PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL CIRCLE WORK.
Reading edition
FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY.
1. Essay—The Life of Plato.
2. Selection—“Translators of Homer.” From the “Prose Writings of William Cullen Bryant,” vol. ii.
3. Fifteen minutes’ talk on Home Decoration.
4. Select Reading—Extracts from the Life of Pericles, found in “The Young Folks’ Plutarch.”
Music.
5. Essay—Lavoisier and the Phlogiston Theory
[In the “History of the Inductive Sciences,” by Whewell, a good reference will be found.]
6. What we have all seen (mentally, perhaps,) at New Orleans this week. [Reports being made by each one of what he has read, heard or witnessed.]
7. Report of Critic, who is to be appointed at the beginning of the evening, and who is to note and correct all mistakes.
MONTHLY PROGRAM.
1. Roll call—Quotations from Æschylus, taken from the “College Greek Course.”
2. Essay—Socrates.
3. Select Reading—“Valentine’s Day.” By Charles Lamb. [Found in his “Elia.”]
Music.
4. A General Talk on Huxley and his Teachings. [Let each one come prepared to read or tell something about him.]
5. Essay—The Greek Drama.
6. Debate—Resolved, that it is wrong to feed tramps.
FOUNDER’S DAY—FEBRUARY 23.
“He tried the luxury of doing good.”
Music.
1. Roll-call—Quotations on the Companionship of Books.
2. Essay—New Departures in Education.
[Reference can be made to Pestalozzi, Froebel, Col. Parker, and others.]
Music.
3. Recitation—Alone with My Conscience.
[Found in The Chautauquan for October, 1884.]
4. A Paper on the Chautauqua Institutions.
Music.
5. Select Reading—Proper Method of Employing Time. By Addison.
6. A Conversazione—Subject: What Chautauqua has done for me. [Entered into informally by all members of the circle.]
Music.
LONGFELLOW’S DAY—FEBRUARY 27.
“High as our hearts he stood.”
1. Roll call—Quotations from Longfellow.
2. Let several members who have been appointed beforehand give brief accounts of different periods of the poet’s life, such as: His early life, his years in college, his life as a college professor, his travels abroad, his literary work, his home in the Craigie House, and his love for children.
Music.
3. Recitation—“The Hanging of the Crane.”
4. Select Reading—Extracts from “Outre-Mer.”
Music.
5. Essay—Longfellow’s Characteristics as a Writer.
6. Recitation—“The Poet and the Children.” By John G. Whittier.
7. A Paper—The Tributes to Longfellow by Eminent Men and Women.
8. An analytical study of the poem “Sandalphon.”
A delightful Longfellow entertainment may be arranged from “Evangeline” or “Miles Standish.” The poem chosen should be carefully cut so as not to require more than an hour for reading. Let a good reader be chosen, and as he reads let the most picturesque and striking passages be represented by tableaux.
Help in preparing programs for Longfellow’s Day may be found in the following articles: The Century, June, 1882, “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,” poem; The Century, October, 1883, “Longfellow;” The Century, November, 1878, “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow;” Allibone’s “Dictionary of Authors;” Griswold, “Poets and Poetry of America;” Duyckinck, “Cyclopædia of American Literature,” vol. ii.; North American Review, January 1840, July 1842, July 1845, and January 1848; Fraser’s Magazine, March 1848; British Quarterly Review for January and April 1864; The Literary World, vol. xii., No. 5; “Homes of American Authors,” by George William Curtis; “American Classics for Schools,” vol. i; “Longfellow Leaflets”—these convenient little slips have been prepared for schools, but will be found very useful for large circles. They may be had of Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, Mass.