PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL CIRCLE WORK.
FIRST WEEK IN MAY.—ADDISON’S DAY.
“Give days and nights, sir, to the study of Addison if you mean to be a good writer, and, what is more worth, an honest man.”—Samuel Johnson.
Music.
1. Roll call—Responses consisting of the name and distinguishing trait of some character in Addison’s writings.
2. A Paper on the Political History of England in Addison’s Time.
3. A Brief Sketch of Addison’s Life and Travels.
Music.
4. Selection—“The Transmigration of Souls—A Letter from a Monkey.”
5. A History of the Newspapers with which Addison was connected.
6. A Paper on two of Addison’s Works—“The Campaign” and “The Tragedy of Cato.”
Music.
7. Selection—“Reflections on the Delights of Spring.”
8. Essay—Addison’s Delineation of Woman’s Character.
Music.
A delightful entertainment for an evening can be given by preparing a banquet at which the guests are to personate the characters introduced in Addison’s “Vision of the Table of Fame.” These characters can be studied from other sources, so that each person may be enabled fittingly to carry on the representation during the time spent at the table.
The “Exercise of the Fan” can be prepared by a little practice so as to afford much amusement.
For books of reference see Thackeray’s “English Humorists,” Aiken’s “Memorials of Addison,” Macaulay’s “Life and Writings of Addison,” and the books on English Literature.
SECOND WEEK IN MAY.
1. Essay—The Aryan Race.
2. A Review Lesson—Questions from Chautauqua Text-Book, No. 5; Greek History.
3. Selection—“Orpheus and Eurydice.” By J. G. Saxe.
4. A Trip on Paper through the Soudan.
Music.
5. Story—“Circe’s Palace.” From Hawthorne’s “Tangle-Wood Tales.”
6. Book Review—“The Life of George Eliot.” By J. W. Cross.
7. A General Talk on the Mohammedan Power of To-day.
8. Question Box.
THIRD WEEK IN MAY.
1. A Paper on the Introduction of Temperance Text-Books into the Public Schools.
2. Selections—“Prometheus” and “Epimetheus.” By Longfellow. [The two read by different members.]
3. Brief Sketches of Literary Women who have assumed Masculine Pseudonyms.
Music.
4. Essay—What is the Oklahoma Boom?
5. A General Talk on the practical Home Use of the Study of Chemistry.
6. A Pronunciation Match—The circle chooses sides, the leader spells the words, and the class pronounces.
7. Critic’s Report.
FOURTH WEEK IN MAY.
1. “Questions and Answers,” in review.
2. Essay—May-day as Observed in Olden Times. [It might be well to suggest that a May-day suitably arranged for modern times would be fully as enjoyable as it used to be.]
3. Recitation—“Phaëton,” by J. G. Saxe. Compare this with “The Story of Phaëton,” by Addison.
4. Map Exercise—Locate all the most important battle fields of Greek history.
Music.
5. A Paper on the Foreign Service of the United States.
6. Essay—What Remains of Greek Art.
7. Conversazione—The Wrongs of the Indians as portrayed in Mrs. Jackson’s “Ramona.”
Knowing there are times and places in which every little helps, we offer a few suggestions for Special Sunday. If they only serve as index fingers, pointing out the way to fields where each can glean for himself much more successfully and satisfactorily than to take what others have gathered, they will accomplish a good purpose. To hopeful, earnest, self-reliant workers with “eyes busy on things about us,” more help is not needed, and perhaps not even this much. In addition to the vesper service prepared, selections, essays or papers, and Bible studies can be very profitably used.
From “The Literature of the Age of Elizabeth,” by William Hazlitt, the part referring to the translation of the Bible is very fine. Also, “Christianity the Great Remedy,” by Robert Charles Winthrop, LL.D. These selections can be found in Allibone’s “Great Authors of All Ages.” In The Chautauquan for January, 1885, “The Inner Chautauqua” is a good reading. In The Chautauqua Assembly Herald for August 9, 1884, “Mrs. Pickett’s Missionary Box” Miss P. J. Walden, 36 Bromfield Street, Boston, will send for three cents “Thanksgiving Ann.” Nothing could be better suited for such a service than selections from Miss Havergal’s writings.
Themes for Essays are: “Personal Culture a Christian Duty.” “How Best can I Help my Neighbor?” “Work in the Home Missionary Field.” “How to Make the Sabbath a Beautiful Day.” Papers can be prepared on Bible customs and manners, Bible lands, and Bible characters. With the aid simply of a Concordance and a Reference Bible, interesting Bible studies on any desired topic can be prepared. Hitchcock’s “Analysis of the Bible” would afford great help in arranging work of this kind.