MORALLY WE ROLL ALONG

Chautauqua, through the story of the career of an entertainer, who, as a child of eight, was first enticed into a Chautauqua program by seeing Opal May, child wonder elocutionist at Lake Madison. The theory back of the movement at that time was wholesome culture, morality, entertainment. But it was not that aspect but the stage side that appealed to her. A personification of Lillian Russell which she put on for Mark Twain gave her entrÉe, and through his recommendation she became a member of the circuit. She writes of personalities in the Chautauquas, from Sandburg to Charlie McCarthy, of political figures of importance, Coolidge, Bryan, etc. She pokes fun at the pseudo-cultural pretensions, but defends them against the charges of immorality, charlatanism, and so on. Pleasant reading, gently satirical, informative, not over-personal.