Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-22

instead OF the lecturer was committed,
and the new clothes came home with
white basting threads In them. had a
dress rehearsal In the evening at home
before I went to bed. One good, kind
man went FROM my rehearsal 10 sit up
with q lady who had been killed by her
husband while at tea. He went rather
| cheerfully, It seemed TO me.
All along the way TO my engagement
I could not be happy. Everything re-
minded me Of my lecture. In my I'M
~agination / could see the audience, at
| first e~xpectant. then disappointed, then
| disagreeable, then offensive and finally
/ rlotous. / could not eat anything. l
| did not feel hungry. Threaded meeting
the committee. / was tempted to get
killed on the road, aud though | needed
the advertising l gave 1t up, for could
not think of any kind of death that
would not make me ashamed TO be laid
out.
No one met me at the train. Then l
began 30 hope that possibly II was oil .
mistake aud that maybe l would not
have TO lecture. | went TO the only h0-
tel and registered. The landlord asked
II l was any relation to BIZ Nye. said
yes.
swell" said he, 'he is here to-day;
has been here all day."
she has?"
ayes. Came In on the morning train.
The committee met him and took him
up to see the artesian well, and visited
the public school with him, and they
saw he spoke 10 the children, kept 'em
laughing all the while, sassed the
teacher, swore at the scholars and
smoked the committees cigars. Oh,
he's q corker! He lectures here to-
night" -.
lis be stopping here at this house?"
"Yes, he stops here. Charlie, where
did Bill Nye go too"
"why, he was here just before the
train went out"
"Well, s'posin' you Il up TO NO. 50
and see II he's In. Tell him there's a
relation OF his down here"
Pretty soon Charlie came back and
said that he was gone. Also his bright
little enameled portemohnaie. he had
gone out on the same train which
brought me In. He had enjoyed him
self very much indeed. II Is said. He
had buggy ridden all day, made q fow
remarks 10 the workingmen on recip-
roclty aud delivered q VIGOROUSLY I'M
sound speech before the Presbyterian
synod, which was then In session there
"a speech which / have been nearly
eight years in trying to live down by an
upright life.
/ spoke on that evening at a great dis
advantage. IL had become noised about
that | was a low, coarse thing, and that
| had never been in good society much.
| One man asked at the box Office n ID
would be q proper place TO bring ladies'.
| do not know when / have been so
pained. 1t is hard enough TO lecture
for the first time. anyhow; but. oh, how
distressing II Is when one has been ma
ligned and misrepresented by an alibi.
/ was introduced by q man who was
so afraid that he might accidentally be
| responsible for my sentiments that he
said nothing except In regard 10 the
beautiful soil and climate OF the town,
and what a future she had before her,
and what undeveloped reso nrces she
had, and how a little foreign capital
would make her what she was destined
I'm the no great distant future TO be-
come-the gem city OF the continent.
I arose somewhat irritated and said
that after the beautiful and deserved
tribute and introduction jusA> given 70
the gem city OF tho continNI was
sorry TO state that II was u~nab7sS>b e
present this evening, and that i hNf
been secured to take It's place. Then I
went on from that with my lecture,
which sounded strange and worry poor
to me-.
When anyone snickered, IL surprised
and astonIshed me so that my very as
constituent added 70 their mlrth. l
was so depressed and sad inside that Il
seemed to heighten the effect and add
TO what there was In the text that was
OF a humorous character. Tho air Of
intense gloom while on the platform Is
still with me to-day. II is natural and
honest. IL Is not assumed. II Was
stage fright TO begin with, and IL has
at last crystallized into habit and has
been honored by the name Of art" II
Is not art. IL is the petrifaction OF my
early horror.
& l-,-