The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-17

From The North river TO the Mississippi If no
iulther, there are Lecture Companies, soundly
organized, and commonly the nucleus or the
consequent of a large Incorporated library They
are often rich and potential, as everywhere they
are the aesthetic influence OF tnelr several com
munities, and more unselhsh ORGANIZATIONS
exist nowhere in the world. They have little
commercial ambition, and cater to no intestine
vanities but watch the periodical literature of
the country, TO encourage any rising star, and
knowing nothing of the enviCs and Oitternesses
OF letters are alike Independent oil partisan pre-
iudices. They are at once the active aud the
conservative DO yer of the West. No charlatan-
ism meets them but TO be ashamed; no timid
excellence but to be approved. | would have
the young bHerCteurs OF New York made aware
of these silent and vigilant censors, who hold
personal integrity TO be an inseparable com.
ponent of talent, and lose sight OF no public
writer IRON the date OF his first success TIL his
death.
OF this description were the committeeman
OF lion fresh, handsome, sagacious-who
measured me at the first salute, and pleasantly
inquired as to my wishes for the night. These
we're few: to be introduced without an adiec-
tive, and by my name aone-not my past nor
my, promise; glass OF water a Teading stand;
we've anxious to exhibit their city, but two
obligIng gentlemen of my own profession had
already secured me, with that design, and the
afternoon stole away in such genial meander.
iny, that l only remember how soberly and
respectfully the night closed around me- and
how younger and older | grew together, as
l climbed the stairs OF the Ilon Hall, and
stood in the dressing room. IL was filled with
Young men, sedately atiable and of them all, l
was the youngest. IF they we're trife con-
cerned at my extreme youth, ielt my pride eX-
pan0ed in their doubt, and slipped of my hat
and oyercoat, and locked once in the little mir.
ror. The face | saw there was the son of the
man 1t reflected. | walked to the stage door and
glanced at the audience. Oh heart that feel
wrinklng; oh boy that | feel growing man
untimely; oh! early, earnest, fond thrill of
ripeninG Tecognition wish that the winter
would roll back and let me live that glance
againl
There were thousand people assembled the
plumes in the bonnets the gloss OF the curls. the
eyes all fused and flashing and waiting, the hurry
at the door, the low eXpectant gossip, the splen-
dor OF the lghts--l ielU an lnstants dimness,
happiness, terror .
"CCme," said the Secretary, 'let us go on.n
There was an old gentleman, pOrtly and inn
posing who, somehow, got on with our party.
He was at once seized on as the Special Cores
spondent," though how he could ever have
ridden horse, or, with those pounds avoirdu-
pois, had any "Recreationsn whatsoever was
my mental interrogatory, even in that critical
instant. ] took the middle chair-President and
Secretary on either hand; the stage tiled imme-
diately; heard my name pronounced, and was
standing at the little reading desk, with my
book spread out, and all the eyes wide open,
with sort of surprised smile in the bottoms of
them, and perfect silence.
1t is only to lasten every public speakers
first sensations into type that dwell upon the
phases OF tlat evening" InOSe WEO nave passed
them may be assisted to revive their remins-
cences; the coming orators may gain fore
taste.
The first perception was that of crudeness
talking to confusion. Whether anybody or
every body whispered, or whether all the ribbons
blew, or all the cas- Jets flashed, or concert of
Indifference arose, determined only that nobody
was listening, and became myself listless, so
that could take note of the pitch and tone of
my voice. These truly seemed nCongruous;
made no roundnesses everything cut like
knife, but not word echoed. | appeared to
talk TO all the corners and cornices and window
sllls; my eyes lacked directness, like my matter;
/ was lolling, not declaiming, and the unltles in
my essay became painfully imperfect. Won
dered myself what end was talking towards,
and everybod seemed gaping to find out as
much.
Ifaman wants his faults of rhetoric exposed
to himself as much as his faults of elocution to
his audience, let him declaim his best compost
tions before q thousand people.
The second sensation is that of eXtraordi-
nary acuteness addressing individualties. The
senses grow quick. as quicksilver; you hear q
chair rottIe; you see S coeGkeyed n man look ok
of vision; you feel the texture of the green
baize under your palm; you wonder why a COM
ma instead of a colon was written in certain
place OF your manuscript; then you become
interested in certain faces, and know exactly
what they are expressing; the person IN the
long beard is cold and inCredulous-you make
a dead set at him to talk him into sympathy;
with one eye-you talk that eye awake in no
time and are very i'll at ease if you don't In a
word, you pick salienCes out OF the audience,
as points of attack are picked out of iortitica-
ton.
All at once, while you proceed with your
analysis, sort of clatter begins. 1t is like the
distant tumble of cIockery; but it travels up
and down the floors, as tablerappings are said to
do very timIdy at first, but directly all the edges
OF sound roll into one concaYe, and there is a
peal 20 powerful that you cannot hear yourself
at all II takes moment or two for you to fully
understand this demonstration. Suddenly you
feel that il is applause. You can remark two
old gentlemen with canes who are rapping: a
woman, until now very palid and attentive, is
observed to flush, as ii she felt something you
averred; only the cock-eyed man is lmperturba.
bic, but it IS impossible to say when he smiles
and when he don't. ...
You distrust this applause till you see what
drew it forth, and to your great Joy il is one of
your earnest, indignant truths that stirred the
hearts OF people. This you feel to be a much
nobler sort of appreciation than If you had merely
invoked the shaft OF Bunker hill and call d the
army gazette aloud; so you are vastly ENCOURAGED
and look upon your audience as highly intei-
gent. The first laugh you excite Strengthens
your confidence immensely; ii shows you that
people are not aVerse to laughing, and that you
are not so much of deaths head as you sup
posed. As the moments slip, you become per-
souallS acquainted with every man, woman, and
child in the house. II there is yawn it plaques
you to tear; boy who has been sitting with his
mouth open, hugely interested, suddenly shuts
1T; you would have that boy hanged unless ne
gaped on the spot Stay person rises; is he
really Going to leave the house The old dis
trust at once returns; your interest must be
tagging if that man should leave. Huzza he is
only taking off his oVercoat and, as he sits
again you inwardly pronounce HIM the most in
telligent man IN lllon. tits the cock-eyed man