Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-26
INTERESTING PAPER
ON IRISH LITERATURE
Given by Mrs. George Wesley
Priest at Round Table Meeting
at New Century Club.

The Round Table held at the New
Century Club yesterday afternoon un1el
the direction of thc Literature ana Ii
brary COMMITTEES. of which Miss Mars
Mather is chairman, was featured oy tns
evident care given to the preparation o.
both the papers and music OF the occasion
Miss Mather presided.
The subject of the afternoon was
excellently covered by Miss Smyth ano
Mrs. George Wesley Priest. Music 10y
Misses Reed and Pyle also featured tbe
afternoon. =,
Miss Smyth gave a short paper on the
Ieoendry and myths OF Ireland, as pre-
sented bv the later Irish writer's. The
noetic SMILES and picturesque imagery
of the colptry's writer's are naturally
induced. the speaker said, by the wild
romantic beauty Of Erin's Isle. She gave
several interesting examples of character
istic verse and prose, based on such
stories as dreams are made Of, the weird
mystic charm of a land where fairies seem
real and the actual appears unreal.
Miss ELLA Pyle was the composer OF the
musical setting given William Butler
Yates poem, "Thc Song of Wandering
angus with Miss Madeleine Reed as
the singer. Miss Pyle further emphasized
the growing power OF q musical gift OF
song and an intultive sense of placement
IN the treatment Of the essentially Irish
motif: indeed, her sympathic under
standing was evident throughout, Mrs
Reeds clear soprano took the high
reaches Of the song with natural ease
and skill.
Mrs. George Wesley Priest, who is
president of the Delaware Association
If College Women, then read a paper on
the Celtic Down meaning the Irish
Renaissance in literature. She pretaced
her paper by displaying a map of Ireland.
on which she pointed out the west coast
as the scene of the beglnn ing of growth
IN literature which has of late years taken
the center of the worlds stage of letters.
There has been a general development,
She said. until the lrisn question AZ
,Xpresscd in Irisn literature and dramatic
art Of the present day, Is most vital.
The speaker traced lrelands changeful
and often turbulent history from the
time of the Danish invaders TO the
present day, stressing the uDquepchable
ire of the country which has produced
Thomas Moore, Doughlass Hyde, William
Butler Yates and Lord Dupsany. Doug
lass Hvdcs poems, she said were the
beginning of the Celtic Renaissance and
the first opponents of the Auglo-lrish
dialect. Five hundred years of military
resistance preceded the Young Ireland
movement of more recent years, but
the old traditions, myths and legends
furnish the foundations for modern Irish
literature.
The speaker touched on the League
FIR the revival of the Irish Language, nom
political. non-sectarian body; end told
If the Dublin theatre, the literary
theatre" where in 1899 William Butler
Yates, Lady Gregory and Edwin Mark
ham sought TO establish a fit home for
The Irish muse. Nirs. Priests paper
throughout WAS admirably balanced and
expressed. IL displayed both research and
extensive reading. and was warmly
applauded by the interested Round Table.
group. Miss Pyle and Miss Reed gave
"A. e. Reconciliation, with music
composed by Miss Pyle.
Mrs. Curtis Purdy, chairman Of enter
tainment. announced q change In the
date of Christopher Wards address 10 the
Club Mr. Ward was to have lectured at
the New Century on March II. but has
ieen compelled to postpone his appear
ancc until later date.
Mrs. Purtly also announced that
Frank Schoonover would appear before
the Club in a talk en- his war pictures,
provided the proper lantern for illustra-
tion slides can be secured.
Nlrs. Charles Wentz closed the after
noon with delightful reading.