The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-17

M\EAW Inspired by the post
or the holes, wrotI
what l called lect
ure. This Learned by heart. Next l prac
ticed its delivery in the woods, behind
barns, and sometimes at early morn il
the empty court house-for the temple
of justice In Sonora stood open nigh,
and day, and he that would might ente,
and sleep on the benches. or even in the
bar itself, as many did in those days.
Many weeks l drilled and disciplined
this lecture, addressing it to rocks, trees,
barns and sometimes to unseen audi
tors wandering about, whose sudden
appearance would cover me with confu-
sion and send me blushing home.
At last | concluded to risk myself on
AN experimental audience I borrowed
one for the occasion. Going into the
main street of Sonora one evening, col
lected half dozen appreciative souls
and said, Follow me to the court house;
[ would have a few words with you"
There was county clerk, his deputy, a
popular physician and saloon keeper, and
an enterprlsing carpenter. They followed
me wonderingly. Arrived at the court
house seated them, marched myself to
the Judges bench, stuck two candles in
two bottles, lit them, and then informed
the crowd that had brought them hither
to serve as an experimental audience to
lecture | proposed delivering. After
which [ plunged into the subject, and
found that portion of the brain which
with speaker always acts independent
of the rest wondering that | should be
really talking to live auditors.
There is section of mans faculties,
during the operation of speaking in pub
lie, which will always 60 wandering
around on its own hook, picking up all
manner Of unpleasant thoughts and i'm
pressiOns Apparently it Is ever on the
watch to find something which shall an
noy the other half 1t seems to me that
no one can become a very successful
speaker or actor until this idle, vaerant
part of the mind is put down altogether,
total forgetfulness of all else save the
work in hand be established, and self
consciousness abolished. However, |
spoke half the piece to my borrowed
audience, and then, feeling that | could
really stand fire, told them they could
go home. But DR.. -, constituting
himself spokesman, rose and declared
that having served as hearers for half
the lecture they thought they were en-
titled to the other half. Being thus en-
cOred, gave them the other half.
4 great apprehension was now taken
from my mind. l could speak to crowd
without forgetting my lines, and deemed
myself already a lecturer if not an
orator. | did not then realize how vast
is the difference between mere speaking
and the properly delivering of words
and sentences to a multitude, be it large
or small; how unfit are the tone, pitch
and manner Of ordinary converse to pub
lie speaking: how a brake must be put
on every word and syllable, to slow down
its accentuatiOn and make it audible in
a hall; how great the necessity for de-
liberation in delivery; how the force and
meaning Of entire sentences NAV be lost
by Cabling, imperfect and too rapid
enunciauon; how the trained speaker |
only as TO his delivery, but the mood I'M
derneath it; which should prompt how |
much depends on the establishment of |
a certain chain of sympathy betwixt |
speaker and audience, and how much |
the establishment of such chain depends |
on the speakers versatility to accommo-
date himself to the character, intelli- |
gence, moods and requirements OF diff
ferent audiences.
L state TINS, having since my debut in
the Sonora court house learned these
things, and learned also that nature has
not given me the power to surmount all
these difficulties. | am not good
speaker, as many doubtless discovered
before | did. However, nv friends !
whom | consulted said by all means give
.he lecture in public, knowing. OF course,
hat | wanted them 20 encourage me,
md feeling this to be the best way of
getting rid of me. So | had posters
printed and commenced public lie on
small field. | hired hall: admittance
cents. | felt guilty as l
cad this on the bills. | read one alone
by moonlight. because after
hey were posted and the plunge taken l
vas ashamed TO appear by daylight on
he streets. 1t seemed so preSumptuous
o ask respectable, Godfeaing citizens
t that town TO sit and hear me- This
vas result of the regular oscillations
f my mental and tsnperamental seesaw.
l was always too far above the proper
Gale of self esteem one day and too far
elow II the next. The real debut was
ot SO easy as the preliminary. borrowed,
ogus one. There were the hard. stern,
ractlcal people present, who counted OF
ecelylng their regular two bits worth
{ genuine, solid fact, knowledge and
rohtable information, who discounted
d nonsense, didn't spprove of it and
ldn't understand il. I felt their cold
ld whitening influence as soon az [
counted the platform. Not many IF
lch hearers were present. but that was
lough 70 poison | sRw their judgment
my effort IN their faces. weakly 81
wed those faces. and the opinions |
semed Swallowed forth on them, 20 para
ze. Psychologist and conquer me
lowed nv eyes. numherless times. TO
ander and meet their stony, cynical
lie, and AZ each time the baSllisk orbs
ltaered u ny self assertion and self {