Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-08-10
FIRST APPEARANCE IN BOSTON.


l
Was Agreeabiy Disappointed.
A certain popular lecturer, whose
fame extends from the Atlantic to
The Pacific, and even beyond, tells a
very amusing story Of his first ex-
perience with Boston audience.
Il had heard horrible stories Of the
frigidity OF Boston audience" he
said to Globe reporter, 3and as
was somewhat Of novice in lectur-
Ing then, l was prepared for any
thing. The lecture was to take place
In fremont Temple in one of the
popular winter courses there, and
was the recipient OF every kindly at
tention 1t was possible for the man
hger and the committee to grant.
They met me at the depot. and, as
the carriage was driven toward the
hotel, one Of the gentlemen re-
marked:
oh, Mr.. Shocks, we just wanted
to tell you that our Boston audi
ences are very peculiar. You have
doubtless heard something Of the
GOODNESS Of the average Boston audi
snce?
Il replied that / had.
asYou must not be surprised If they
rive no evidence Of hearing your
voice at first, he continued, and a
few persons may keep right on talk
Ing after you have begun, but you
mustn't mind that.
Il solemely promised not to.
sAnd, oh, / had almost forgotten
to tell you that many of the people
live In the suburbs, and SO have to
catch trains that leave about $3.50 or
10 O'Clock. Don't imagine, therefore,
II you perceive general exodus from
the hall, that it is because of any
thing you have said, or that there is
3 fire or anything of that sort;' and
then the spokesman breathed a sigh
Of relief as if he had performed an
onerous but necessary duty.
Even after this multiple kindly
warning felt no alarm for my lect-
ture, but when, in the ante-room
during the half hour before the
lecture, the manager. had improved
the opportunity to prepare me for the
worst by repeating in substance all
the admonitions / had heard before,
began to think that voyage to the
north pole was pastime compared
to fight Of fancy before Hub as
sembly. Not content with his pre-.
vious preparations, the manager had
just preached some new horror with
Our Boston people, you know
when rushed on the platform to es-
cape the warning and face the reality.
Here I made the astounding dis
covery that Boston audience was
very much like every other, and
while the applause that greeted my
appearance had that perfunctory
'here's-some-in-advance-we-may-give
you-soE1e-more-if-you-do-well' sound,
it was not a particle different from
that which had greeted me else
where. | was very anxious to please,
and the mental gymnastics my tor.
mentors had put me through served
| as a sort OF stimulant I was con
scicus that I was doing better thar
usual, and that strange to relate
the reputed chilly audience was won.
derfully sympathetic and inspiring.
Moreover, its applause was discrimi
mating, enthusiastic, and frequent.
When 9 o'clock came / watched fol
that great popular uprising, but ii
did not uprise. 1t was after 10 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, I should
have departed with the idea that q
Boston audience was one Of the
warmest and most delightful Of any
on earth"