California. "I am reminded of the story some one tells of an ancient Dean of one of the English colleges who said that 'one of the reasons for studying Greek was that it gave you a proper contempt for those who are ignorant of it!' I think that you will agree that we are mellow enough to have passed that stage, if indeed we ever went through it, when I say that our Circle dates from 1888, and one member of the first class is still with us. Our graduates have stayed by so enthusiastically that we keep our ranks very full, forty-two members at present. We add new members all the time and will have eight to graduate this year. We are already laying plans for that occasion. We meet once a week on Monday in the afternoon and have our program prepared a month in advance. We have a critic who is appointed each week and on the last Thursday of every month we have a review day with a special program of music and papers related to the month's work and a social time afterward. Perhaps in this sympathetic assemblage I may venture to give you our 'yell' which we are in the habit of using when there are no philistines within hearing:

Chau-Chau-Chau-
Chau-tau-qua
Co-lum-bia

Santa Clara
Cal-i-for-ni-a!"

"It's quite worth noting," said Pendragon as he glanced over a letter, “to find amid all this enthusiasm for the English year, a letter from a Circle at Almira, Washington, which looks back upon the Classical year as upon the whole the best. That mysterious force of personality which chooses for itself quite independently of others is one of the things we have to be grateful for. These Almira Chautauquans belong to the Class of 1909 but they are hoping for additions to their number though their town is a small one." "Our Circle of three," commented the member from Barker, Texas, "is not even in a town but out in the country with perhaps a hundred people all told in our neighborhood. It has been a great boon to us. "The Stage for which Shakespeare Wrote' we all enjoyed as a side-light on our reading and we hope to have a larger class next year." "The Circle of Carlisle, Kentucky," said Pendragon, taking up another report, "seem to take kindly to responsibility as you will notice from this communication: 'Since finishing Shakespeare we have been reading Midsummer Night's Dream in the Circle after the other work is finished. We follow the suggestive programs as far as possible, finding them helpful and interesting. Our Circle is delighted with the year's work. Each member is ready to do her share, but always glad when her turn

comes to lead. We've enjoyed all the studies so far. 'Rational Living' is a little hard, but interesting."

"I think we also have rather a liking for subjects that are not too easy," said the delegate from North Dixon, Illinois. “Our meetings are most informal but we try to go into things quite exhaustively. There are twelve of us-all good friends and we discuss the various subjects that come up with considerable ardor. Two of our members having taken a tour through England, have given us many vivid impressions of the country from their own experiences."

Very brief reports were then made by a dozen or more Circles. The Woman's Study Club at Davenport, Washington, having tested the C. L. S. C. for the first time seem ready to commit themselves for another year. At Alliance, Ohio, a Circle of thirteen, six of whom belong to the Tennyson Class of 1908, meet twice a month under the direction of a program committee of two who serve for two months. This year's work will be especially timely for the 1908's as it will emphasize the work of their class poet. The Lineville, Iowa, Circle has been reinforced by a member who has read alone for five years in the country. She found a cordial welcome from these Chautauquans, all of whom attend the summer Assem-bly at Allerton, Iowa, and so help to bring Chautauqua to the attention of a wide territory. At Ridgewood, New Jersey, the Circle which is made up largely of young people, has found great enjoyment in the historical side of the course but had to "wrestle" with Browning while Tennyson's "Morte D'Arthur" brought them under the spell of that dominating personality of the Round Table. At Salina, Kansas, the Chautauquans are very wisely enlisting the coöperation of the librarian to secure them reference books. They have a practical plan of work and hew closely to it. At Troy, New York, the circle has profited by the friendly coöperation of the clergymen of the town. One of them, an Englishman, gave them a talk on the English Government from the standpoint of a native of that country and another is to preview for them President King's "Rational Living."

"For eight years the Brockville, Ontario, Chautauquans have been working together," said Pendragon, as he glanced over a letter, "and they report that many of the first members still answer to the roll call. These Canadian Chautauquans naturally take a lively interest in present day problems in England and have recently been determining the fate of the House of Lords, in a debate which will be memorable in their history. An epic poem commemorates

the struggle which evidently was not unworthy of classic times. Concerning the debate this minstrel sings,

"The question which our learned minds debated let me say, Was whether it was fair and right that in this modern day A body like the House of Lords should be allowed to stay.'

"It seems that the affirmative side, which included both the president and secretary,

That that most august body should off the earth be wiped.
But three of our dear members, I muchly grieve to say,

Had quite made up their minds the House of Lords should stay.

* * * *

And now began the fun! Upon the floor did rise

Our stately president, the blood flashed in her eyes

And then in accents pure and true, she gave her little speech

For quite ten minutes by the clock (she really is a peach!).

She made her points quite clearly as we all can testify

And doubtless if the Peers had heard, forth from the House they'd fly,

Disdaining in that useless place a seat to occupy.'

"The negatives evidently 'put up a good fight,' if I may be allowed the expression," said Pendragon “which would account for the doughty appearance of the next speaker"

She read her hard earned facts at the rate of three a minute:

Her cheeks was flushed, her hand it shook, her lips were parched and dry;

The lust of battle filled her soul. 'Abolish,' was her cry.

"From this point on the action of the poem moves with great rapidity and we get glimpses of different stages of the combat in such significant phrases as 'The looks she casts cause bruises,' 'My kingdom for a drink,' etc.

"At length the tumult ceases in a measure and the speaker

Proceeds to marshal forth her facts, she hopes to make us weaker.' "The outcome was what might have been expected. The judges, bewildered by the oratorical display,

666

they were Members Allen, Smart, and Storey, Would give no real decision-so each side was in its glory.' "The best that could be hoped for seemed to be 'Abolish the House of Lords but leave an Upper Chamber.'"

The delegate from Holcomb, Illinois, next brought greetings from her fellow readers. "We have a fine circle of twelve members," she said, "nine of whom completed the course last year and keep right on with the work with as much interest as ever. We meet regularly every Wednesday at the homes of the members. We are well up with the work, having finished the Shakespeare studies

which we found so interesting that we were sorry to get to the end. 'What is Shakespeare' was a key that opened a great treasure house for us. We have no public library in this small town so we have to make the most out of the material we find in home books and papers as helps to our lessons and we have all added many volumes of good books to our own libraries which fact alone shows the good influence of Chautauqua in our homes. The Chautauqua Circle is most truly an ever widening circle of all that is highest and best in life." "One almost hesitates," said Pendragon, "to urge this enterprising circle to begin working for a town library for it does mean a great deal to every home to have its own well selected and frequently used private library. Nevertheless, I think our experience is that the two things can flourish side by side and that the Circle's service to the community can often be best rendered by putting books within the reach of those who don't know how to find them for themselves."

"And now before we close I think I must give you one more delectable reflection of my new-found author of 'From a College Window.' I fancy most of us can make use of it in our circle experiences. He says:

"The other day, I was conducting an argument with an irascible man. His temper suddenly boiled over and he said several personal things to me of which I did not at once recognize the truth; but I have since considered the criticisms, and have decided that they are mainly true, heightened perhaps by a little tinge of temper. I will not here say in detail what my friend accused me of, but it amounted to a charge of egotism; and as egotism is a common fault. I will make no excuse for propounding a few considerations on the point and how it may perhaps be cured, or, if not cured, at least modified.'

"Then follows a very illuminating little essay. But my reason for quoting the above is merely for its pleasant suggestion that large minded men and women can take and profit by criticism, even when rather fiercely administered, since time may be counted on to bring about the necessary cooling off process. But we may also be our own most severe critics and the Circle meetings which are excellent tilting grounds for the exercise of our powers can teach us the graces of expression as well as the wisdom of self-restraint."

News Summary

DOMESTIC.

March 1.-The Senate passes the Denatured Alcohol bill.
2.-The California Legislature votes in favor of the removal

of the State capital from Sacramento to Berkeley.

3.-United States Senator John C. Spooner, of Wisconsin, sends to Governor Davidson his resignation, to take effect May 1.

4-The Fifty-ninth Congress comes to an end. Secretary of the Treasury Shaw and Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock retire from the cabinet, the former being succeeded by Postmaster-General Cortelyou and the latter by Commissioner of Corporations Garfield, while George von L. Meyer becomes Postmaster-General to succeed Mr. Cortelyou. Proclamations issued by President Roosevelt add 17,000,000 acres to the national forest reserves.

5.-President Roosevelt appoints Regis H. Post to succeed Beekman Winthrop as Governor of Porto Rico when the latter becomes Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

7.-The 2-cent passenger fare bill passed by the Nebraska Legislature becomes a law; the railroads in Nebraska issue circulars abolishing all classes of reduced fares.

12. President Roosevelt modifies his recent order withdrawing coal lands from entry, ordering the opening of about 28,000,000 acres on which the Geological Survey had reported. Mrs. Russell Sage announces the creation of a fund of $10,000,000, to be known as the Sage Foundation, for philanthropic work.

FOREIGN.

March 2. The city of London votes against municipal ownership; the "reformers" obtain a majority in the election of the County Council.

8.-The Female Suffrage bill is talked to death in the British House of Commons.

14.-Lord Curzon is elected chancellor of Oxford University, defeating Lord Roseberry by a vote of 1,111 to 430.

16.-Cambridge defeats Oxford by four and a half lengths in the annual boat race on the Thames.

17.-The White Star liner Suevic runs ashore on the Lizard; all the passengers are safely landed.

20.- -Thirty "suffragettes" are arrested in London for attempting to storm the entrance to the House of Commons.

21.—Egypt decides to raise the Assuan Dam twenty feet, irrigating 1,000,000 additional acres and increasing cotton crops in value by probably $20,000,000 a year. The Transvaal Colony's first parliament meets in Pretoria.

22.-The agrarian rebellion in Rumania gains great headway. Towns are sacked and burned and many peasants are killed by the troops sent to restore order. The House of Commons, by 150 to 118 votes, rejects the bill to introduce the metric system into Great Britain.

28.-Artillery is used against the Rumanian rebels, resulting in terrible loss of life.

OBITUARY.

March 3.-Miss Ada Lydia Howard, first president of Wellesley College, 78.

12.-Jean Paul Casimir-Perier, once President of France, 60. 18.-Pierre Eugene Marcelin Berthelot, the French chemist and statesman, 80.

19.-Count Vladimir Nicolaievich Lamsdorff, former Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 62. Thomas Bailey Aldrich, the American author, 70.

23.-Constantine Pobiedonostzeff, ex-Procurator of the Russian Holy Synod, dies in St. Petersburg.