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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 1898)
. - -T -- y- - THE COURIER. v i' opener to some of our camera women. From every state in the union' women, trained to work together in dubs, skilled in iiarliamentary usages and perfectly at home on 1he .public plat form, were gathered, and the event has already passed into history as the "Great Biennial." The women from Maine appeared on the same stage with her California sister, and their mingled eloquence electrified immense audiences. New Mexico, Texas ankl Oregon women showed themselves not only thoroughly educated by schools and colleges, but, unhampered by ti dition. and eastern conservatism, won straight to the understanding and thp heart of the women of the Bay State. It. was not only good to be there as a matter of present Intellectual enjoy ment, but as an add:tional demonstra tion that the modern club .movement ie one of the greatest educative forces of the times; and that there is some thing in the western ways of looking at life and pushing forward with new work-whieh is well worth our intelli gent study. We do not believe the asseverations made in-certain quarters that our Mas sachusetts women did not realize this; that they were not quick to recogniez the splendid qualities of those thous ands of bright, active women who were so unfortunate as to have leen lorn outside of New England. There are many noble women in our eastern clubs the very flower of the vommu nities, in fact: and they are quick to recognize the kinship of noble minds whenever it is shown.. It was abund antly demonstrated at Denver, and our clubwomen came home enthusiastic in praise of their western sisters. Why then should any disgruntled few seek, througih the public press, to give Mas sachusetts a bad appearance for envy, uncharitableness and ill-temper? Why try to make out. to cover some per sonal piques or disappointments, that our best women are provincial, our finest clubs unprogressive? It ha been aHeged. for instance, that the delegation from this region feel ag grieved 'because of a lack of social or official recognition in Denver, and that for this reason and because the great west and south outvoted. the east in certain business matters of the federation, that Massachusetts is about to withdraw from the national . body. Quite the contrary. Many women, and these represent the highest rank in official and social standing among our clubs, are greatly disturbed over these misleading statements. It is al leged that Massachusetts women were slighted, that they did not have proper representation on the week's program, that the Denver press heaped insults upon them; other vaporings of dis torted imaginations are appearing in occasional provincial and city papers, which we are asked to deny. Says one of our oldest and best known club women: "If they wish to make Mas sachusetts ridiculous in the eyes of other delegates, they couldn't take a more effective way. Everything, as far as I saw, -was perfectly fair in Den ver, and nothing done by west) or south to be criticised." -Another, equally prominent, says: "There -were forty-two states represented at Den ver. Out of so many the names of nine (Massachusetts women appeared on the printed program, and there was plenty 6f meetings open for discussion where our women were brought out and treated with the greatest cour tesy. Xo other state had so much done for its delegates." In a social way, too, Massachusetts was greatly honored, her prominent women being asked' to receive at the social func tions, while dinners and luncheons were given for them whenever a possi ble opportunity could Ins sighted. And the newspapers invariably treated the visiting delegates with exceptional consideration, and courtesy. Conse quently the women of Massachusetts have no grievances whatever ami cher ish only the highest and most friend ly opinions of the western women. As for their withdrawing from the na tional body, that is absurd. Massachusetts is not "going out in a fit of sulks," as has been stated. On the contrary, she has already pledged allegiance to the new president, Mrs. Ixwe, of Atlanta, and will continue to maintain her influence in the club movement. Is it not provincial to keep our vision- narrowed down to such a focus that we cannot ee be yond the borders of our own state, to fail to lie glad that the club movement once confined to Massachusetts and Xew York is now developing in (Mon tana and amid descendants of Brig ham Young? Is it not un progressive to cavil at all progress made beyond our own borders? Is it not inhospi table in us to refuse to accept the hos pitality of the great west mid south, simply because it is not presented in the exact form we had prescribed lor ourselves years ago? Above all, does not the altruistic spirit of the best woman's clulis demand a cordial rec ognition of everj nee.i and every de velopment in other parts of this great country? At least this is what our Massachusetts women, are going to prove. The aloe is an editorial in the Bos ton Transcript of August 6. Western women will be g?nd to know from so dignified and reliable an authority as the Transcript, that Massachusetts, has no indention of withdrawing from the federation, nor of taking ti less active jmrt in the national club move ment. There is a pleasant-faced, white haired engineer that runs a train up Clear Creek Canyon who carried a train full of the visitors on that de lightful trip over the Loop. While the train was waiting its return trip at Silver Plume a bright-eyed little woman came to the cab window and asked the wifrineer to allow her to make the trip to Idaho Springs on the locomotive. She saw him hesitate, as if seeking how to refuse her request, then she told him her story. She was the widow of an engineer who had lost his life back in Wisconsin while mak ing heroic efforts to save the lives of manj' others. Her husband had Ioted his engine as a part of hini!-elf, and through him she also had learned to love it, and through it all engines. Still he hesitated. "It is a pretty wild trip down." Do you think you dare? Do you think you will not le frightened?" She was positive her courage would prove equal to the occasion and was duly installed upon his little cushion ed seat. The engineer said that he and his fireman were a little put out at first by such company but she was so chatty and cordial and witty, that she soon proved entertaining and they lost all annoyance at her presence. "After I got a chance," said the engineer,. "I found all the rest of those women were just the same, braver than some men I have carried down that trip. Now if women's clubs can do away with the foolish timidity and dependence of women and still leave them sweet and womanly, they are all right, and I for one shall stand up for them in the future. Here and there in the great mass of the songs or music of a people, is one that is carried down through the cen turies. Time cannot kill these or lew sen their hold on the hearts and sym pathies of that people. They became the Folk songs and the people's music. It was another rare treat of the Bien nial to be permitted to listen to the history of the music of the American people. The program was made- up of the Folk songs and melodies that have came down the comparatively few years of our existence as a nation. Also the quaint musical note the In dians made long liefore the discovery of Columbus, the sweet tremulous love wings of thc'Creole slaves, the lyrics of the south land, the simple, original and intensely religious songs 6f the negroes. Then followed il lust nit ions of the people's music as it Iras devel oped in the last fifty years, and espe cially the war songs that were devel ojied some thirty odd years ago. Saturday evening. June 20. the Broadway theatre was crowded from the very back part of the platform to the topmost gallery in anticipation of an unique and interesting musi cal recital. It was announced that .Miss Villa Whitney White would lec ture ti Kin and illustrate the Folk songs and people's music of America. Miss White was assisted by Miss Anita Muldonn and Miss Mary B. Dillingham. The recital ns conducted by Miss White was partly a lecture ami part ly musical. The program was as fol lows: Xorth American Indian Melodies Hae-Thu-Ska Song, llubae Wa-an. (Sacred Pole Song.) Hne-Tliu-Ska Song. (Song of Dismissal. Chorale.) Hae-Thu-Ska Song. Wa-"Wan Wa-an. (Song of Approach.) Choral Wa-Wan Wa-an. After Pipes are Raised.) Omaha Prayer. Hae-Thu-Ska Wa-an. .Dance Song.) Creole Slave Songs Ah! Suzette. Pov Piti Momzel .i.i. Criole Candjo. Xegro Melodies The Jews That Took Our Saviour. Mourn Lak' a Turtle Dove. Ma' Baby lo'es Shortnin Bread. Bound About the Mountain. (A fuieral hymn.) Canaan, Bright Canaan. The Lord Is With Us. Some Come Cripple. A shouting hymn.) Freely Co Marching; (A baptism hymn.) Met Miss Uetsy in de Road. Res' My Soul. Xo Hidiif Place Down Thar. The Gospel Train. The people's music of America, troin 1770 to 1865 William Billings. 1746-1800. Chester, Majesty. Daniel Read. 1757-1842. Windham. Timothy Swan, 1753-184:1. China. Jacob Kimball, 1750-1840. P.ainfield. Jeremiah IngalLs. 1762-184.1. Celes tial Watering. Oliver Holden. Coronation. (179.1.) Lowell iMason. 1792-1872. Missionary Hymn. Thomas Hastings. Ortonville. Henry Kimball Oliver, 1800-1885. Fed eral Street. William Baeheidor Bradbury, 1816 1868. Sweet Hour of Prayer. Isaac Baker Woodbury, 1819-1858. Speed Away. Stephen Collins Foster. 1826-1864. Old Folks at Home; Nellie Was a Lady; Gentle Annie. George Frederick Root. 1820-1896. The Shining Shore; Hazel Dell; Rosa lie, the Prarie Flower. II. R. Hanby. Darling Nellie Gray. Ernest Leslie. Rock Me to Sleep, Mother. Henry Tucker. Sweet Genevive. War Songs Maryland, My Maryland. The Bonny Blue Flag. Marching Through Georgia. Henry C. Work. Battle Cry of Freedom. George F. Root. Each divisiuo of this program was preceded by n scholarly history of the same by Miss White, wnich added very much to its interest. Miss White's definition of Folk songs is that they are translated in the mind awl live on the lips from generation to generation without having been written down. She claimed that repeated tests had proven that all musical effort of the North American Indian had stopped short of complete ideas of music. Still there is always a harmony implied in their music, mid us she rendered them they were pleasant to hear. Mist White sang a stuna of the Omaha Indian melody, the Hae-Thu-Ska song. The Hae-Thu-Ska was the home of a society to which only the valiant could lielong. The song was rendered in honor of the god Thunder, and literally translated means "I am weary waiting," or "I wearily wait." This was followed by the llubae Wa-an sacred pole song, and this again by the song of dismissal, typical two-bent song. Miss White's interpretation of the weird, two pulse notes of the Oma ha's showed the careful cultivation of the student, as well as the soulful treatment of the enthiisiastist. The song of approach, the choral. "Aftr the Pipes Atc Raised." the Omaha prayer and the dance song were each sung with the pathos inseparable from such selections, a sympathetic Combi nation of Gregorian chant and a strain of a soothing love song. Three Creole slave songs. "Ah, Su zette," "Poo Piti Momsel Ziti" and "Creole Candijo," were also sung by Miss White with splendid taste and ideal expression. Miss Anita Miildoou contributed the third part to the program. Her laith ful protrayal of the old negro melo dies proved the general lielief that no lerson is so competent to interpret the negro dialect and negro melodic as a southerner, who has lived among them. Many of the melodies had never leen sung"before except by negro lips and hail never been published. Mis Miildoou had gathered them here and there by traveling long distances hi the south, and had written them down from the lips- of the generation of old slaves now passing away. She knows the negros as- they are in the south and sang their songs with a sympa thy and grace that charmed her audi ence. Some of the melodies were more than a eentury old and though the words to most of them were new to her audience still the airs were fami liar to those who had been in mvro re vivalist meetings, or had heard their shouting hymns as rendered by the Jubilee singers. Miss 3IuIdooii was a faithful interpreter of the sentiment of these old negro melodies. The pe culiar pronunciation of the peculiar words, the nasal twang at the close of the air. and the rythm of the music were all brought out in the most ex pressive way. She was obliged Jo re- leat several times and as a final en core sang "Old Kentucky Home." for which she received the much merited ovation. Miss White then took up the fourth division of the program and gae a history of the people's music from 1770 to 1S65. She gave a stanza from each number in this part of the pro gram, which is divided into religion, hymns, secular songs and war songs, familiar to this generation. The au thors mentioned in the program. Miss White claims, are responsible for genuine American music. She touched a tender chord when she sang a stanza from each of those familiar hymns Continued on Page 8.