Wfw-"
THE COURIER.
are clicking away. Captain Thorn
comes in and sits down at one of them
and liglits'a cigar. Ah, that inevita
ble Gillette cigar! It lias become a
stage tradition like Delia Fox's little
curl. An im)ortant dispatch is
brought in from tlie secretary of war.
Thorn sends all the men out on vari
ous errands, writes a fake dispatch
and tears the signature off of the
' original, affixing it to his own mes
sage. All this time Miss Varney and
Arrelsford are on the balcony watch
ing him. He begins to send the dis
patch that will cause a shifting of the
Confederate forces and leave the weak
est partof the defense unguarded for
the Federal attack. "While lie is at
the instrument Arrelsford fires and
shoots him through the hand. He
calls the guards, but when they arrive
Gillette says coolly, "Arrest that
man!" and they do it. The tiling
works up to a climax, ana just as
General Randolph is about to put
Gillette under arrest. Miss Varney
enters with the commission from Da
vis appointing him to the head of the
telegraph department. As she goes
out, she faces Thorn and says slowly:
4-I did this to save your life. I trust
to your honor as a gentleman not to
send that dispatch."
When she lias gone, Thorn orders
his subordinate to send the message.
Suddenly he catches the roan's arm
crying, "Recall that dispatch, every
word of it: I refuse to act under this
commission!" Curtain.
In the last act Thorn is sentenced
to be shot, pardoned and made a pris
oner of war. But the great feature of
that last act is a mere mechanical
effect. The scene is laid in the Var
ney mansion. It is eleven o'clock and
the final attack on Richmond is be
ginning. 1 don't know how it is done,
but outside these windows the degs of
war are let slip. You are in a be
sieged city. You actually hear thou
sands of men marching under those
windows. No bands play now: this is
not the picturesque side of war; they
are going out silenMy in the dead of
night, as the Carthagcnians went out
to die upon their walls. You hear
the cannon rollingthrough the streets
with the horses straining at their
tugs, you see the light of the lanterns
and the Hashes from the bursting
shells. Then the church bells begin
to ring calling out the reserves, young
men and old, to die before their city.,
you hear them going, and their wives
and sweethearts hear them too. The
seventeen-year-old son of General Var
ney. who has been wounded, gets out
of bed to go to the front, and you be
gin to realize what that, last stand of
the Confederacy meant, to realize
how truly Virginia "dated all. risked
all, and today has lest all.' No won
der she slent afterward for twenty
years: it might well take a century to
recover from that last night of Rich
mond, from the magnificent abandon
of such a passion.
I saw the play Thursday night, and
at the close of the third act a man of
our staff went to Mr. Gillette's dressing-room
to inform him that two
hours before, his friend William Ter
riss had been stablied to death at the
door of his theatre in Loudon. ju.t as
he was going to "make-up" for Cap
tain Thorn in the London production
of "Secret Service." He assures me
that Gillette did not take it quite so
calmly as he receives bad tidings on
the stage. He was visibly shaken by
the news, and from his dressing-room
sent a cable to Mrs. Terrissandto
the Adelplii theatre.
Pittsbcro, Pa.
Lovers of art should not fail to see the
Haydon Art club exhibit at the State
University picture gallery.
CLBBS-
Ajsnie L. Millmc, Editor.
The permanent and practical work of
the state fed ration of woman's clubs was
never more fully shown than in the pro
gram arranged by the comm't'ee for the
Nebraska State Teachers' Association.
The rapid growth of our cities and the
many rhihintbropii and reformatory
prohlsms arising the ro'roin the absorp
tion of men in business affairs make it
imperative for children to be trained
to meet intelligently tin demands made
upon them.
These demands require from women
alert and well disciplined minds. The
woman's club is the logical outcome of
these needs. It is the mothers train'ng
school. But there must be unity of
purpose between mother and teacher.
The latter has etruggloJ long for that
end. It ha3 been the work of the club
to accomplish it.
The first educational meetirg of the
Ft deration of Women's clubs in connec
tionw.ththe teachers' a-aocivtion was
held on Tuesday afte noon at the uni
versity in Delian hall. The room was
scarce y adequate for tie numb r who
wished to heir (he program, for it was
crowded to overflowing, and many stood
without the doors in the hbll. The
chairman or the educational committee.
Mrs. Harriet II. Heller of Omiba. pre
sided most gr i efully. A f rer a pleasing
piano solo from Miss Lottie Clark
pleasirg in spite of the fact that ths
piano bad long since lo3t youth and tooe.
Mrs. Helh r gave a few introductory re
marks on the raison iVetre of the meet
lng. The comm ttee, 6Le raid, felt that
it WE8 an expeiirnent, but they were try
ing to make their woik practical. Twen
ty seven of t ie s ate federations had or
ganized this educational work, and all of
tne68 were holding meetings this wii.t r.
It had be n thought by many that to
Lring the club women into direct con
tact with the teachers, at the meetings
of their association, might point a way
ef greater usefulness to the club?, by
thoroughly acquaintng the memLers
with the present educational method'.
The Eubject for the afternoon w s.
"What Can the Woman's GubDofor
the Schools?"
The first sp aker introduced by Mrs.
Heller was Mis. C. D. Ssbeli of Beatr.ce
who presented this general topic ' Up"n
th i Physical Plane." She spoke or the
responsibility of mothers extencing be
jond the home to the schools, of the
friendly relations that shou'd exist be
tween parent and teacLer, and of the
great w.rk already accomplished by the
general interest in child s'udy.
Mrs. P. T. Buckley of Stromsbu g then
Epoke upon the "Int lkctual Plan."
Educat'o.i is viewed too much as a
Dieaos of livelihood, or as a hope of sor
did gain, it should be sought for itelf
alone, for the mind that would be happy
muFt be great in aims and elevation of
purpose.
"As to Aesthetics Art," was given by
Mrs. Lacg vorthy of Seward, and wa3 ac
eloquent plea that the love oi the beau
ful be eaily introduced into the educa
tion of children; which she tbought as
important as a knowledge of spelling.
The speaker saw unmistakable signs of
growing culture in the useful and beau
tiful side by side; with the Greeks all
things were beautiful as well as useful.
Children should ha led to a knowledge
and love of nature, through pictures
and art in the schoolroom, and when
possible through nature's own wealth of
flowers and scenery. The vivid imigin
ation of tte child nrngled with admira
tion woulJcoon teach him that love of
beauty which is one of the divine at
tributes of the human mind, tho love of
natire which is akin to thought of God.
Mrs. Largwoithy closed wi h the fol
lowing 1 nes from TnnBon which em.
body the philosophy in nature:
"Flower in the crannied wall
I pluck you out of your cranny,
If I could know what you are
root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and nun is."
"As to Aesthetics Music," followed
from Mrs. F.W.Ford, of Omaha, an J
proved to be an extremely practical ana
interesting talk. Music wae ass. rted to
be a universal means of expression,
musical tones would bo noticed by
babies under a year's pge, and children
should be as caifully educated by sounds
as by sights. Mention was made of the
permanent injury to the delicate hear
iogof chilJren in the use of the wrrtched
pianos commonly found in schools and
which ar) never in tun?. In one school
the speaker hau seen the scholars march
out to the b' rains of a brass band in
which no two instruments were tuned
together, and what hope ould there be
for the mus'cal ear of thoee chilJren.
No person cin hf considered well edu
cited,' said Mrs. Ford, "who has en
tirely left out a knowledge of mu-ic;"
and she judged that this knowledge was
within the capacity of all to acquire.
This may be true, but Brownirg says
somewhere in reference to irusic-ianp,
"God has a fear of us whom he whispers
in the ear," and it :s doubtful if he
thought these "whispers" could bo
woccd simply through education. Mr p.
Ford closed with the importance of hav
ing music t lugbt in the public school.
Tho J resident of the State Federal ion
Mrs. Stouterjborough of Piattsmouth.
gave the closing talk "As to Ethics.'
Much s'rcfS was laid on the need of
moral education, and the danger if al
lowing it to be crowded out by mental
and physical t ainin;. Cluls should en
deavor to keep good teachers in the
schools, who e indue cs arouse the
pupil towards bis better sc f, for intel
lect weighs light compared with charac
ter. The attention of the clubs wi-s
called to the circular letter lately sent
out by the educational committee, and
the hope exprissed that each club would
carefully study the aims expressed there
in. The program closed with two charm
ing vocal solos from Mrs. D. A. Camp
btll "Were I Gardener' by Chaininade,
and Nevin's "O that we two were may
ing." An informal hour followed in which
many lirgered to speak to the visitorp.
It was a distinct misfur'ure that the
paper of Mrs. Grace Mason Wheeler
upon the "Relations of the Mothers
to the Schools," was given at
the same hour as the woman's club
program in another department. Mar.y
who heard it pronounced it the finest
given at the association.
rush of tho present crowelod out all
hopes of retaining tho past, and it in
largely to Uifho diaries that one must
turn for exact information concerning
tho earlier clubs. Tho earliest record
known to the writer dates back to Do.
cember 18J8. when a club was organized
in Lincoln whoso history will be given
next week in Tub CoUKIKk, written by
one of its charter members, Mrp. .1. L.
McConnell. Anjono possessing autbcL
tic records referring to tho li'erary life
of that earlier period of the city, would
confer a favor by sending them to th's
office, as it is desired to thoroughly in
vestigate the subject. There seems to
hnve been a lapse of eleven years be
tween tho organization of that first club
in US and the Shakespere wh'ch came
into existence oa Match ., 19 "9, thus
antedating the Inglesido by about six
months; for tho members of tho Ingle
side united in tho fall of 1'J and. regu
larly organized with a name on February
4, 1880.
Tho Sbakspero passed out of existence
in 1SS0, but during its sevon ears of
activity it exerteJ a strong influence
both socially and intellectually. Much
was done for the cmusement of the
younger generation, in the evooing en
tertainment, nt which plays weie often
given with thi assistance of the gentle
men. Tho club was dissolved for the
reason that no subject could bo found to
replace the original one in the hnrts of
its members, and seven years had ex
hausted the club possibilities of Shaks
pere. The Lotus still ranks as the old
est living club, ui.d its Listory, as well
as that of other eaily clubs, will be given
by a charier meaiber.
Tho Athene a is one of the many cluba
of Linct In whiih shun publicity, pre
ferrirgto keep its plans and experiences
sicred to the few rather than to be
drawn into the general club movement.
Its conservatism is also shown by the
'act that but one president his aerveJ
tho club durirg theyearsof itsexistesze,
Mrs. W. A.Green who was chosen for
that ofih-e at its organization.
The ou'line of work for this year pro
vides for a comprehensive study of art.
from early Cbr'st an times to the pres
ent day. A list of names is arranged of
forty-tiro famous painters, representing
I alian. Flemish, Dutch, French and Eng
lish school?; and three of these names
are assigned for each meeting, the talks
or papers followed by photographs of
the artist's greatest works which aie dis
cussed in de'ail. In commou with most
of the other clubs, to prrgram wasgiven
duiicgthe holidxyj, and tho next re
gular meetirg will be January 14th with
Mrs. Tallwot, when the lives and paint
ings of Hub'iis. Murillo and R)edael
will be studied. Although the interest
in this art course ha3 proved very great,
it is doubtful if the subject as planned
can be finished this ypar. Two artists
and their works Mn?t ad of the three on
JLI1
4g
Remember a pretty
PAIR OF SLIPPERS
Make a nice
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
We have them.
The origin of the club movement in
Lincoln seems fraught with so much in
terest that an effort has been made to
trace it to its tource. Many br'ght and
cultivated women came to-Nebraska in
the eaily days, who naturally gravitated
towards each other in little groups of
congenial friends who met together to
read or s'.udy, out this was not called
club life. Some of these women kept .
. M t .h.wr WEBSTER I WBl 1043 0 8
,rV x"r
