Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-18
Thursday Afternoon Session.

| sion there was short organ recital
by George r. Goodridge, the organist
of the Congregational church His
selections were 'ScherZo' from the 9TH
| Organ Sonata by Gculnant and Ro-
| nance in ID Flat by Lemare and were
received with much applause. After the
| reading of the minutes of the forenoon
| session the roll call was continued and
| many clubs not represented in the
| forenoon We're heard from. A letter
was read from Mrs. Anna Sargent
| Hunt of Auburn, formerly of Augusta
| regrctting her inability, on account Of
| the serious illness of her aged mother
| to be present and read the poem which
had been assigned as her part of the
| program. Mrs Hunt is a past presi-
| dent of the Federation, having been
at the head of the organization in 1901
and 1902 while living in Augusta and
| belonging to the Current Events Club
of this city, and her absence caused
much regret. A message of regret and
| sympathy was sent to her by vote Of
| the Federation.
| In the absence of Mrs. Kate c. Esra-
| brooke Of Orono, chairman of the Fed
| Grafton library commission, her report
| was read by Mrs Geo F.. French Of
| Portland. 1t dwelt upon the value of
| the travelling libraries which were es-
| tablished by the State at the sugge5-
| ton of the Federation few years
| ago and explained how these libraries
are obtained and used by clubs This
| report was followed by carefully pre-
| pared paper along the same line
by Mrs Harvey of Orono. Mrs. Harvey
| is not only the founder of the wo-
mems club Of her town. but also of the
| Public library there and she pointed
| out practical ways in which the clubs
| and the libraries can co-operate for
the good of the members and the good
| of the communities.
Two songs by Mrs. NJ. Z. Sawtelle of
this city were next enjoyed with Mr.
| Phillips Of Boston as accompanies
| Mrs. SaWtele's selections We're II
Know a Hill" and THE Lark Has a
Tyre of Cold by Whclpley ana the
generous applause testified TO the
warm appreciation Of the critical au-
| dience.
| The department Of literature ana
art was then opened. II the absence
| OF Mrs Geo. G. Frye of Portland, who
was to preside over this part of the
| program. Mrs. Harriet keycs of Farm
| Ington assumed tn" chair. The first
| speaker was Miss Fannie f. Lord Of
! Westbrook. who made 4 l0-minutes'
| plea fOl the study Of the best things in
literature ana art. Miss Julia Harris
| May of Auburn the wel-known writer.
was then introduced and spoke a few
| minutes urging more study of Ameri-
| can art. which is growing in impOr-
lance and dignity. and closing with
some very graceful verses of her own
| composition on The Joy of Learning
| Something New
| The next feature of the program was
| one of the best of the two DAYS meet
| inSs, the address of Mrs Estene F. H.
Merrill of Cambridge, Mass. on The
| Literary Study of the Bible" Mrs.
| Merrill is a native of jefferson in this
state and is daughter of Maine VINO
has won success in the world of letters
| where she is known by the pen name
| Of Jean Kincaid." She has done much
| newspaper and magazine work and
| has been prominent in club circles.
| she SAID in opening that the paper She
| had prepared would fill an hour. ana
| as the afternoon was drawing to a
| close and the time was limited. she laid
! aside the manuscript and talked IN
| formally for about half an hour. She
| began by giving many ludicrous in
| stances OF the mistakes made by peo-
| pie, young and old. in referring to the
| scriptures and in quoting from them
| showing the very general ignorance Of
| the Book with which all should he
| most familiar. This ignorance is also
| shown in the discussion of the source
| of such book titles as THE House of
! Mirth" and ''Unleavened Bread" which
are taken in many cases from the
| Bible. This ignorance of the Bible is
a great loss from the point of view of
literature. Leaving aside the religious
| and moral sides of the question. the
| Bible as literature is the best and
most important book ever printed. and
| deserves careful study by all of US.
| All that is best in literature is filed
with Biblical references and quota
tions which cannot be appreciated I'M
| less one is familiar with the Bible.
Many common expressions of speech
would be used with less flppancy if
we knew the Bible better. The remedy
is not TO be found in the public schools.
that the Bible cannot even be used as
a literary text book in the schools at
| the present time. The study must be
in the homes. for the Sunday school
| cannot do Justice to such a work First
the Bible should be printed better than
in the usual form, so as to make its
arrangement logical and more plain
The poetry should be printed as poet
cry, the genealogical table as a table
etc We should apply the same METH
DDS of study to the Bible as literature
as we do to Shakespeare and other
great writer's. Parents must study
much themselves before they can teach
the Bible to the children. OF course the
ultimate end is the moral and religious
effect but first the Bible should DE
made an object of study as any other
good literature. 1t should be studied
in the colleges. where now so mucn
study is given to Latin and Greek lit
erature. Il
Mrs. Merrill was followed with the
closest attention and her address plain
ly made a deep impression upon the
gathering filling the church II WAC