Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-24
TOM AND LAURA.
The Hero and Heroine Of Burdstt's
Lecture.
The Cycle of a Boys Lie as Illustrated
IN the Rise and Fall OF His
nustache.

Roaming Robert" of the Burlington
Harteye, struck wheeling, yesterday anu
last night delivered his lecture on the
"Rise and Fall of the Mustache.' Bur
dette is an odd-looking man OF some thirty.
FIVE years, appearing much younger ana
seeming altogether as though much OF tue
humor of his writing had fallen through
his life, making 1t generally
pleasant and free from care.
saunteripg about the street yes
terday in light, cutaway suit and smile
at.me hat. with gorgeous boatonn'ere ana
nencil cane, Robert looked very little like
q nexspaper man aud much more like Q
Wisconsin, bonanza king, with Q railroad or
two in his pocket When he stepped upon
the staee, be had shifted his excursion SUIT
for platform sable, but the lapel flowers
still shone with all their pristine beauty
Burdette has voice and manner oiner'
ent from any one you ever saw on the staSe
He is small and therefore not awkward,
and his voice comes out in pleasant, mu-
steal whine that does not grow monotonous,
and the words roll out swift and smooth.
His delivery is not above the average, save
when he essays description, and then his
mowers are unusually fine. An example OF
his was his description OF an attack OF the
Federal army on Confederate battery IN
the South. He had been explaining that
A man could not always be judged
from appearances and to illustrate
il described this fight. The men had been
ridiculing q foppish officer with long
curled hair and wondering what u vas.
But when the fight came, they were led 70
A. oha N
none other than the gallant Custer. The
description OF the skirmish fight, the long
suspense and the final charge, were hne IN
the extreme.
A succinct report Of the lecture is an
impoesibility. To give the exact words
would be 10 mar the lecture, for the tone
and infection spoke more than the Ian
euaee. It was the history Of boys life.
any boy, whether yours or your neighbofs,
from the time he can first cut his fingers
with a jack knife, to the time
when his mustache 10 grey with
the dust from the long, stretch
of the highway Of life over which ne mas
travelled. Burdette and Marx Twain nave
evidently been boys and know boys ways,
and both have described them exactly.
Men seem TO live their own lives over again
as they listened to the words Of the lecturer
and doubtless many parents left the Opera
House with anew interest in and sympathy
for their boys.
Burdette has a happy way OF holding the
attention of his auditors by his method
of reaching a climax. A beautiful flight
of rhetoric would end in a humorous
word that touched off the audience like
rocket For instance, he said: Your boy
is hero and fame a!iaa leadaerSssip Siumper
in his careful, rugged grasp. Who can tell
how soon he may make and wrlte the histo-
nv OF the hour, WELD the destinies OF ma
tions or grasp the scepter OF empires, Dor
row money Of you or run away with your
daughter?
There was no phase OF the character OF
bis long apron, through his suspenders and
first tail coat. up to the time when his del.
icate finger discovered the first faint bris-
tie upon his upper lip, he traced him. The
struggle Of the budding moustache were
humoroufly dilated upon. The timid visit
TO thebarbcr shop and subsequent efforts
with dye were laughably shown. Then came
light boots assorted neckties, and finally
love. Tom meet Laura and enters new
life. The trials OF his courtship, his declara'
ton and the interview with the father were
happily portrayed. They are engaged and
of course decide to let no one know. And
no one does. when they go TO festival
they get into the cloak room together and
when they reappear Tom has enough
pearl powder ON his coat to 60 the
rounds of female seminary and Lsura's
ruff stands around like railroad collision.
They go to a picnic and are missed, to be
afterward found sitting in the woods, hold.
ing each Others hands and saying nothing.
They go driving and sit OH an eighteen inch
seat with foot Of unoccupied space on
either end No, no one knows they are
engaged. Finally they are married and
little Tom comes. And old Tom laughs a.
he sees on young Toms lip, the same In.
cipent moustachc himself had struggled
with and then, as the silver wins the mas
terry in old Toms moustache. he passes out
and young Tom comes In and the cycle Of