I read “The Fires of Spring” by James Michener and have mentioned it, and of him before, when I wrote a paragraph about “the journey that man make”. Anyhow, in the book there was a traveling group (about 1920) that made the trip to the town where the main subject lived. It, the group, was making “A Chautauqua Circuit” and that was part of the book’s story. The Chautauqua’s then were traveling groups that concentrated on reading stories to the people of the time. Sort of like “live TV then”, only with people involved on stage.

Message given    2015-111

The soliloquy of a Chautauqua

so serene;

Expounded on subjects

so supreme.

Of Homer, extolling his Iliad

so long ago;

Fay, telling the

world of Achilles life.

Storyteller today,

spinning his yarn;

His creation of living

a vision in the mind.

Magic of thought,

brought to the beings;

Joining as one, with one,

as never again seen.

A different time, poles apart

Of experiencing existence

In a way that gave comfort

Of hearing about life.

Den Betts