MISS VON FINKELSTEIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9184, 13 October 1888, Page 5

MISS VON FINKELSTEIN.

As this lady will arrive in Auckland tomorrow, and give her first lecture in the Opera House on Monday evening, a few j particulars of her career will be read with interest. The father of Lydia Mamreoff von Finkelstein, a Russian exile, was for several years a prosperous merchant in Jerusalem, but in his later years some of his trading ventures proved unfortunate, and lie migrated with his family to the United States. While living in Palestine he gave a good education to his daughter Lydia, who speaks English, French, German, Russian, and Arabic, and as she lived in the Holy Land and Syria till she was more than 20 years of age, she is thoroughly familiar with the manners and customs of the various races which inhabit those countries. In Great Britain and the United States Miss von Finkelstein lectured in churches, in halls, in theatres, the platform or stage being fitted up to represent a landscape or a domestic interior, according to the subject for the evening. The lady always lectures in Oriental costume, which also varies with her subject, and she is assisted by ladies and gentlemen similarly attired. Some of these assistants travel with her, others are selected from friends she makes in the places she visits, and who are generally glad to take part in the Bible scenes presented. The celebrated lccfcuress is gifted with remarkable dramatic talent, and these scenos are sp.id to be startling in their vividness. Tents, furniture, pictures, arms, and sundry household accessories form part of the mist en scene, thus increasing the realism of the representations ; and some of the most interesting events in the Scripture narrative nre reproduced with an accuracy and picturesqucness never before attempted on the platform. As a public speaker, the personal appearance of Miss von Finkelstein is a great point in her favour. She is exceptionally toll, standing nearly five feet nine inches, and remarkably well built. Her fine head is covered with golden hair, while she has a beautiful voice, an agreeable manner, and a pleasing vein of humour. Being so well endowed for her work, the lady tells the story of "The Land and the Book" in a manner which keeps her audience highly interested. In England and Scotland Miss von Finkelstein usually lectured under the auspices of some religious or charitable organisation ; but her audiences are not by any means confined to adherents of the various Protestant denominations. In Australia, for instance, large numbers of Jews and Roman Catholics attended her lecture entertainments. The gifted native of Jerusalem first thought of visiting Australia nearly two years ago in consequence of colonists whom she met in Europe and America celling her of the success which had attended the tours of Mr. R, A. Proctor, Mr. Archibald Forbes, and other eminent men; but in England she was dissuaded from carrying out her intention by the Sunday-school Union, and in America by the managers of the great Clint-aqua Camp meetings, at which she frequently addressed 20,000 people. Last year, however, when Mr. R. S. Smythe was at homo arranging to bring out Max O'Holl, he was advised to hoar Miss von Finkelstein. He did so, and at once persuaded tho cynical Frenchman to postpone his visit to John Bull's children till 1889| and induced the lady to make a tour in Australia during the Centennial year. In Australia the success which has attended Miss von Finkelstein's tour must have exceeded her most sanguine expectations. At her opening lecture in tho Adelaide Town Hall tho Chief Justice introduced the lady to her iirst Australian audience, and afterwards her chairmen in tho dill'eront colonies included tho Deans of tho metropolitan dioceses and leading ministers of other denominations. Latterly tho lady lias thought it better to dispense with a chairman, for on one or two occasions tho audience have exhibited signs of impatience for the commencement of the lecture. In Melbourne Miss von Finkelstein achieved a greater success than any of her predecessors on the platform. They only lectured two or three nights a week, bub she appeared every night in tho Athenaeum to overflowing audiences, and for the farewell lectures the Town Hall had to bo taken. In tho Young Men's Christian Association Hull in Sydney, Mins von Finkelstein lectured for a month, and the children's matinees on Saturday afternoon were given in tho now Mnsonic Hall, which holds nearly '2000 children, yet hundreds could not get in. For her opening lecture on Monday evening, Miss von Finkelstein has chosen, "Homes and Haunts of Jesus," which in London attracted crowded audiences to the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the City Temple, and Exeter Hall; and it excited equal enthusiasm when given in the Free Trade Hall at Manchester, the City Hall in Glasgow, and the Edinburgh Music Hall.