mal exercises, when everybody was
weary and was ready to descend from the serious heights. This grew into
quite an institution and was continued for a number of years--a sort of
mock-commencement, making fun of the prominent figures and features of
the day. Almost as large an audience was wont to assemble for this
evening of mirth and jollity, as was seen at the stately service of the
morning. This in turn had its day and finally grew into the Chautauqua
Circus, an amateur performance which is still continued every year under
one name or another.

We have given much space to the story of the first Recognition Day, as a
sample of the similar services held every year afterward, growing with
the growth of the C. L. S. C. But there were other events of '82
scarcely less noteworthy. On that year a great organ was installed in
the Amphitheater, and its effect was soon seen in the enlargement of the
choir and the improvement in the music. We can mention only in the
briefest manner some of the speakers on the platform for that year: such
as Dr. W. T. Harris of Concord, Mass., afterward U. S. Commissioner of
Education; Professor William H. Niles of Boston; Mr. Wallace Bruce; Dr.
T. DeWitt Talmage; Dr. Wm. M. Blackburn of Cincinnati, the church
historian; Dr. A. D. Vail of New York, who told in an interesting manner
the story of the banner and the flag; Dr. Mark Hopkins, the great
college President; Bishop R. S. Foster; Anthony Comstock and John B.
Gough, with others equally distinguished whose names we must omit. One
new name appeared upon the program of this season which will be read
often in the coming years, that of Mr. Leon H. Vincent, the son of Rev.
B. T. Vincent. He gave a course of lectures on English literature,
mingling biographical, social, and critical views of the great writers,
attracting large audiences. We shall find him among the leading lights
of Chautauqua in the successive chapters of our story.

An institution which began that year and has been perpetuated must not
be omitted--the Devotional Conference. Both of the Founders of
Chautauqua were strong in their purpose to hold the Christian religion
ever in the forefront at the Assembly. Various plans were tried during
the early years, but none seemed to reach the constituency of Chautauqua
until Dr. Benjamin M. Adams, at Dr. Vincent's request, began holding a
daily service of an hour. This attracted a large attendance and was
continued for a number of years,