The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-17
Or. M. Rowena Morse Spoke Last
Evening, Her Topic Being AN
Evening of Smiles With
Lccker-Lan,pson."
GREAT ENGLISH POET
a Number of Poems Were Read and
the Early and Amusing Life of
the Poet Was Told
by the Speaker.

The lecture last evening by DR.. M.
Rowena Morse at the Unitarian
church, was attended by good sized
audience and all were greatly pleased
with the discourse, which was entitled
An Evening of Smiles with Locker
Lampson" and being the first lecture
ever given by Miss Morse, for witch
an admission fee was charged, accord.
ing to her statement at the beginning.
Locker LampsoE is character who
draws us because he is so simply
natural. Locker had dyspepsia and
was driven to reflect much on his per-
slstent and most troublesome ind'gas-
ton, and tried to make out how he
came by 1t. He expresses suspicion
that he got 1t from eating the
goodies" which he and other school
boys were accustomed to buy of
strange vender of such stuff near the
school where he wasted the days of
his youth. Elsewhere he says that he
believes he inherited it, He reports
his extremely delicate stomach is al
ways with him from his childhood
1t was with him when he slept and
when he awoke. When his mother
rocked him, she rocked his discom-
fort also and as he grew, this small
sery grew and strengthened with
him. 1t is an unpleasant subject and
only brought out to throw a dark
background into singular relief. If
under such conditions a man could
smile and keep others smiling, how
ought 1t to be with those of us who
are seldom conscious of having any
stomach except it be when hungry.
Locker says that as a child he was
pretty, resembling the engraving of
Puck on toadstool, after Joshua
Reynolds. Prejudiced people consid-
/ cred that he said funny, freakish
things when child of six and his
father took him to the crainologist,
which sage discovered that his bump
of gaiety and wit was markedly de-
veloped. He writes "Past sixty, / am
now grizzled and discreet old fogey."
He ever had a good memory &C
cording to his own opinion and tells
of his earliest recollections, in the
following verse:
Il recollect a nurse called Ann,
Who carried me about the grass,
And one fine day fine young man
Came up and kissed the pretty lass;
Sh3 did not make the least objection.
Thinks I, Aha.
When | can talk I'll tell Mamma.
And that's my earliest recollection.
The school days of Locker were
re allied, being told in his own words,
all of the funny little medicines of
his life being told. The speaker de-
clared that Locker Lampson will be
longest remembered for his simple
sprightly and most exquisite verse
some of which in it's way has never
been surpassed. In closing she read
a number Of poesm, including The
Old Cradle, to My Grandmother, Ger
aldine, My Mistress's Boots and This
Implora Pace.
Locker Lampson died at his coun-
try home at Rowfant, Sussex, on May
80, 1895. Surely there must be mil
lions now to say I'VE love him for his
verse"
He was born to the name of Locker
and was twice married, the second
time to the only daughter of Sir Curtis
and Lady Lampson, adding the name
of the brides family to his own and
becoming thenceforth known as Lock
er-Lampson.
The English poet was introduced to
the audience by Miss Morse in a most
entertaining manner and her lecture
was greatly appreciated by all who
were present. The evening was a
most enjoyable one for all.