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Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 93, 21 April 1902, Page 2

At the Ponsonby Baptist Church Mission Hall, Western Springs, on Wednesday evening last, Mr. H. Townshend delivered his popular humorous lecture, entitled, "Hyaenas." Mr. Bigelow presided, and there was a good attendance. The lecturer, in the course of his remarks, showed that humour was a divine attribute. The Puritan found life a tremendously serious reality, as it undoubtedly is; but he could discover little laughter in life, which was a pity. If he had, he would have been a more wholesome man, and would have won England, a laughter-loving country, to his side. The lecturer then urged his "hearers to banish dull care for an hour, by turning to the world's "funny men," for wit and wisdom, fun and frolic, to the kings of laughter arid the monarchs of merriment— those great souls that have captured men's intellect, by first winning their hearts, who taught their fellow creatures to think by first making them smile. Commencing with Charles , Dickens, the lecturer then proceeded to give recitations from the works of great humourists, which evoked continual laughter from the audience. During the evening the Misses Fear and Mr. Heap contributed vocal solos. The entertainment closed with the usual vote of thanks,