Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-09-28
A STORY or ARTEMUs WARD.

rtmfmOtf tbr tser hioeN o"f'
~ho ~. oas Of the staff of the Lond1
PaHcL. once tsllia, a group OF men. ~h
we're standing with him a. the 0Affie'
elab. ,ha, before he gave ai' hrt enter
,.iamen,. The Overland Mail. h L,aion
and ri.kins the fat of ms,ropoltin al
dience. he determined . trisl.uip Ia IN
province. 10 note the effect Of hn qaip
upon a le.s cultivated and eSisea, pib
lie. tie settled upon the market ,o~r
10 Sauey. and hi, bold. bnsh, annoance'
menv. full Of promise and piciodslll
embelli.hed. populated the reserved 'e.t
and respectfully filled the hall. Thus fs
.ll va. veil. lie began his lecture. an'
ksp, hi, visilsn, eye oa . respectable oil
sea,lem.n. Who vas Accompanied b.
three young ladies. ell Of whom Sc, nea
the platform
The lecturer was received IN cold an
solemn silence aud. without unnees',
..ry preliminaris.. be st oaes plansed
easily in'o hi. subject. ra,ilins u of ~
oaly Albert Smith Ia his fresh hiea,
young day. could have d,as. S1ms o
the sadienee noe and then Uttered. oa
or too ~, =, far s TO laugh. bat 'h'
stately old country gentleman. -i'h the
three daughters. reserved q quis, dls
nifty and heard the eatertainmen, iroa
end TO cad wi,hoa, the semolAnee OF
smile.
The geai.l. sasrvesc.n, Alber, feared
that III. "oserl.nd Mall W. no, th'
registering success, he fondly hoped !,
would prove. sni as the p-opls -er'
sropins their way Oh, Of the III lighted
little hall into the gloom aud rain OF
~in,ers night h, approseh-d tbs old
gentleman aud said IL tex your par
don. .ir. bat ho~ dii yoa like mr. enief-
tainment, AN mou aasioas 10 kno~
your opinion.'
"sr." replied the old gsa,le MAJ. bat
,oains up hi, grea,.eol, sni da-ins
himself up nth an Imperative Air OF I'M
por,.nce. ri, wi. very pleasan, lee'ire,
indeed, and had II been less s.rod'. and
treated In . d,ifsrnt spirit, have nc
doab, my family would have enj,yei u
very much. Good night, sir.
Albert Vas appalled,. His jokes had
all missed FIRE sni had been unqaes,ioa.
ably misunderstood. IL Was clear ths,
his style Of fan Vas no, adapted TO the
provincial mind. IL Vas obvi1a uaA, be
mus, revi.. his entertainment. OF BON
bard the I.oadoner With his jesu. H'
chose the latter alternative. aud fot very
many year. his "sho-," 80 he delighted
to call hi, representations. vas one OF the
fashionable attractions OF the great me-
,rOpoli,.
WAS relating ,h. inciisa, one day
TO Ar,emus Ward, aud insisting on ,h'
theory tia, Via, suit. the to~n ~ill not
always hi, the mark in the eoaa,ry.
Tie protested that he VAS quite OF my
opinioa -"only more so-Aai ,hsn he
p,oc-eded to illustrate his eoavis,ioa by
this little ancedote:
"Bsfore'i ven,ared TO storm the biz
Cities" said be. IL though, Id take .
modest turn In some Of tie to~ns and
villages up through New York State, and
| settled to begin a. al outsid, place
called Go.hen. . grea. cheese aud butter
depot Ny asen, ". an adroi, advsr
,i.ias iend. named John 4. Smith. whc
stuck a, nothing {. far as prin,ef' ink
Vas cone.rnei. and VA, oi. OF wAs
10 hi. way. lie promised TO do bis level
be., to make the lecture success. We
pa, up a, the prIaciP.l ian aud di''rio.
u,ed q hs, full OF free tickets. 90 s TO be
sure Of decen, crowd 10 the hall. Well,
everything va, 10 readiness aud. At the
las, moment, | sent for Smith. Who VA
To tend door. said. John, l feel
sh.ky aud nervous, aud wish. after ih,
people get we'll 10. you'd give me q hand
now aud then TO start EN- on"
"L.sve il to me-" said Smith eneoar'
aginsly. "I've fixed all that"
al followed my agents advice" e,n'
tinusd Ar,emas. "snl presented mysell
to the eIpec,an, public. MAS rissed
ou, in . white vest aud tie. and looked
as in.ipid a. . boiled fowl. ! didn't get
a hand. Smith Was too busy collecting
the tickets TO look after my entrance. %
my send-of va. no, stimulating. be-
gan my lecture ia . slow. measured tone
Of voice. aud you nigh, have heard
cannon drop. or the stealing OF q pocket
h.,dkerchist Az any rate they ~er'
attentive, / thought 30 | ls, oil IN da'
course whs, considered n jok,. They
didn't take Il. Ipsused; thea ven, on
By.and.by l ls, of anO.her--'ams re-
sui, then another ; aud Saith. Who had
20, through hi. ,ieke, collecting and in'
serted himself among the people. began
to applaud Justify.
"My experience OF sympathetic cit,
audiences had previously suggested ths
when some one boldly and brsvsly lead
Oft the applause. Others usually follow
but At Goshen this habit does no, obtain
A man we'll up in from. cried. silence
Hish !!
"Ag.in I proceeded. and told them Z
story that many timo aud of had re-
lated With screaming success In privAt'
circles. Smith this time sst up . terih'
| guff.w. stamped and elapped his hand
and rocked backward and forward, .
though be VAS utterly overcome by N,
humor. The audience were no, to TO b
sllured into following his example.
"'Silence 7 shouted one.
"'Doa', interrupt the sIsaksr J howl
Cd another.
"'Turn him out J! roared third
"And half the audiences rose to %
who had caused what they thought n
un.eemly and rio,oas interruption TO th
evenings proceedings. A fsrmsf.look
ing man near Smith had thick stick !
his hand and . msnsciag look 10 his eye
! I thought be meant business, and WOOL
10 for him. I had come TO dead stand
still, and my agent saw his opportunity
he lsspsd on one Of the empty forms an
proceeded to addrss the audience.