Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-01-24
DELIGHTFUL MEMS MEETING.
Mems Guild Eniertains-Admiral Todd
and DR.. Alden Speak Beautiful
Music.

| "A pieasant evening and an enthu
slastle company, characte rized the
meeting held last night by the Mems
! Guild of st. Anne's Parish. Between
| the speeches music was provided for
by an orchestra Of ten pieces under
the direction of Mr.. Adolph Toiovsky.
DR.. Fell, the master of the Guild.
presided and first invited the rector
of the Parish to welcome the com
pany. This the Rev. DR.. McComas did
in an earnest ad iress. He was fol-
lowed by Admiral Todd, United States
Navy, who told of his tour of duty
upor the Amazon river.
Admiral Todd is most helpful.
Interesting speaker. He puts his
faces before his audience clearly,
| draws his differences while an under
current of subtle wit keeps the con-
pany amused, as we'll as interested.
He told of the great mouth cf the
Amazon river and the floating island
across the mouth. Also of the fora
and fauna of the Amazon basin; of the
inhabitants and of the cities Of
Para and Manaos. The peculiarities
Of local government and commercial
life all came in for description. Ad-
miral Todd's address was followed by
enthusiastic, prolonged applause
The third speaker was Carroll
Storrs Alden PHI ID Professor in
the United States Naval Academy.
DR.. Alden told. in a series of charsc-
ter sketches, the story of a decadent
town in New Hampshire and drew
practical differences. His literary
style is not unlike that of goldsmith,
and the characters lived before his
audience; the postmaster, the rural
free mail deliverer, the blacksmith s
wife and the pastor. de told Of this
towns growth, prosperity and deca-
dence. showing that its development,
when arrested, was the cause of its
degeneracy. He illustrated this by
the athlete who becomes well devel-
oped and then gives up all physical
activities; the cells have been en-
larged for growth and. now become
gathering places for tubercular and
other germs which destroy the body.
So the fine, large houses, the aristo-
cratic and other traditions of this
town, which has ceased to develop.
are most fruitful for this decadence.
No man, town or congregation or
other body OF men, ever has its full
growth, and development arrested be-
comes more fruitful of degeneracy
than where there has been less devel-
opment. The very things this old
New Hampshire town boasted were
it's fruitful sources of decay. If it's
people had lived up to. rather than
rested satisfied in boasting, their
traditions, these things would have
been fruitful in life and greatness.
DR.. Alden's style and philosophy held
and stirred his audience. His words
did not fall upon deaf ears.
After the addresses and music
collation. was served. after which Mr..
C. l.. Yost, of ST. Johns College,
sang 1.-The Lost Chord
Indeed, the smoker" given by
the Mems Guild of st. Anne's parish
in the Chapel Room last night was
very enjoyable entertainment. The
lecture by Admiral Todd was excee d.
ingly entertaining and il was any
thing but dry in fact the volume of
water Flowing down the Amazon river
is three times that of all the rivers
in the United States combined, and
his experience in the exploration of
that river in command of the first
American warship that had ever as
cended 1000 miles up the Amazon,
which is havigable for 1000 miles
farther, was unique.
His lecture was net confined to
geographical description butsenlivened
with peculiar facts about the people.
He related some yarns vouched for
by scientists that were so strange
that he could not permit those details
to be entered on the ships log. The
lecture was so highly entertaining
that the Claggett Society of st.
Johns College have requested the
Admiral to repeat that lecture to the
Cadets.
The weather detained many from
coming to the meeting who had ex-
pressed their intention to be present.
The musical program was very ed
tertaining, and Mr.. Torovsky received
applause and the appreciation of the
men present. The sociable gatheriI g
/ in the basement with refreshments
and cigars was a pleasant opportu-
nifty for the men to mix and get bet
ter acquainted. Officers of the Navy
were represented by a large number
from the Naval Academy