The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-05-03
THE SPIRITUAL POETRY
MISS MARGARET THOMPSON AD
DRESSES MINISTER'S.
DEFINES POETRY OF POWER
Professor Of English Literature In
Doane College Held Her Audience
by Charm and Conference Of Thought
and Sympathetic Delivery.

Holding the interest of her audience
by the charm and conference of her
thought and by the effectiveness of
her low sympathetic delivery, Miss
Margaret Thompson professor of eng
fish literature In Doane college at
Crete, addressed northeast Nebraska
audience In the First Congregational
church last evening on THE Spiritual
Element In American poetry" Miss
Thompson's lecture occupied the Tues.
day evening part of the Tuesday SEES
sion of the Elkhorn Valley Association
of Congregational churches now meet.
ing In annual convention In the First
Congregational church of Norfolk In
addition to the Visiting pastors and
delegates In attendance at the SEES.
sions, the Tuesday evening lecture was
enjoyed by large number of Norfolk
people.
Distinguishing between the poetry
of intellect and between that poetry
which, having something of the spir-
itual becomes the poetry of power,
Miss Thompson reviewed the spiritual
element as 1t appears in the American
poets of the nineteenth century. The
attitude of these American poets of
fame toward nature, humanity and
God was illustrated in detail by quota
tons from the poems I'm question.
Miss Thompson saw in the inspiration
of the American poets resisting force
"a 10 nj
said in part last evening:
1--WE find that the spiritual element
has strong, vital expression in Amer
lean poetry. This fact means much
to MS as citizens of America and Of
the world and IT. may mean vastly
will. We hear much of the predomi-
nance of the mtaerialistic spirit i'm our
country today and we are too little
stirred by the seriousness of this
charge. without vision the people
perish and we all know that the ma
terialistic spirit is as deadly to vision
today as I'm the days Of Solomon This
hour affords neither the time nor the
place for discussing the various means
of overcoming this tendency towards
matcrialism. But one means | urge.
The law of growth implies food and
exercise. If we wish this life of the
spirit to be strong in ourselves and in
our children we must give II abun.
dance of pure, wholesome, nOurishing
food and an opportunity TO express IT.
self again and again in terms of our
own individualitics. We are most for.
tunate in having these soulful singers
Of the pure lives and readily inter
prctcd page as our own Countrymcn,
singing of our own skies and land
scapes, with their birds and flowers.
and Of our brothers and sisters and
family history and thoughts and ideals.
IF we but make them companions
and comrades first Of all in our homes
and then in our schools, knowing them
through and through, we shall find
them very potent in helping us to over
come undue emphasis on material
things by developing within us what
they have in such rich measure sen
sitiveness to beauty; a deep feeling
for nature; the spirit of brotherly love /;
a high conception of the purpose of
life here and now; a deep reverence
for God: and earnest inquiry and med
itation concerning the life beyond that
bourne from which no traveller re-
turns"
An organization of the association
for the two days session in Norfolk
was effected yesterday afternoon.
Rev. J. j., Parker of Genoa, former
pastor of the First Congregational
church of Norfolk, was chosen mod,
orator. J. f. Taylor of Neigh, prin-
cipal of Gates academy, was selected
as clerk.
Under the topic of the "Tri-C Church
Union" Rev. c. II. Crawford of Bloom
field brought before the association
the proposed union of the Congrega-
tional, Methodist Protestant and Unit.
favored the plan of union and the
trend of the discussion that followed
was in the main favorable to the union
of the churches. 1t is probable that
loose confederation of the churches
will precede an organic union of the
three churches. The question of un-
ion is to come before the national
council of the Congregational churches
meeting next October in Cleveland
The following committee was named
by the moderator yesterday TO draw
up resolutions expressing the attitude
of the northeast Nebraska association
on the tri-church.union Rev. Victor
Clark. Neigh Rev. w. j. Turner Nor
folk Rev, John NJ. Hines, Norfolk
Rev. c. II. Danes, Pierce: Rev. C. II
Crawford, Bloomfield, The committee
was instructed to report today.
| Interest was aroused yesterday af
ternoon in Rev. J. j. Parker's discus
sion of Theological Interest in Eng
land" and in the book review of Cor
don's Through Man to God" by Rev
j. j, Klopp of Stanton.
JACK KNIFE KILLS JACK RABBIT