Arizona republican., 1891-07-26

NAN W holes for living.
 ~ >MfW Inspired by the posts
 6WZ or the holes, wrote
 what called lect- ure. This Ilearned by heart. Next prac- ticed its delivery in the woods, behind barns, and sometimes at early morn in the empty court house-for the temple of justice in Sonora stood open night and day, and he that would might enter 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. l 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; l would have a few words with you" There was county clerk, his deputy, a popular physician and saloon keeper, and enterprising carpenter. They followed me wonderiugly. Arrived at the court house l 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 1 proposed delivering After which l plunged into the subject, and found that portion of the brain which with speaker always acts independent of the rest wondering that l should be really talking to live auditors.
 There is section of mans faculties, during the operation of speaking in pub lie, which will always go wandering around on it's 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. It seems to me that no one can become a very successful speaker or actor until this idle, vagrant 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.
 A great apprehension was now taken from my mind. 1 could speak to acrowd without forgetting my lines, and deemed myself already lecturer if not an orator. 1 did not then realize how vast is the difference between mere speaking and the properly delivering of words and sentences to multitude, be it large or small; how unfit are the tone, pitch and manner of ordinary converse to pub lie speaking; how brake must be put on every word and syllable, to slow down its accentuation and make it audible in hall; how great the necessity for de. liberation in delivery; how the force and meaning of entire sentences may be lost by gabbling, imperfect and too rapid enunciation; how the trained speaker keeps perfect control of himself, not only as to his delivery, but the mood un. 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, inteli. gence, moods and requirements of diff ferent audiences.
 1 state this, 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. I am not good speaker, as many doubtless discovered before I did. However, my friends whom consulted said by all means give the lecture in public, knowing, of course that I wanted them to encourage me and feeling this to be the best way oi getting rid of me. So l had posters printed and commenced public life on { small field. l hired hall; admittanc' twenty-five cents. l felt guilty as read this on the bills. l read one alone furtively by moonlight, because aftel they were posted and the plunge taken
 was ashamed to appear by daylight or the streets. It seemed so presumptuou' to ask respectable, Godfearing citizens of that town to sit and hear me. Thii was result of the regular oscillation of my mental and temperamental seesaw
 was always too far above the prope scale of self esteem one day and too fa below it the next. The real debut wa not so easy as the preliminary, borrowed bogus one. There were the hard, stern practical people present, who counted ol receiving their regular 1.-two bits wortl of genuine, solid fact, knowledge an' profitable information. who discounte'