Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-11
AFTER DINNER SPEAKING.

A patient VINO complained OF the uan-
ger of exposure to might air was told
by his physician that night air and day
air were the same thing. Undoubtedly
the chemical constituents are the same,
but, for all that, the average sensbility
readily finds a peculiarly in might air.
Oratory consists of words, tones and
gestures, as air consists of oxygen and
nitrogen, but there is a marked differ
ence in different kinds.
1t may not be easy to exactly define
them, but the courtroom, the hastings,
the lecture platform, the pulpit and the
dinner-table each have their appropriate
styles of speaking. And really none of
them demands more peculiar gift than
the successful after-dinner speech. 1t
need not, or perhaps we should say, it
must not be profound, and it certainly
cannot be prosy. 1t may have one or
another of dozen qualities which may
save it from failure, provided it only
avoids those which are not suited to its
province
Canon Farrar says that the American
press, with charming frankness, asserts
that his voice is monotonous and that he
does not know what TO do with his
hands, and he freely admits that the
American press is right. But these
lacks do not prevent the archdeacon
from being capital after-dinner
speaker. Indeed, his very confession
has in it dash of that humor which is
almost an essential of post-prandial sue
cess. In the qualities of elf-possession
and an easy elocution nobody could be
a greater contrast to the English church
man than that other recent English visi-
tor to our shores, Lord Chief Justice
Coleridge, who proved to be unsurpass-
| ed as an after-dinner orator. 1t is fire.
| quently remarked that this is a depart
ment of oratory in which Englishmen
do not as a rule excel, but certainly the
lord chief justice had few superiors
| among the many brilliant Americans
whom he met while in this country.
Nor could anything better illustrate
the diversity of successful types of this
class of speeches than that of Mayor
Palmer at the banquet given by the city
| of Boston to Lord Coleridge at the
Palmer house, and his lordship's reply
| Mayor Palmer, who has attained great
reputation in this direction, fairly outdid
| himself ON this occasion, and his speech
was perfect gem. But the guest of the
occasion was up to any demand, and
his reply was equally a model The
mayor was the more oratorical, and
lacked something of the spontaneity
which characterized the reply of the
chief Justice and which is one of the
charms of an after-dinner speech.
And this suggests one of the arts
| which professional after-dinner speakers
I !, g.,
| that is the Selling of occurrences or
utterances of the moment as sort of a
warp on which to weave the fabric of
the speech. 1t requires facility in think
ing and readiness of expression to do
this so deity that the patchwork shall
not show the seams which hold it to-
gether, but it is essential to the highest
success, and he who can accomplish it
fairly will need seldom to be at a loss
for material for an effort of this kind.
unless he unhappily comes first on the
list.
| The ability to tell good story well is
also great help to the after-dinner
speaker. though he may succeed without
it. Good stories are always scarce, and
especially such as have not lost their
aroma by frequent repetition. They are
like the parsley which garnishes the
salad-not essential to its flavor or
relish, but making it more appetizing by
appealing to a sense auxiliary to the
taste.
If to the readiness, versatility and
storytelling capacity one adds the
wealth of illustration which comes from
wide reading and tenacious memory
and a gift of quick-witted audacity which
some men have. he may confidently
hope to get through his post-prandial eli,
fort with credit to himself and pleasure
to his audience. But pgta nascitur; and
this really first class after-dinner speaker
who is not born may be set down as
non-fit.