New York (Greenwich).—Our local circle is not only fairly launched, but is under full sail. We number twenty-four enthusiastic members from all the Christian denominations, who are reading with a determination to win. We held our second monthly meeting last evening, December 11. Nearly every member was present and several brought essays on subjects previously assigned them by the president of the circle, which were well written and well read. Very much interest was exhibited in the geological essays, illustrated by the excellent charts. The members express themselves as being gratified and surprised at the enthusiasm manifested, and at the splendid success of our first meeting. You shall hear more further on.
New York (Suspension Bridge).—We have a local circle in this place which numbers twenty-five members, and the majority of them have their names enrolled at Plainfield, N. J. Our order of exercises is singing (Chautauqua hymns), roll-call, reading of minutes, program, business, adjournment. The program for each meeting is prepared by a committee of three, whom the president appoints two weeks before, and who make their report at the meeting following their appointment. We have twenty-five questions in The Chautauquan every week, and some also in the Greek text-book, which are asked by the chairman of the committee that prepared the program. We are still studying the chart, and hardly see how we could have used the geology without it. We are taking the diagrams in course, one being explained at each meeting by the member appointed by the committee at the previous meeting. The program always includes, also, some article or articles in The Chautauquan, which is read aloud by the members with frequent consultation of the dictionary. We observe the “Memorial Days” on the regular evening nearest memorial date. Exercises for these are also announced by the committee who prepare the regular program for the evening, and consist of a sketch of the author’s life by one member, a recitation of one of his works by another, and a short selection by each member. Our meetings are well attended, and all seem to enjoy them. We have taken for our name, “The Athenian Circle.”
New York (Brocton).—A local circle was reorganized in September with a good attendance and increased interest. We now have, in this our fifth year, a membership of twenty and meet every Saturday evening. In addition to our regular officers, president and secretary, we usually elect a teacher for each subject. We are using the charts, and the Baptist clergyman, Rev. J. M. Bates has given us one lecture on geology and will soon give us another. The Class of ’82 are taking the White Crystal Seal course, and most of the members are also reading the regular course for the year. The influence of our circle is not confined to its members alone, but is felt throughout the village, winning the respect of the people and increasing their desire for solid reading.
Pennsylvania (Phillipsburg).—Our circle has been having some very pleasant gatherings lately, quite out of our usual order. Some time before Christmas we first discovered we had a neighbor circle in Houtzdale, Clearfield County, a town about twelve miles from here, among the coal mines. It is a much larger place than this, having a population of between eight and ten thousand, principally miners from almost every country in Europe. Wishing to show our friendly feeling to our brethren in the Chautauqua Circle, we invited them down to visit our circle. They accepted our invitation, promising to come when the sleighing and weather were favorable. So they telephoned to us on the 18th of last month to expect them on Monday evening, the 22d. Our circle generally meets every Tuesday evening, but this time, to have a fuller attendance and suit all around, we changed the time to Monday. We met rather early and prepared to give them a warm reception. No one of us had to our knowledge met any one of them, so we had to introduce ourselves. We were rather surprised when they came to find that twelve out of the twenty-five composing their circle had ventured on the long drive, for though the moonlight made it as bright as day, the weather was very cold. The evening passed pleasantly and quickly, and it was not till midnight that we turned our steps homeward. We departed from our usual custom this evening and had a small entertainment. A cup of coffee is very refreshing before a cold sleigh ride, and we could not think of letting the party return without breaking bread with us. Before separating we partly promised to go up to Houtzdale to hear a lecture on “Greece, Ancient and Modern,” on the following Wednesday. All depended on the weather, which seemed to be steadily growing colder. Wednesday morning the mercury went down to 14°, but as it rose rapidly, by noon we made what preparations were necessary, and a party of fifteen beside the drivers started in two large sleds, after an early supper. We reached our destination with but few mishaps and were most kindly received. We enjoyed the lecture as well as seeing the real Greek costumes very much. At the close of the meeting we went to the house of one of the members of the C. L. S. C., where we partook of a very nice entertainment before starting for home. We all agreed that the trip was quite a success and have promised, when warm weather comes, to go again to visit the circle on one of its regular meetings. We are now reading in our fifth year and feel that we can not think of giving up, even though some of us have our diplomas. The reading in regular course is good for any one, and the influence of good books and pleasant companionship drawing one out of one’s self, away, for a short time at least, from the cares and fret of every-day life, brings interest and brightness to many who might otherwise give up to the “blues” and ill-temper, which like
“The little rift within the lute,
Will soon make all the music mute.”