Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1883 — BETTER AND BETTER. [ARTICLE]

BETTER AND BETTER.

Splendid Success qf ; Hn Anniversary Entertainment* • k .J.. Tlie annual anniversary eriten* tainmeiit of the Ladies Literary Society, given regularly every Thanksgiving eve, has groMrn to be one of the distinctive features of Rensselaer’s intellectual life. It is the professed rule of the society to make each year’s entertainment a little better than that of the preceding year. Thus far they Have oaffiied out the rule with Unquestioned success; but whether they will next year be able to surpass the high standard of excellence attained last Wednesday evening; is a matter upon which those who wore fortunate enough to be present oh the occasion mentioned must naturally feel doubt. The practice of charging a small sum lot admission to the entertainment works very successfully, as it enable the society to secure the use us the Opeta House and to make the necessary outlay for scenic effects &c. The audience was very numerous and thoroughly representative of the best elements of Rensselaer’s population. The exercises were of a varied character as is usual in sueh entertainjnente: The Orchestta band furnished music for the dciasion. .The Mqu, Purcupile gave a short but approfrriate address. The Rey. T. C. Webster invoked tlte devine blessing in an eloqueip manner. The society gave quotations, following which Mis«; Lola Moss sang and acted in » beautifuj manner, “Who, will buy my roses red”. Mrs. A. Thompson gave a well cohsidered oration pn the subject df some needed - “reforms”. ' Mrs. W. W.. Watson and ORte Alter sang a dpet, and Dunlap, Horton, Abbett and .'.Kirsch sang and gate a tableau of The Rock of Ages. '’Kentucky Bellp-’’ and “Damon and Pythias’* were very successfully rendered by Misses Lizzie Purcupile and Rosa Eaker respectively. Mrs. Eva Kirsch, one of the most accomplished elocutionists we ever .heard, recited a beautiful (xiem entitled “The Brier Rose.” Mrs. S. P. Thompson sang . pweetly “The Mistletoe Bough,” after which the story was rendered in a series of pantomimes and Tableaus, m a manner beautiful, inmost beyond description. Neither pains nor expense had beeix-spared in the matter of eotp tames and scenic effects, and &U parto had been thoroughly rehearsed and practiced. As we understand the “Mistletoe Bough” is likely to be repeated in a short time we refrain from any further comment upon it at this tmae. ! The friends of the society will i be glad to learn that the entertainI ment was also a financial success, ■ the receipts from tickets arnountj ing to over forty dollars.