Grand Rapids herald., 1893-01-22

struction ui.tiI reached the earth. when
was shocked 10 fnd that l could pro-
ceed no farther.
Starting up. however. was horrihei
% fad befssre bad proceeded two steps
that my choicest leg hai been broken
just below the knee. After weeks os
suffering at a village. % which l was
carried bs adnliring friends. was led
10 beiieve from the large number Of peo-
PIE who came long distances 90 view the
shattered limb that II conld get II ON
the stage. together with "a few explain
atory remarks regarding atmospheric
phenomena, would entertain and in
struct while possibly detr.scting attea-
ton from the accurs<.d ballet and thus
elevating Tire stage.
A New York manager hal previously
written mo regarding tho possibility OF
NY lectnring. and had been just coy
enough u keep him interested. Thus as |
began 10 get around on crntches could
not overcome the desire % appear IN
public, 50 that those who had ''read aft
er" me could also sit under me-"
wrote 10 this manager and told him that
he might maze fifty dates for me in de-
sirsble cities. Ia December and January
at an enormous price. he wrote back
70 know what printing and press notices
had
/ had one notice. which sent To him
ut once, although he never used it. l.
was as follows:
Last evening Mr.. Nye spoke at the
new rink here ON the subject, Is or is
Not the Tariff Taxi The speaker ar
rived ON the 8 o'clock stage from Tie
Siding. He was the first one in the hall
and by far the last one out of it. He
speaks with great difficulty. owing TO the
eact that he is unable to think Of things
to say Some think he will improve.
The lecture was free, and several came in
10 get warm. Those who We're already
warm enough did not come in.
.'rhe janitor tells us that the lecture
lasted over an hour. He thinks that if
our people here had begun in time it
could have been averted. He is going To
resign as janitor if the owners of the
building do not treat him with more
consideration.
There were other notices that were bet
| ter than the above-notices that l had
written myself-for was more careful
not to wound my feelings than the man
who wrote that one.
After few weeks, greatly to the sur
prise of those who knew me, got n tele-
gram asking me my price for lecturing.
| The telegram came from 8 small but
very active aid thrifty place. was not
ready with my lecture yet, and my
clothes were not done, so wired back
that i would charge $500 and expenses.
The answer by red message was that my
terms We're accepted with pleasure.
This only gave me two days in which
to study my piece and finish my clothes.
1t was very annoying, but l could not
honorably get out Of it. Also by this
| time had grown very tired of studying
| the lecture. 1t did not improve ON ac-
| quaintance. wondered how could have
seen anything smart in it ON the start.
Oh, how very trite and tart and tough it
seemed as studied it walking up and
down in tho granary, and how wished
that had not beaten down the price OF
the young man who wanted to write q
| good lecture for me.
| Why did try to economic by writing
my own lecture? Here was young
man who had written lectures for all
the prominent lecturers of the country,
and eight dollars was all he asked. Why
did try to save eight dollars and there.
by humiliate myself before the people?
Finally the job was done. The lecture
instead of the lecturer was committed
and tho new clothes came home with
white basting threads in them. l had O
dress rehearsal in the evening at home
before / went to bed. One good. kind
man went from my rehearsal to sit ur
with lady who had been killed by hel
husband while at tea. He went rather
cheerfully, it seemed to me.
All along the way to my engagement.
could not be happy. Everything re-
minded me Of my lecture. In my i'm
agination / could see the audience, al
first expectant, then disappointed, then
disaTeeable, then offensive and finally
riotous. / could not eat anything.
did not feel hungry. dreaded meeting
the committee. / was tempted to ge,
killed ON the road, and though / needed
the advertising gave it up, for / could
not think of any kind of death that would
L. . l..