THE Victorian writer of whom Mr.
MacCarthy will talk tonight was ono of the most vivid and colourful person-' alities of that interesting age. The author of ' Ercwhon,' a fantasy of the future in which ho anticipated many modern ideas, predicted the emergence of personality in machines and visualized an ago in which the only crime would be disease ; of ' The Way of all Flesh' (it is necessary nowadays to mention that this has no connection with the Emil Jannings film), in which he passionately voiced the protest of youth against Victorian parents, and of translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey,' Butler yet found time for sheep-farming in New Zealand and controversy over heredity with Dnrwin. His personal history was a record of disillusion and' failure, very largely accounting for the savage brilliance of his books. Mr.' MacCarthy has a fascinating subject for his reminiscences tonight.