The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-26

mented, think of it, twenty compli-
ments, witty and agreeable and only
two minutes to do it in. We would
better change the subject and speak
of the club. One of the most COM
mendable things about the Shakes
ipeare club Is that 1T is Shakes peare
club, we have never wandered off
after Shaw. or theosophy, or housing
the poor or petitioning the president
to stop the war, and in this we are
unique among Shakespeare Clubs.
That brings me to another character
Iistic, we are modest-no matter how
often we study play no one ever
admits that he knows anything about
1t. / have a real conviction that some
jof our members know a lot about the
plays. There is nothing highbrow
about US, the most brilliant papers
are read in a depreciating manner.
papers scintillating with wit are read
hurriedly, the object being only to
have 1t over with. Yet with all our
imodesty we are not oppressed by the
greatness Of Shakespeare. We can
speak his name almost lightly and
no critic can silence U.s."
A Wireless From the Bard.
| Mrs. Lapsley then read wireless
| LleSSdSe WHICH, udu USC1 ISSSlNcu Wy
Mr.. Howard Fhrness, the editor of
the newest edition of Shakespeare.
Mr. Furness had sent a copy of the
message to his friend, DR.. Hitler, who
had forwarded it to the Shakespeare
club.
"Mr. Howard Furness, Wallingford,
Pa, Esteemed Sir:-It is great
! pleasure to be able to communicate
/ with RI pratlficQ.
! ton at the mastery way in which
you are carrying out your fathers I'M
| finished work. Your father is a
! wonderful man-almost every day he
D., points out some thought or meaning
/ in my work that had heretofore es-
! capped my attention. Things I'M
dreampt of in my old fashioned phii
osophy. But to the point: A fellow
named Davis who crossed over the
other day, has come to me offering
himself as a member of the little
society of which happen to be presi-
dent. / turned him over to Clemens
who passes on all new names now
Mark is great-certainly worth while
to wait hundred years or SO for n
new member like him. Well, Davis
was very complimentary, said Ameri-
ca thinks of nothing now but my ter
/ centenary So busy getting up cee
brations it has entirely neglected to
I prepare for couple of wars 1t is in
/ for-new editions Of my WORKS and
so on which gave me an idea. I have
decided l won't be the author of GER
tain Of my plays any longer. l have
been wishing them on some one else
/ for long time and l have decided
] on Bacon His lean and hungry look
has been getting on my nerves late
| ly, and when offered them to him
| he fairly snatched at them. Now
want you to get all the Shakespeare
clubs in MISUNDERSTANDING is out of
! the auestion-to send in petitions to
| all publishers planning new editions
of nv works-asking them to leave
out those plays, Titus Androntcus,
Torilus, Cressida Timon, all but the
/ Marina story in Pericles and the In
terlude in CymDeline-by all means.
! See to it that the omitted plays are
| in the next edition of Bacon's works.
Davis says no edition has been pub
lished since 1857, but 1t is possible
they may get one out for his tercen-
! tenary in 1926. There are othec
passages he is welcome to. but your
! father says something should De left
: for the critics to speculate on. l can
| trust you with all details.
I, Yours most humbly,
! WILL SHAKESPEARE, Gent"
The next number on the program
was a song by Miss Baldwin, "A
{ Lover and His Lass
I The last toast was that by Miss
Bertha Read Craig who spoke on the
! tercentenary celebration which is
! to be given in New York. Miss Craig
,, spoke in detail concerning the
masque which is being written for
| this occasion and paid tribute to the
English bard whose birthday is being
celebrated. She spoke of his influ-
;! ence not alone on literature, but also
on life.
! A piano duet, the Overture to Mid
| summer Nights Dream, was played
by the Mesdames Blood and Irwin.