The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-30

Iowa shall commence doing sanitary
work, or whether this grand occasion
shall prove failure"
He spoke very impressively, looking
me earnestly in the face. For few
moments we stood silently confronting
each other. Somehow 1 felt the full
force of all that he had said, and there
came over me complete revulsion of
feeling. 1 felt willing to undertake
what had fatty refused to do while
talking with the ladies, and subtle
consciousness stole over me that /
should succeed in it. 1 said, Every
we'll, Colonel Stone, will attempt it;
only do not allow long preliminaries;
and after Governor Kirkwood has OPEN
ed the meeting, let him introduce you
as the orator Of the evening. You must
explain to the people that 1 am not
public speaker; that l have never in
my life made public address; that
have only come prepared with small
statement Of facts for the Ladies' Aid
Society; and then introduce me as
quickly as possible, and 1 will do the
best can" / followed him down the
aisle of the church to the platform
erected in front of the pulpit, where
seat was reserved for me. The ladies
of the Aid Society looked their aston
ishment. AS speedily as possible, Col
onel Stone presented me to the grea
gathering. rose by supreme effor
trembling in every fibre Of my being,
although outwardly appearing calm.
Shutting out all thought of the ex-
pectant multitude before me, concen-
trated my mind upon what 1 had to
| say. For the first ten minutes talked
| into utter darkness. 1t was as if the
house was unlighted. 1 did not even
hear the sound of my own voice-only
roaring, as if ten thousand mill
wheels were laundering about me.
The knocking of Belshazzar's knees
was not a circumstance to the play that
mine kept up. The physical tumult
into which this effort plunged me was
exhausting. 1t would have FRUSTRATED
feebler woman, and it was days
before 1 recovered my usual calmness
of nerve and steadines5 of poise.
But gradually it began to grow light
about me. began to hear my own
voice. could, after little, distin-
guish the faces of people whom 1 knew.
was aware that was being heard all
over the house.. Then 1 lost all sense
of fear, and after the first fifteen min
utes 1 forgot the audience, the fact
that was novice as public speaker,
and only remembered the restitution,
sickness, and suffering had seen at
the front. And the feeling grew strong
within me that the people of Iowa, who
had, as knew, contributed but little
to the cause of hospital relief, must be
aroused to do their share of the work.
Once 1 was interrupted by long and
loud applause. was so absorbed that
I did not understand it for moment,
and looked around to see what had
fallen. I thought some of the seats
had given away:
| When l closed l supposed / had
spoken half an hour; had in reality
talked an hour and a quarter. Cover
nor Kirkwood Immediately followed.
without any attempt at speech-mak
ing" he said MRS. Livermore has to-
night given us facts. She has told us
of the soldiers needs; she has told us
of our duties. 1t is now our turn to
speak, and we mus speak in dollars
and gifts And asking G )lonel Stone
to keep the tally of the contributions,
he called for donations.
cannot describe the ,sne that fol-
lowed. Instead of one hundred dollars
which it was hoped would be raised,
eight thousand dollars were pledged
more rapidly than two could record it,
five hundred barrels of potatoes, eighty
eight barrels of sauer-kraut, one humid
bred and fifty bushels of onions, which
are the very best anti 5corbutics, and
five hundred pairs Of hospital shirts
and drawers.
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