The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-09-24
After Dinner Speakipc.

-1AeOA 0AiiiiCI SpC@AlH.
George Augustus Gals, repuled 10
be toe best after dinner speaker 10
England. II s speech at the thirty
sixth snnusl festival IN aid OF the
Royal Garden Theatrical Fund, said:
have someE here read that an II
lustFious stasesmsn. who was like
vice mcst hlent rhetorican, once
remarked that he considered an alter
dinner speech to he ore OF the most
ardcons and difhcnltsfights Of oretory
imaginable, inasmuoh 20 il was, as
q general Tuiel about nothing IT all.
Bowling with due reference TO this
dioium, / may az tie same tins be
permitted 90 express my humble
opinion that the ATT Of spesch-msk
Ings uadsr al and any circumstances,
le q most painiul and diG8culi one
10 all those, at least, Who have not
been born orators, as Bruius, aDd ss
the msjority OF Irisbmen sre
! Laughter. Speaking ioT myself !
CAD, 10 ali seriousness and sincerity,
say that, whether toe speech Whlcn
have had 20 deliver has bsen perpe-
irated after dinner or before dinner,
or, IS has frequently happened 10
the earlier stsges Of ones career,
without any pEoapect within measur-
able distance OF dinner at al,
Laughter / have never begun my
exordium without experiencing q
senas,iOn Of nervous terror; have
never concluded my peTorgtion-ahl
blissiul word, it should be soothing TO
the speaker and bis hearers az that
blessed word Mesopotamia" laugh
ter i have never brought my OBJ
seTvations 10 close without q feeling
OF positive exultation. There are a
good many ways OF preparing your
self for the niteranoe OF a speech in
public. You may learn it by heart,
and repeat it over and over again ia
the solitude of your own study
the servants 10 the lower regions
thinking that you are quarTeling with
your wife, or that you have gone mad
laughter or You may recite it IN
tne middle of Hampstead Heath, 10
the admiration of the distant donkey.
boys and the somewhat suspicious
psrplexity of the park keepers, who
are not quite certain IS TO whether
they ought to take you into custody
for or, b ng in the open air laugh
ter or sou may ran down by al
early train to Brighton, aud spout"
your speech 10 the sad sea waves uD-
I'll Il is time to Iun hack n town to
assume the sable livery Of the &C.
| called evening dress, and to suYrsn
der yourself TO the adamantine chains
snd penal fires of q pnblic dinner.
! TGres' lo'-"N'o- You are letter
p5rlC ct in yeur speech qaoa'.'h time
waeu 80. ~ served. You
are not quite so certain about being
letter perfect at the period when the
ICED pudding makes It's appearance;
and when, ultimately. the fatal voice
OF the toastmssler bids you TO rise,
and trembling and perspiring, you
begin your speech, you find that you
have forgotten Mi about il. Laugh
ter o. "anothef way" as Mr..
Giasse would cay. You may write
cut your spe ch on number OF little
,Qusres Of paper holding them neatly
arranged in the hollow OF your band,
ard CHANGING az the slips in crafty
manner as you spesk, and slgly turn
ing them over. This Is not by any
means a bad system to adopt, unless
indeed as il will happen with mel
ancholy frequency, you fnd slip dvs
/ followed by fifteen, and that by Slip
nine-when the result Is collapse.
| TGyeat laughter Finally, there il
she roueh-and-ready way BOmeriC
wsy-Oi plunging at once In RediG'
res. sbcasiing your hands IN yoM
| pockets. fixing your eyes Oh ana
| levelibg your voice at ga imaginary
| old lady with g crimson tur0sR and s
| bird OF paradise feather 10 II st th'
! opposite extremity OF the hall. ant
simply saying what comes into you
| head.