Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-28
WHIPS First Speech,

why, WHAT lot Salu hose, cOOllY, /
as she continued to paste her scrap book. /
What for2 echoed Will, with the
look of an older brother who pities sis
ter's ignorance Why, to think I'm
put on the question instead of one of the
rest, my dearl There hasn't a boy in
our class spoke in the Lyceum yet" add
ed he, jerking his sisters elbow by way
of pointing the remark. az suppose you
know that, don't your"
+" l know you don't talk grammar" re-
turned Rose, and I know you have
made me drop great blot of paste on
my book. See, therer'
7" Well, don't fussl Just reach me the
big dictionary, won't you? I'm going to
read up from the foundation of the world
down TO the battle at Island Number
Ten. Where's PIutarch's LivesY"
" Do tell me, have you got to speak on
ancient history" said Rose, looking up
u "Of course not, child Question reads:
Resolved, That the fear of punishment
has better effect on mankind than the
hope of reward. I argue that it has
think exactly the reverse, mind you;
but when we make speeches, we do it for
the sake of argument, you see"
''Do re ?" laughed Rose ''Well, l
suppose the fact is, you want me to help
you to write your speeeh-that is what
you were going to say, isn't it p
"Me !" said VIII, In dignifed amaze
ment "Great help you would be You
can write moonlight pieces, and such
nonsense, for the Lyceum paper; but
what do you know about logic Now,
you see, this sort of thing just suits my
turn of mind, Rose. I'm going off into
the library, and don't you let any one dis.
turb me till supper time I shall write
like telegraph, for my mind is in the
potential mood, present tense.
Rose pressed her lips together Just in
time to prevent a provoking smile She
remembered certain compositions
which had been Wrenehed out of his head
like sound teeth.
viii locked himself in the library, and
tried to collect his thoughts In tie
course of au hour, the exultant express
sion had left his face; he began to look
puzzled.
ooh, bother this writing /" sighed he,
II can't piece the sentences together
without making an ugly ssam. fl
could only get start, now It's like a
spool of thread-if you begin right it
will unwind ever so easy-but I can't g,
hold of the end p
Two hours more, Wills speech,
which he had intended should be an iron
chain Of argument, bedecked with flow
ers of rhetoric, where was it? Farther
off than ever His thoughts would not
come at all; they believed in Estate
sovereignty, and paid no respect to the
Federal head
Look here, Rose said Will, next
morning, looking rather sheepish, "you
girls have got the mack of fixing things
up. I've got ideas enough, fact is, I've
got too many. And all that plaques me
is what to do with EN- Suppose | tell
you what to write. and you write it2
Now that's good girl, Rose I'll do as
much for you some time
Rose kindly refrained from saying,
'Just as expected" and took the paper
and pencil from her brother with pleas
ant smile.
Now" said VIII greatly relieved to
find he had not been laughed at, " want
the speech to be real sound, you know,
and sort of elegant, too. | must get in
something about Demosthenes, or some
of these fellows, and that golden-mouth-
ed-Whats his name2 Something about
the settlement of America and seeing
the Quakers Put in that Bible verse,
Don't spare the rod, or yoa'll spoil the
child Say, its an awful thing to bring
children up to expect presents instead Of
whipping-there's the point of the argu.
ment, you know,-and wind off with
some poetry; it won't make much diff
ference what"
Well, William Lawrence" said Rose
IN despair, | should think your brain.
had been churned You've been chasing
some great ideas about till you are dizJ
that's what it is. Now, sit down, ant
let's talk about it awhile before we be
gin"
VIII obeyed in an humble state of mind
very much ashamed of himself for ap
peaEng to Rose, who was only a girl
and did not understand logic, yet YER
grateful to her after all
Fortunately, she seemed to understand
his confused ideas, far better than h
did, and in due time they had composed
what viii regarded as a sensation speech
commencing with g Mr. President ant
ending with few lines from Milton.
"Now, Rose, said VIII, that's jus
about the thing. But | found the ideas
didn't II I'll learn it by heart, and Sc
if l don't deliver it with grand flourish
There's a great deal, you know, in tn
gestures. It's enough to make you ach
to see how stiff some of the fellows stan
when they speak, They get scared,
suppose"
But VIII exulted too soon. Peopl
are very brave before they have ever ha
a tooth out, and boys are very brave b.
fore they have ever tried to speak
public.
VIII thought he was not afraid of an
thing, but when called out to speak,
felt as if the joints in his body had a
turned to wood, and wouldn't bend. e
supposed he was walking, but couldu
tell how he did it He heard suppress
ed litter from the little boys, and Il
eyes of the audience seemed to pric
through his nerves like needles Ever
body took a savage pleasure in
misery, that was plain. OH to think
should have ever laughed at BOYS for b
ing stiff, when they couldn't bendl
He made his bow to the wrong sid
and turned his back to the President
80 "Mr. President" said he in whispt
turning right about face; "Mr Preside
Sir" repeated he, in hoarse vol
that sounded to him as if it came fro
some other boy S throat
'Mr. Lawrence, replied the Preside
smiling encouragingly.
Rut if VIII had haan fyv-;r,r- u, =
possession of a rainbow, or a flash
lightning,he could have caught either
them as soon as one word of his speec
Whittier had it fed Five minutes
fore he had it by heart
"Mr. President" he began again
desperation-Q viii ask to be excust
thought the poor boy, and then rush {
of the house and hide where nobody =
ever. set eyes on me again.
But Rose, meeting his glance, mold
Y