The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-04
LYCRUM LECTURE
CHARMS AUDIENCE
DIR. w. H. SEARS DELIVERS BRIL-
LIANT LEcTURE-TEAcHES WIS
DOM BY HUMOROUS ILLUsTRA-
TIoNs, AND APPEALS TO YOUTH.

auditorium was delivered last night by
DR.. w II. Sears before large and Gull
tivated audience.
DR.. J. II. Phillips, superintendent of
public schools, introduced the lecturer and
at the same time announced that the next
lecture would be delivered by Mr.. Dewitt,
on February 10, and that IL any supple
mental lecture were to be delivered in
the meantime it would be made known
through the press.
Dr. Sears stepped quickly forward and,
in the first few words. captured the at
tention of his audience. lie said the sub
ject of his lecture was More Taffy and
Less Epitaphy," by which he said he
meant that people should be more dis
posed to see the good qualities in the
living than singing their praises after
they are dead. I'VE are too prone" said
he, Ito select a single incident in a per-
sons life and base our judgment upon
it. We magnify persons faults and
failings and do not give any praise or
credit for the good qualities"
The lecturer proceeded to say that the
day of sour sad grim-visaged piety was
passed: that the long face and whining
voice did not serve any good purpose at
the present day. "PietY," said he does
not run in lines up and down the face,
but across the face" DR.. Sears told
story of the time he went to have his pic
ture taken. 1.-THE photographer" said he,
told me to smile, to look pleasant, and
did so. That was my picture face and
ever since then | have worn that face
and it is wonderful how much better 1t
becomes me and how much more people
like me- Some people like to wear an
asbestos face, that face may be very
good in the next world, but not here"
The lecturer said we should praise peo-
pie for their acts. that Christ Himself
never failed in that respect, but he de-
nounced hattery which is always en-
ployed by knaves who seek to accomplish
evil.
In speaking of people who aim to be
prominent in social circles he said that
while in Nashville he saw some OF its
citizens putting on airs and style just as
if they were in Birmingham He said
he was told that he might possibly be-
entertained in some of the palatial homes
in this city, and that he should learn the
rules of society. "In the anticipation OF
such an event" said he. Il bought book
and spent considerable time in reading
the 1903 rules of etiquette, and found 1t
Just so much time wasted
The lecturer gave most amusing de-
scription of the fashionable hand shake
which he compared to reaching up to
gas let. and in speaking of conttentment
he said the best illustration he ever saw
of that virtue was ragged little negro
boy hugging a watermelon ana slhsihs'
Nearer, my God, to Thee"
.'The great demand of the present day.
said the lecturer, ''is men. II mad
bucket of paint and brush would write
over the doors of every house, factory,
legislature and municipal council, Men
Wanted broad-minded, honest, intell-
gent men. Men fit to shape and guide the
destinies of a nation" The speaker elo-
quently appealed to the young men to be-
come the class of men wanted. 'Epochs
of prosperity" said he, are chronicled
and forgotten the years of big crops big
commercial enterprise, big industrial pro-
duction soon pass out of mind, but the
dates of big men will be remembered for
ever. When Mississippi shall no longer
claim out attention for its great cotton
crops and vast forests, the name of Jeffer-
son Davis will live in the hearts of UNI
born generations
aI ha n a
habit which so many people have. Some
people," said he, ARE always dying, but
they don't die. They are taking medicine
when a good laugh would do them more
good You might throw all the medicine
in the world into the sea and no one suf-
fer by so doing except the fishes" The
lecturer told some good stories about peo-
nle who are always complaining and
whining and going about with lemon coll
ored faces sympathy" said he is
what the world is starving for today; love
and sympathy. There is much that is bad
i'm the best of us, and much that is good
in the worst of us. Learn to see the
good in a person and shut your eyes to
the bad If you speak of person, speak
we'll of him, let the bad remain unsaid,"
DR.. Sears said there should not be an
idle man in the country today and told,
as an illustration of this statement, the
story of man with wooden leg who
asked for work in hotel The proprietor
refused, saying he had no job for man
with a wooden leg, but just then the cook
came along and said he could give him
work in the kitchen MASKING potatoes.
The lecture was a rare combination of
humor and wisdom, and at its conclusion
the lecturer asked what lesson should
be drawn from his discourse More taffy
and less epltaphy," said he. Don't walt
until I'm dead to say the kind word or
do the kind deed. Do it now. One rose
cast on the path of weary living NOR
tai has more fragrance for him than all
the floral wreaths that are piled on his
grave Don't keep your olntments and
perfumes for the dead, open your boxes
now and anoint the wounds received in
life's daily battle. Let us have less crit-
cism and more praise; more charity and
less censure You can put me in pine
box when I'm dead if you invite me to
your mahogany while I'm living
1t is no exaggeration to say that DR..
Sears has sown seeds in the hearts of his
audience which will bear good fruit. His
lecture is one worth hearing more than
once. +. l. NJ
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