CHAUTAUQUA.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1921, Page 4

CHAUTAUQUA.

NE\r PLYMOUTH SEASON. DAY’S SESSIONS. The third afternoon session of the New Plymouth Chautauqua season was somewhat longer than the preceding sessions, chiefly on account of the lecture by Mr. Joel W. Eastman, but it lost none of its interest for that reason. The first part of the programme was taken up by those two accomplished entertainers, Miss Lula Roots (contralto) and Mr. William Lowell Patton (pianist), who delighted the large audience with a varied list of songs at the piano, including several groups of songs. That intensely dramatic composition, “The Cry of Racheal,” was treated by Miss Roots in a highly finished manner, and by way of contrast the encore number, a happy little Scottish ballad, brought back the audience again to a lighter vein. Several pianoforte solos by Mr Patton, especially the Russian composition, “The Brook,” and “The Rosary,” were very artistic. One of Mr. Pabon’s own compositions, “Baby o’ Mine,” sung by Miss Roots, was enthusiastically received.

The latter part of the programme was devoted to a very able leettire by Mr Joel W. Eastman on “Hidden Things,” which, by the manner in which it was delivered and the compelling interest of the theme, held the audience in rapt attention throughout. Mr. Eastman traced the human race since its first appearance in scientific history some 500,000 years ago, its gradual evolution and rise to the present day. His discourse on primitive man, aided by a number of diagrams and a human skull, was deeply interesting to those whom the study appeals to. The different branches of the human race he followed and traced their destinies, giving scientific reasons for the diversity of national thoughts and aspirations. The tent was filled to its fullest capacity for the evening session. Miss Lulu Roots and Mr. Lowell Patton again took up the first part of the programme. Miss Roots sang very pleasingly several numbers, of which “Life and Death,” “Ma Curly-headed Babby.” and a series of Indian melodies, assisted by appropriate dress, were most appreciated Mr. Patton, besides,playing the accompaniments, gave an interpretation of “Napoleon’s Invasion Warsaw,” “Barcarole” (from “Tales of Hoffmann”) and the “Rosary,” besides others.

A very instructive lecture by Mr. Joel W. Eastman occupied the second portion of the programme. The lecturer took as his subject “The Unfolding of Democracy,” and at the outset particularly stressed two points: Firstly, the consciousness that nothing in this world happens by accident, and secondly, that you can judge a tree by the fruit it bears. Democracy was the natural fruit of the blending of the Anglo-Saxon races; it was, in short, the philosophy of life. The speaker spoke strongly in favor of representative government, for, besides being of the greatest good to the greatest number, it stayed the man on the very threshold of his mad emotion and compelled him to think before he said anything. We must learn to render public service, for not till then would democracy be the picture we painted in our dreams. The soul of man dreamed that it could and would create something—that was the mark of the man to say “I create.” The constitution did not guarantee liberty. Liberty unfolded itself out of the dim past, receding and progressing like the tide. It was the character and soul

of the Anglo-Saxon himself that guaranteed liberty, for democracy, like Topsy, wasn’t brought up, it “just grew up.”