The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-06
DR. BURROWS SPEECH
ADDRESSES LARGE AUDIENCE AT
 HIGH SCHOOL.
Distinguished Lecturer Talked Inter- estingly On Literature Regarded Ah An Amusememt-Tribute
 to Hunsorists of America.

The Auditorium of the Girls High
 school was comfortably filled last
 night, with an audience of the literary
 men and women of Montgomery. who
 for one hour were charmingly enter
 tained with a lecture on Literature. Re-
 garded as an Amusement,'' the second
 of series by Dr. Richard Burton, Of
 Boston.
 Dr. Burton Is both an original and
 forceful speaaer, delivering his ad-
 dress with a marked simplicity and
 sinceYeness that wins his audience.
 The Increased size of the audience
 last evening over that of the; previous evening. was distinct compliment to
 Dr. Burton.
 E Dr. Burton in a broad and comprc-
 hensive manner outlined the subject or
 his discourse. He gave as definition
 Of amusement-whetheri in literature or
 otherwise--''too have ones own way in
 this world" and the definition is appii-
 cable to the individual, entirely ac-
 cording to the view point. He spoke
 of light literature, as being. according
 to many people, the books that have no weight, while some. people think all
 books classed under the head of
 novels light literature-yet he said
 "the great novel is the great piece of
 literature.
 He spoke interestingly of the great
 change in public opinion during the
 last twenty-five years on the. subject of the proprieties for ministers and
 other public spirits.
 The time was not so long since, when bicycle would be looked upon askance while now 1t is not only the correct, but the usual thing for ministers to cover the ground on bicycles and spend a portion of their time on the golf links and engaged in other outdoor and athletic sports.
 He said however that the literature that did nothing but amuse, was not without it's value, but it's higher pur- pose was for inspiration and instruc- tion and does and should appeal to the instinct for beauty.
 A strong point which he made was that of the pleasure to be derived from the reading of a book that the highest good always comes when there is pleas | ure. a fact which is applicable to any mental or spiritual experience, though ! the idea of pleasure as a state of mind | Is as diversified as are people them- | selves.
 Good books enable and uplift When | they fail In these qualificat ations they fai | of their duty--and in this connection | Dr. Burton quoted Robert Louis Ste venson as speaking of my week of har l piness"--meaning that 1t should not
 only be q pleasure but one should feel | It duty 10 seek happiness. | He spoke of the strenousness of the
 life. of the century. and especially oi
 the country in which we live and drew 1 interesting comparisons between the habits and customs of the people oi | the New England states and those oi | the South. New York" the inhabi. | tants seem dominated by only two de | sires that of pleasure. not always oi | the highest order. or money, and he I Af hnf v1,ft1 fafn fnr.a rf.rI
 ly to this condition.
 On the other hand he spoke of the
 drama AS you like it. when played 1 by the great artist Madam Modjeska as | appealing to the highest and best, and
 of the delightful and breezy interpeta-
 tion of childhood and child life in the | worKs of Robert l.. Stevenson. | He said there are books which not | onlyk established a bond that draws l people together but also nations. He said a distinctive mark of human | ity is to laugh. and books-some books are intended for that purpose. which lis not a bad one.
 ! He paid fine tribute to the Ameri- Gan humorist, and spoke at more length on this branch of literature. | The books that make one cry have also their place in literature and he l said that in the reading of books the l person who never cries, shows a stolid
 and an immovable nature; the person | who cries, but cries in the wrong place | shows there Is yet hope; but those who I cry in just the right place show the
 knowledge of what literature really is. The pursuit of happiness. he said, Is symbol of noble living, and quoted Sidney Lanier as having reversed the "joy of holiness of the Bible into the
 holiness of joy" in the lives of hu- manity
 Dr. Burton will lecture at the Beau
 voir Club this afternoon at o'clock on Browning" and give d reading from Andrea and Del Sarte.' This evening and tomorrow evening Dr. Burton will lecture at the Girls High School on the Modern Drama.