600. and that il
had been all raised except two or
thraa hupdrad doIlarS oud rafsad from,
all sources These last few hundred
dollars had been harder to raise than
SO many thousands. Dr. Bristol, he
said, had helped on two former occa.
isons, and it was with some hesita-
tion that Mr.. Peters called on him
again.
The program of the evening was in.
terspersed with music by the violin
aud organ accompaniment. Mrs.
Crandall also sang beautiful solo be.
fore the close of the entertainment.
DR.. Bristol,g who is pastor of the
Metropolitan Nj. 4. Church. of Wash.
ington, one of the largest and most
influential churches at the National
Capital, announced his first selection,
"Our Two Opinions. 1t is a poem
by the late Eugene Field, who, DIR.
Bristol said, was a personal. friend,
and whose funeral sermon the Doctor
had preached. While DR.. Bristol de,
clared he was not an elocutionist, and
undoubtedly meant what NJ said, he
none the less, is one OF rare talent and
genius. Throughout his program of
varied selections he adapted himself
perfectly TO the character, tones, ges.
lures and dialect, in all save one, the
Scotch selection, and it is impossible
for anyone, save Scotchman to de-
pict his own dialect and accent.
DR.. Bristol gave a portion of
"Robert of Sicily" one of LongfeI.
lows poems. 1t was a splendid effort
and was recited in masterly maner.
He glided from pathos to humor, from
the light to the shadow, and with
much effect recited that familiar selec-
tion, 1.-The Low Back Car With
characteristic facial expression of al
old man calling up "reminiscences OF
boyhood days, DR.. Bristol rendered in
highly amusing manner "BilPf
Tenor and My Bass he gave Burns
oft quoted poem "a Mans Man Fol
A THAT" and a beautiful selection
from James Whitcomb Riley, 'Out tC
Old Aunt Mary's." He also recited 9
very humorous selection by Ben King,
dialect poet, friend OF Whitcomt
Riley. This was entitled IF / Can
BE BY Her." and was given with
great effect.
One of the most striking features OF
the program was Longfellow's poem
relating the encounter of Miles Stan.
dish with the Indians. Miles Sandist
- he -
and the poem is founded on fact. DR.
Bristol's portrayal OF the scene depict
ed by Longfellow was a masterly
effort. The Doctor said he attended
the General Conference some time
since at Los Angeles, Cal, and he re
lated a number of jokes told by the
Methodist preachers. One especially
applicable to the healthfulness of An
napolis is that told by preacher from
the State of Washington, who said il
was such healthy place that you haC
to shoot man to start a graveyard.
A recitation relating the shooting oi
Spanish nobleman with q long lis
OF aliases) by Peter Brown was hu
morously recited and the program
closed with that touching poem Of
Whitcomb Riley's, Goodbye Jim. -
The entertainment was very pleas
ing and those who had previously
heard DIR. Bristol lecture are convinced
that he is a versatile clergyman and
an elocutionist in spite of himself
He has other talents besides those of 9
preacher and platform speaker, anc
can entertain a large and critical An
napolis audience.
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