THE REV. CHARLES CLARK.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4330, 4 February 1875, Page 3

THE REV. CHARLES CLARK.

, Speaking of the closing lecture by the Kev. Charles Clark at Auckland —“ On Christmas in Old England : Its Customs and its Carols” the New Zealand Herald of the 29th ult. says : “We venture to think that the opinions formed of this, the closing lecture of the series, will ho as various os the lecture itself was replete with variety. Blit, to write of it as possessing variety will give a very inadequate notion of its scope and purpose. The large hall in Symmonds-strdet was literally crammed with eager hearers. It is, we believe, constructed to seat 1000 persons, but the audience

could not be less than 1300, It was packed. His Honor the Superintendent and his family honored the lecture, with their presence. It was also a thoroughly popular assemblage. Every class, gentle and simple, was well represented. The lecture was as successful as those preceding, with the:addition (being, we suppose,; ' a compliment to the lecturer) of a final cheer as he was leaving the platfarm. As to the lecture itself, it comprised an olla podrida of archeological lore, which, by the interpolation of racy anecdotes, ancient and modern, was worked up into a tesselated whole* curious in itself—novel, because unlike any essay of similar pretentious within our experience ; and being novel haviug, of course, considerable claims to originality. Besides the lecture itself there wes the rendering of the best known of the old Carols, sung principally by Miss Christian, Mrs. Smythe, and Mr. Skinner. These call for no special remark. Madame Moller was the piano accompanist, and; performed admirably the part allotted to her. Perhaps the first thing to be explained was to give a reason why a Christmas entertainment should be given a month after date, and this was done by saying that All months of the year have claimed the distinction of containing the natal day of the founder of Christianity.’ There is no need to abuse ‘Old October’whenever brewed, and as the lecture contained a great many good things the ‘ reason 1 is satisfactory. Once started, we do not know of. any lecturer who makes such capital use of time. , A better test of the success of Mir. Clark’s lectures, could not. be found, than the fact that as the prices of admission were raided in consequence of crowded audiences, the pumbers increased.”