PEN AND INK PICTURES OF THE PAST.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1080, 21 January 1879, Page 5

PEN AND INK PICTURES OF THE PAST.

On Thursday evening lait, the Bar. Mr Inglis delivered his lecture as mbore entitled/ to a numerous and highly ap. preciative audieuce, in Barr's Hall, Bal* clutha; His Worship the Mayor presided. When we had the pleasure, of listening to Mr Inglis's lecture on the •" Songs and Music of Scotland," we were under the I impression that we had enjoyed the greatest ' treat that possibly could issue from the lecture platform. , That impression was erroneous; we had not then heard hit " Pel and Ink Pictures of the Past." We don't know if this 1 is the rev. gentleman's best effort, but we assuredly do know that it is the best thing in the shape of a iPCtnre eutertaiutneut that has ever been our lot to listen to. From beginning to cud he carries his auditors entirely with hi in'; now .'moving them almost to ie;»r3 with his det-p and touching pathos, now provoking prolonged bursts of .'merriment with Ins rich, and racy humour. H s stlyle is pc uliarly takicg ; he takes his,audi**nce, i\a it were,' by the hand, and familiarly U-ads them through his »a lery, pouting out with his muster-hand the sp<ci 1 beauties of his niauy collected gems. Jt is on y when some grand burst ot eloquence entrances his hearers and holds the audience almost breathless, that they become cognisant of the fact that they are in the presence of a grest orator, an elocutionist of the first water. His reading of the " Cottar's Saturday Night" has been commented on in glowing terms by the Press of every town he has visited. It remains for us but to add our opinions to the rest, and to pronounce it a grand elocutionary achievement. Hia other readings were equally excellent. Mr J nglis can assume the Yankee dialect nearly as well as he can the " bioad Scotch," or pure English, as was clearly demonstrated by his effective rendition of " Betsy and I are out." The last piece ha read was the Caledonian Society's _priao poem; by Mr Thos. Bracken. This, we believe, was the| first time he read the piece, so that there ; is yet another treat ia stare for our Dunedin friends where he will read it on the occasion of Burns' Annivensay, The language is powerfully patriotic and poetical, and that it receives the most ample justice at Mr Inglis' hands is a matter of course. His lecture ha wound up with a grand and telling peroration, something after the sermou style, only that it was a more powerful display than usually emanates from the pulpit, and aruid the most enthusiastic applause the rev. lecturer resumed his seat. Mr Wadd.ll proposed a vote of thanks |in a neat and telling speech. He stated | (hat he bad had heard the Hey. Dr Guth- | rie, Norman M'Leod, Giifillao, and several other olerictil and oratorical celebrities, but he never had lis« ened to any thing better than h.e had that evening. He had j never seen so large an audience assemble for a Lke purpose in Balclutha before, and he was perfectly confideut that everyone of those who had assembled would go home perfectly contented with the intelj lecrual treat that had been tnpp ied them and thankful to the rev. gentleman for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Mr Ingiis in rep ying t-aid, that if Mr Wadde.l was a specimen of our local orat rs, he (Mr Inglis) would have to cultivate his s:yle and delivery a iittle more, b tine he agdu ventured before a Bile utha andience. He tlieu related a humorous story of a Frenchman who wished to i.c takeu before the mayor of a certain town, and stated his desire 10 go before "le horse's vife." He facetiously appl ci the s'ory to the cha rman, stating that it was liia pleasant duty to propose a vote of thanks to " te horse's vife. 1 ' The audience then dispersed, everyone, we believe, ha. ing gained a good deal of instruction and amusement from the highly entertaining lecture delivered by th:B talented divine.