The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-23
REDDING'S
 LIBRARY FUND
Increaseu $34O by Concert at 'StOrmfield'= '==Mark
 Twain's Speech

$340 by the concert given at storm field" the authors home. on Tuesday afternoon and the hundreds present departed with abiding impressions of delightful entertainment. If the conscience of those in charge had not interposed the receipts might have been a good deal larger, as orders for tickets which came in from Bridgeport, Danbury and other points on Tuesday house had already been oversold. A good part of the assemblagef came in autos, and in the wealth. beauty ana style represented the. gathering mas probably never been equalled in Red- ding The only drawback was the lack of room to accommodate the mul- titude. The music room, where the program was given. seats one nun dred and not only this department but the spacious loggia on one side ana the dining room on the other were packed. Late corners had to be con- tent with standing room on the lawn but despite this no one uttered audible complaint. The late P: T. Barnum used to tel his Madison Square Garden audiences after being driven around the arena. that he threw himself in with the show for good measure ana tnls IS what Mark Twain did on Tuesday. He wore his customary attire of light col ored flannel When the hearty hand clapping which greeted his appearance had subsided he thanked the audience for their attendance and said they had the satisfaction of knowing 1t was Tn a good cause, the same motive which had impelled the artists of the occas- ion to give their services gratis. Let not my intrusion into the affair."" he continued. "cause apprehension. It will be brief and is only to comply with the time honored custom of hav- ing somebody introduce the real en- tertainers I waited for some one to invite me to serve in this capaclty and when no one did I volunteered. l cannot say that the offer was received joyfully but at least outward resigna- tion marked it's acceptance. ] was told however, that I must limit my remarks to two minutes. a restriction decidedly hampering and almost hum1- Hating. While I promised not to ex- ceed two minutes your kind reception inclines me to go on talking all the afternoon and perhaps all night. Stlll a promise is @ promise and we should always keep our promises when we can do so without too much inconven1- ence.
 There are times. however. when reasons for breaking promise seem to- crowd in on us. Take the circum- stance of a man about to be hanged who is let go by a compassionate sheriff on the promise to return in one week and go through the deferred ceremony Oh you needn't laugh, I have been there. After the respited man obtains begins to question if he has acted wisely in givingztthe pledge. He gave it on impulse. most likely, whereas a matter of such importance should have | been decided only after long and ser1- ous reflection. He asks himself if a hasty. i'll considered promise ought to | be regarded as binding. There are
 many other arguments on the same side which appeal to him and he Is soreIy puzzled to decide whether he shah keep his word and remain re-
 spectacle in the eyes of the world or | break his word and take his place among the disreputables. Yes. I must admit that the problem disturbed me
 greatly. and for years I have been wondering whether the decision ]
 reached was the right one.
 | '"The introductory business on the present occasion is more than usually
 who are to entertain you being SC l widely known. They could hardly be | more widely known if they were among those who had just discovered the | North Pole. In fact they may turn
 out to be Peary and Cook in disguise
 No recall that. they do not need any such sensational exploiting. As fol the third artist on the program-m5 daughter-well she is not so widely
 known as the two men but in my NO-~~ ~~~~---
 somer.''
 | The first number on the program was the prologue from Leoncavallos Pag lliacci" and MT. Bispham sang 1t 1T lsplendid voice and with the dramatic expression characteristic of the finish
 ed artist. His other numbers were
 the ''Pauper's Drive" M: J. Moses
 Boat Song," Kipling's Danny De
 veer' to music by Walter Damroscn
 this bringing an encore. and the re ! citation of Poe's "Raven' to musfca
 saens' opera of Sampson and Deli lah' was the medium of Miss Clars
 Clemens introduction to the audience Her contralto voice is of pleasing quality throughout it's entire range ant her execution gives evidence O thorough cultivation. In addition t. these attributes she has a highly at 'tWher the Swallows Homeward Fly and s'The Danzo" deepened the favor
 able impression made, by her opening selection. She responded to the m men } core following f3The Danza" wit , "Sweet Alton and gave this old fav orite most charn1ingly.
 In Gabrilowitsch the audience ex pected to hear one of the suprem masters of the piano and were nc !. consisted of a Fantasie and Valse b . Chopin, Humoresoue by Dvorak am Rhapsodie by Brahms served to shoN
 1 the range and perfection Of his power
 and were listened to with rapt atten
 tion Like the two other artists l was generously applauded and ae Q knowIedged one encore. He also play r ed the accompaniment for Miss Clem 9 ems. For MT. Bispham MT Woodru f Rogers accompanied most acceptabl! e At the close of the concert Mark Twa1 : stood at the main doorway to give e parting smile and hand shake to eac = of the departing guests.
 HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION
 See the advertisement on anothe T page for the sailing time from Ne . York of the steamers Rosedale an Q John Sylvester, price of tickets. et' f This trip will be a delightful one. N DR. WILEY STILL AFTER
 THE IMITATORs ,. New York, Sept. 23.-A number (