Sparkling Gems of Race Knowledge Worth Reading Part 7

Miss Brown, the elocutionist, ranks as one of the finest in the country. (Daily News, Urbana, O.)

Her style is pure and correct; her selections excellent.

(News, Long Branch, N. J.)

Miss Hallie Q. Brown, the elocutionist with the company, was loudly applauded. Many credit Miss Brown with being one of the best elocutionists before the public. (Indianapolis Times.)

Miss Brown, the elocutionist, is a phenomenon, and deserves the highest praise. She is a talented lady and deserves all the encomiums that she receives. (Daily Sun, Vincennes, Ind.)

The select reading of Miss Hallie Q. Brown was very fine.

From grave to gay, from tragic to comic, with a great variation of themes and humors, she seemed to succeed in all, and her renderings were the spice of the night's performance. (Monitor, Marion, Ill.)

"The select readings of Miss Brown are done to perfection.

She has an excellent voice and good control of it. She makes every piece sound as if it were the author speaking, and in many of them doubtless she excels the one she imitates."

MISS HENRIETTA VINTON DAVIS.

The Famous Elocutionist.

Miss Davis is native of Maryland, the state that has produced more noted colored people than all the other states combined. Her reputation is world-wide, and she stands to-day without a peer among her people as an elocutionist. Her charming manner and modest demeanor have endeared her to the hearts of thousands. She is not only interested in the artistic development of her race, but in their industrial advancement as well, and since her debut she has inspired many of the young people to make something of their lives that shall redound to the benefit of humanity.

INDORs.e.m.e.nT.

I have many times been called upon to bear testimony to the remarkable talents of Miss Henrietta Vinton Davis, and I always do so with pleasure. In my judgment she is one of the best dramatic readers in the country, and the best colored reader that ever came before the American people. Her personal appearance is strongly in her favor. She instantly commands attention and sympathy, and when her deep, fine voice is heard, her audience at once give themselves up to the pleasure of hearing her. I am quite sure you will make no mistake in having her read for you. (Frederick Dougla.s.s.)

This is to certify that Miss Henrietta Vinton Davis has been known to me since childhood. She is in all respects a lady of the first grade, spotless in character, polished in manners, educated and finished in her profession. As a dramatic reader she has no superiors, and should be encouraged by all who favor the elevation of our race. I commend her services to all ministers of the gospel, and to the public in general. (Bishop H. M. Turner, Atlanta, Ga.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS HENRIETTA VINTON DAVIS, WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D. C.]

Miss Davis is by far the most cultured and finished elocutionist of the race. Her combination of catchy recitations, replete with humor of an excellent quality, continues from beginning to end to bring forth shouts of laughter and rounds of applause. Her character-acting stamps her at once as an artist. She is pretty, una.s.suming, and full of common sense. (Star of Zion, Salisbury, N. C.)

I have heard Miss Henrietta Vinton Davis perform on various occasions, and it is my candid judgment, reached after mature deliberation, and a fair knowledge of the merits of nearly all her set who essay to excel in the histrionic art, that she has no superior in the race as a master of the profession of her choice. (John C. Dancy, Wilmington, N. C.)

Miss Davis is a living example of what all may do by improving their time and their talents. (Bishop Benjamin W.

Arnett.)

Among the elocutionists that I have known Miss H. V. Davis holds the highest place in my estimation. Her personification and rendition of character is complete in whatever role she appears. (J. W. Hood, Bishop A.M.E. Zion Church.)

TO HENRIETTA VINTON DAVIS.

As you stood in your womanly beauty, In garments of glittering sheen, Our hearts bowed down in gracious homage, And we crowned you as our queen.

Although many have been before thee, Thou beautiful dark-eyed queen, None more worthy of allegiance On the throne was ever seen.

For whether in joy or in sorrow Thy magic art has been seen We sat enslaved by thy sweet caprice, Our fair, yes, charming queen.

We pledge thee our loyal allegiance, We pledge thee our sympathy keen, We pledge thee the love of a nation And crown thee fore'er our queen!

(Katherine Davis Tillman, in New York Age.)

RICH THOUGHTS FROM GREAT RACE THINKERS.

Colored men should be encouraged by the outlook. Our friends are multiplying. It is only ourselves that we must learn to control. (John Mitch.e.l.l, Richmond, Va.)

We are in favor of the saloons being closed twenty-four hours each day and seven days in each week. (Rev. R. W. E. Ferguson.)

Let parents do their whole duty in bringing up their children, for upon this depends the future welfare of our race. (Mrs. Virginia Broughton.)

Our lives are measured by what we accomplish, and not by paltry years of existence. (Prof. W. S. Scarborough.)

There is no such thing as black virtue, black intelligence or white intelligence, black goodness or white goodness. Virtue has no color.

It is either virtue or no virtue, honesty or no honesty, and it behooves our readers always to remember this when they regulate the conduct of their lives. A bad act in a white man is not the less bad because he is white, and a good act in a colored man is not the less good because he is black. (Bishop W. B. Derrick.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. V. W. BROUGHTON, MEMPHIS, TENN.

Editor of _Woman's Messenger_ and Chairman of Educational Committee Negro Department, Tennessee Centennial.]

Reading is to the mind what eating is to the body. So to eat without giving nature time to a.s.similate is to rob her, first of health, then of life; so to read without reflecting is to cram the intellect and paralyze the mind. In all cases, dear friends, reflect more than you read, in order to present what you read to your hearers. (S. A.

Wesson, Lincolnville, S. C.)

If you have never thought of race pride, think now. Not only think, but act well your part. Without the enn.o.bling power of our women we can never be a great and n.o.ble race. If young men aspire to reach the highest pinnacles of fame, they rise but to fall lower, unless the women are pure and will demand respect. Learn to resent insults, young women. Learn to respect and defend the women of our race, young men.

(Mary R. Phelps.)

Let us as Negroes educate, let us survive, let us live up to our opportunities of doing good to ourselves and to others. So shall we work out a glorious destiny upon earth and contribute our share of the good and great immortals out of every nation that shall take their places among "the spirits of just men made perfect who are without fault before the throne." (Rev. William D. Johnson, D.D., Athens, Ga.)

We have learned in the hard school of adversity that we are not the wards of any political body; that the improvement of our condition in life is not the solicitude of any particular section of our country, and that the days of our political bosses are over forever; that we are the architects of our own fortunes and the arbiters of our own destinies; that with the various walks of life thrown open to us we are to enter and win victories or defeats upon equal conditions with every other race or condition of people. (Hon. J. T. Settle.)