ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 10691, 2 August 1898, Page 4

ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE.

At last night's meeting of the Literary Society in connection with St. Andrew's Church the Rev. Dr Waddell delivered the second of his series of lectures on 'The Choir Invisible.' There was agaiD a large attendance, the seating accommodation of the hall being taxed to its utmost. Iu his previous lecture Dr Waddell dealt with Amy Falconer, the first of the three characters in the bjok selected, and gave a clear analysis of tho character of that girl as di'awn by the author, treatiug her as the embodiment of selfishness. The subieot ehoEen for consideration waß Mrs Falconer, the keynoto to whose life, said the lecturer, was duty. Mrs Falconer, he said, was the most beautiful character in the book (' The Choir Invisible'), and, in his judgment, one of the most beautiful characters in the whole range of modern nation. Their work, however, was not to praise, bub to understand that character. To do that, at first sight, seemed easy ; but nothing was more difficult. It. was difficult b:cause of her simplicity and loveliness, and in analysing Mrs Falconer he ran the danger of dissolving her beauty into common clay. The mystery of darkness, explained the lecturer, was nothing to the mystery of light, for light rev-aled everything except itself. The keynote of -Mrs Falcouer's character was, in the words id the author: "They are the women who have missed happiness, and kt:ow it ; but, having failed of :.|'r;c:tioii, give themselves to duty." Dii*-)', explained Dr Waddell, is that determined literal craving which dictates a certain course c f conduct as right, in opposition to ■ stlf-p'.easing. Mrs Falconer, before being | brought into the pages of ' The Choir InI visible,' hul li.el in eas? and comfort in | Virginia, and had choaen as her partner for ] : fe* Mnpr Falconer, with whom, after her I mirriage.she had gone to thscontinesof Ame- | lican civilisation—the back blocks. Amongst ! the pioneers of all new countries, or tracts I of country, were to be found women who j had bseu accustomed to \ ery different modes of life. Mrs Falcouer was one of these. I Some failed in their new life, and others met it with obstinate perseverance, and others a r 'aiu with stoichin. Mrs Falconer had in her new life bravely suppressed self, taken what fortune had brought her, and resolved that alio would meet aud master her diflicultics, and make them stepping stones to x higher life. Mis Falconet's fidelity to | duty would have been performed with joy had"there been affection behind it, but that was just what there wa3 not. Major Falconer was commonplace and unimaginative, and between them thero was no ufliuity. He was, however, her husband, and in private and iu public she never wavered from or was unfaithful to I i.ho obligations she had taken upon ' herself. Too character of Mrs Falconer, ! said Dr Waddell, was more than I - he creation of fiction ;it was the em- ! bodimeut of a, profound philosophy and prci found ethical principles, Tiie Heal oi j modern fic'.ioa was ihat marriage was a civil ! contract, aud that when either party faded I the contract was at an cud ; that the sole I condition was love, aud when that ceased on j either side tho obligations wero cancelled, ; and both entered into a new relationship. | Ho viewed with alarm tho spread oi that j doctrine, the extent of which wa3 evidenced in many parts of the world, including the colonies, by the legislation which was being introduced to slacken the divorce laws aud make the severance of the marriage ties easier. To all this the character of Mrs Falconer stood out in marked contrast, aud in every w-iy fulfilled the ilea the author had in his mind when he created her—to give forth a wonuu faithful and loyal to her duty us a wife under the most trying and disadvantageous of circumstances. During the course of his remarks Dr Waddell frequently illustrated his poiuts by reading extractß from tho work under notice, and made clear to the minds of his hearers the true meaning of the book and what was most evidently the intention of the author in creating the character of Mrs Falconer. The lecture waa listened to with close attention, and that the matter was appreciated was evidenced by the frequent demonstrations of approval from the audience.