The “Athenian Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle” of West Enosburgh, Vt., has entered upon its first year in the Chautauqua course. Although in its infancy, it shows a great deal of interest and enthusiasm. The circle was organized September 29, 1884. The officers are president, vice president and secretary. The circle began with eight members and has increased to thirteen. One of the most interesting exercises of this circle is the pronouncing match, each person being allowed to try once; if he misses he sits down. The words for the next match are the names of the sixty-six elements in chemistry.
Our travels through Massachusetts this month furnish much interesting circle news. The “Star” circle, in Foxboro, reorganized in October with twenty-eight members, which includes all the graduates with one exception. They believe there in once a C. L. S. C. always a C. L. S. C. The weekly meetings are reported in the local paper, and more are inquiring about the work than in previous years. One reason may be that they are but eighteen miles from the “Hall on the Hill,” which is in process of erection in South Framingham.——The “Henry M. King” circle, connected with the Dudley Street church, Boston, was organized in November, and has twenty-five members. Of these the larger part are gentlemen, not of leisure, but business men, who bring with them into the bi-weekly meetings the same energy and perseverance that characterize a successful business enterprise. These are certainly the ones who might with a good show of reason say: “No time.” But on the contrary they have time, not only for the regular work, but for the preparation of papers requiring much time and research.——At North Attleboro the new “Bryant” circle is four months old, and numbers twenty-six members. They open the meetings with reading Scripture lessons and singing Chautauqua songs. Roll call is responded to by quotations from a standard author, followed by essays, recitations, blackboard exercises, questions, discussions, etc., as the committee of instruction has arranged. The secretary writes: “If we are not great, our hopes are.”——“Profit as well as enjoyment we are getting from our studies,” says a member of the circle at North Weymouth. This organization is a circle of ’83, and has had time to thoroughly test the course. They have had recently a pleasant memorial service, and have been favored with chemical experiments by a chemist.——Pleasant notes of the work at West Madford have been sent us by the secretary: “Through the influence of one sturdy little lady, six or eight people met together last October and talked up the feasibility of the C. L. S. C. They elected a president and secretary, drew up a few by-laws, and are now in good running order. They meet once in two weeks. Their membership was limited to twenty, which was quickly reached. The opinion of these members seems to be that this circle is as good, if not better, than any reported in your magazine. We all work with a will, cull the best from the programs given for the local circles, and add original ideas. Each member, in the order of his enrollment, makes out the program. This gives each one an opportunity to do his share, as well as to add his own ideas. We think this feature much superior to the general mode of allowing the ‘chair’ to prepare all programs.”——Amesbury has a circle of unusual strength. We have been so fortunate as to receive a letter which gives an account of a delightful entertainment held by them in December. Our friend says: “Thinking perhaps you might like to hear from us once again, we are glad to write you of our pleasant and prosperous winter of literary work, brought about by the grand C. L. S. C. movement. Our meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, the programs comprise essays, music, readings and conversation, and are social and very delightful, showing a marked improvement on our ‘feeble beginning’ a year ago. Two new circles have been formed this winter, one, the ‘Delphic,’ having forty or more members. On the 18th of December we held our first public meeting in honor of ‘Our Poet’s’ (Mr. John G. Whittier) birthday, to which we invited the ‘Delphic’ circle, also the ‘Thursday Evening Club,’ an older literary society of Amesbury, and other friends, about three hundred in all. Members from the three circles took part in the program, which had been carefully prepared. We were greatly pleased to receive from Mr. W. C. Wilkinson a paper entitled ‘Whittier at the Receipt of Customs,’ which was read to us by his friend, the Rev. P. S. Evans, of Amesbury. As Mr. Whittier, owing to a previous engagement, could not be present with us, resolutions were drawn up and sent to him, as follows:
“‘Dear Mr. Whittier;—The three literary circles, together with a goodly company of the citizens of Amesbury as their invited guests, are met to celebrate the return of your birthday. We have talked together of all that you have done and suffered in the cause of freedom and of truth. We have listened to many of your words, rendered by living voices. We have looked at your ‘counterfeit presentment’ as it has hung before us covered with evergreen—our New England laurel. Because you were not with us in person, to receive them, we desire to send you our most hearty congratulations on the completion of your seventy-seventh year. We rejoice that after your “Thirty Years’ War” you have been spared to enjoy so many years of peace, and that in the prolonged “Indian Summer,” the “Halcyon” days of your life, you are receiving a well deserved tribute of reverence and affection. We think ourselves happy to have known you, not merely as a poet, but as a citizen, a neighbor, and a friend.
“‘We feel we can not better voice our sentiments than by retaliating upon you the words you once so fitly spoke of one who has been a co-laborer with you in the cause of humanity—the mild “Autocrat of the Breakfast Table.”
“‘“The world may keep his honored name,
The wealth of all his varied powers;
A stronger claim has love than fame,
And he himself is only ours.”’
“‘In the name and by the request of three hundred citizens of your own village.’
“To which Mr. Whittier responded with the following charming letter: