St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-01-08
SPOKEON 'THEBALLAD''
Miss Isabel NOyes Addressed the
January Meeting of the Woman's
CIub.-New Members.

The January meeting OF the St.
Johnsbury Woman'E Club was not so
well attended as usual on account of
the bad weather but it was a very
enthusiastic meeting and the pro-
gram one of the best of the year.
After a charming rendition of two
Irish ballads by Mrs. James A. Cos
Irish ballad and the chairman of the
history and literature committee,
Mrs. Susan H. Smith announced as
the speaker of the afternoon, Miss
Isabel Noyes, and her subject as
1.-THE Ballad" Her paper was an able
one, giving the history and develop
ment of this simple and dearly loved
form of poetry.
The definition of the ballad as
"any simple tale told in simple
verse; gave all an understanding of
what is meant by ballad and the club
followed Miss Noyes with interest
from the earliest days of that form
of poetry down to the modern bal
lads of Kipling and Yeats. The best
known ballads are the Scotch, but
the speaker showed how the ballads
of all nations have many common
pecularities of diction and versid-
cation. Certain themes are common
to all ballads, love, other passions
and the supernatural. Simple as
most ballads may be and not great
poetry in any sense of the word, we
have no such narrative art today.
In tracing the history of the bal
lad Miss Noyes referred to the Re-
liques of Percy, the ballads of Os
14A
the works of Chatterton, Burns,
Wordsworth, Crabbe and Thomas
Moore, all of whom contributed to a
greater or less extent to the devel-
opment of the ballad. Whatever its |
value to poetry, the ballad will en-
dure because the call of the heart is |
greater than the call of the mind and
the ballad touches the heart. Miss
Doran read another ballad after the
paper.
The Business Session
Three new members were admit
ted: Mrs. A. X. Powers of Water
ford, Mrs. George X. SWEET and Miss
Lizzie Harris. The resignation of |
Mrs. Freelove Spaulding as chair
man of the social science commit
tee was announced and the ap-
pointment of Mrs. Frank S. Tolman
in her place. A program of the class
es in home decoration arranged by
the Lyndon Union club was shown
by the president and a letter from
the president of the State Fedora
ton, Mrs. w. l.. Wasson, wishing
the club a merry Christmas and
happy New Year was reported. The
special committee announced that
the first Industrial class was to meet
last evening at the club house when
classes would be formed in shirt
waist making, plain sewing, en-
broidery, and cooking. Mrs. May
Heath presented resolutions on the
death of Mrs. Lyman S. Hooker an6
Mrs. M. G.. Benedict announced that
the special committee to see about
an entertainment had engaged Ed
ward H. Frye, monOlogist, to give
''The Man From Home" Thursday
evening at the Museum for the ben
eft of the club. Many of the club
heard Mr.. Frye at Lyndon
vile two years ago and spoke highly
of his ability as an entertainer.
The March Meeting
The March meeting is to be given
up to birthday party to celebrate
the coming of age of the club and
the program was left in the hands
Of the ex-presidents of the club. Mrs.
Hazen is chairman of arrangement
and she announced that it is plan
ned to have a luncheon with toast
mistress and after dinner speeches.
Mrs. Elisha May spoke enthusiastic
cally of the looming out" party and
the club manifested much enthu-
siasm. 1t was voted to suspend the
bylaws to cover the change in the
hours of meeting for the February
which is gentlemen's night
and for the March meeting.