The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-15
HIS FIRST APPEARANCE.
A Popular Lecturers Story of How He
Was Agreeahly Disappointed.


certain popular lecturer. whose
fame extends from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and even beyond. tells very
amusing story of his first experience
with a Boston audience. Il had heard
horrible stories of the frigidity of a
Boston audience he said. land as I
was somewhat of novice in lecturing
then. / was prepared for anything
The lecture was to take place in Ire
mont temple in one of the popular WIN
ter courses there. and Twas the recipi-
ent of every kindly attention it WAS
possible for the manager and the COM
mittee to grant They met me at the
depot. and. as the carriage was driven
toward the hotel, one of the gentlemen
remarked:
''Oh. Mr.. Shocks, we just wanted to
tell you that our Boston audiences are
very peculiar. You have doubtless
heard something of the GOODNESS of tho
average Boston audience?
Il replied that had.
You must not be surprised If they
give no evidence of hearing your voice
at first, he continued, and few per-
sons may keep right on talking after
you have begun, but you mustn't mind
that
Il solemnly promised not to.
land, ah, had almost forgotten to
tell you that many of the people live in
the suburbs, and so have to catch trains
that leave about $50 or 10 o'clock.
Don't imagine, therefore. if you per-
ceive general exodus from the hall
that it is because of anything you have
said, or that there is a fire, or anything
of that sort and then the spokesman
breathed sigh of relief as If he had
performed an onerous but necessary
duty.
Even after this multiple kindly
warning / felt no alarm for my lecture.
but when, in the ante-room during the
half hour before the lee ture, the mana
ger had improved the opportunity ia
prepare me for the worst by re-
peating in substance all the admoni-
tons | had heard before. | began to
think that voyage to the north pole
was pastime as compared to flight
of fancy before Hub assembly. Not
content with his previous preparations,
the manager had just preached some
new horror with Our Boston people,
you know'-when | rushed on the plat
form to escape the warning and face
the reality. Here l made the astound-
ing discovery that Boston audience
was very like every other, and while
the applause that greeted my appear
ance had that perfunctory here s-soIne-
in-advance-we-may -give you-some-more
-you-do-welP sound, it was not par
ticle different from that which had
greeted me else where. / was very
anxious to please, and the mental gym
nasticS that my tormentors had put me
through served as a sort of slim
ulant. | was conscious that / was do
ing better than usual, and that, strange
to relate, the reputed chilly audience
was wonderfully sympathetic and in
spring. Moreover, its applause was
discriminating, enthusiastic and fire.
quent. When nine o'clock came |
watched for that great popular upris-
ing, but it did not uprise. 1t was after
ten when the lecture was finished, but
with the exception of one or two who
had slipped away so quietly that their
departure was not noticed, no one had
left the hall. So, you see, if on that
occasion the committee and the man
ager had left me unwarned l should
have departed with the idea that a
Boston audience was one of the warm
est and most delightful of any on
earth. Boston Globe.