Maeterlinck. 1 7 



children. Their conception of life underwent a change, and they 

 realised happiness was often close at hand even though they could 

 not see it. "La Mort" was the title which Maurice Maeterlinck- 

 had given to his new book. The reader could not help feeling to 

 a certain extent the emotion which the thought of his own end, 

 or the recollection of the dear ones who had departed, always 

 caused. Maeterlinck refused to share that puerile terror of death. 

 He led them softly by the hand and persuaded them to look at it 

 face to face. He showed them how unjust they were to it. If 

 death appeared terrible to them it was because they imputed to it 

 crimes of which it was innocent. In their thoughts they confused 

 it with the sufferings and illnesses which preceded it, when on the 

 contrary they should recognize that it was death which put an end 

 to them. It was just as if they were to struggle desperately 

 against sleep and then to accuse sleep itself of the suffering which 

 that struggle had caused them. Maeterlinck's work was happily 

 not complete, and it was therefore impossible to pronounce a 

 definite judgment upon it. But this at least could even now be 

 said, that there was no contemporary French writer more deserving 

 of serious study, and none capable of making a stronger appeal to 

 the loftier feelings of the English-speaking race. 



At the conclusion of the lecture Madame Festuk, in a very 

 neat and appropriate address in French, referred in very u{)precia- 

 tive terms to the pleasure and instruction derived from the lecture, 

 and proposed a cordial vote of thanks to Professor Savory. 



Mr. R. M. Young seconded, and the vote of thanks was 

 carried by acclamation. 



The Lecturer having responded, the proceedings terminated. 



