Evening star., 1895-10-19

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ttf
iE4fFJ@X nm Oxford street in
HNSV> this city. The house
In which DR.. Tai
mage has lived for
~ many years is
four-story brick
dwelling, the first of row. 1t is singular,
though, in being surmounted by tower.
and it's side windows overlook beautiful
park. The house stands on high ground,
and from the upper windows there is a
commanding view. The exterior Of the
Talmage home is plain enough, but the in
terror Is furnished luXuriousy and in
charming taste This much was plain,
though DIR. Talmage said that the recep-
ton room had been half-dismantled, pre-
paratory to his departure for the national
capital. Dr. Talmage will move to Wash
ing next Tuesday. and will occupy apart
ments in wing of the Arlington Hotel.
He told me that he would be glad to be
relieved of the cares of housekeeping, and
that he expected to stay in his new quar-
ters permanently He wakes eloquent when
he talks of Washington as a place of resi-
dence. "a man must have a genius for
stupidity who would not be bright there"
he said. I suggested that there were men
even in Washington who were like GER
tain well-known story writer, of whom a
critic said recently that he must have been
born with his supply Of ignorance-that he
could never have acquired 1t.
DR.. Talmage laughed. washington Is
an ideal place to live. with its broad
streets and its beautiful parks he said
ut is so central. too, and SO many brilliant
men assemble there every year. that it's
people must feel the effect of their in
f1uence. The presence of one great mind
communicates itself to a whole COM n,l-
nifty. 1 can tell almost soon as 1 reach
a strange town whether there is a college
there or not. And can tell whether there
is a female seminary ip a town by the par
ticular emphasis its people lay on certain
sluggish and heavy. THAI Understands what
you have said ten minutes after you have
said it. and I know ing Rnute that that
schools.
A Failure That n4. a Success.
asked DR.. Talmaget If he familiar
with the figures of the bureau of educa-
percentage of the population of the United
States was educated than. of the popula-
ton of any other country In the world
Il am reasonably familiar with those
facts" said DR.. Talms.,e but I am ia
milar, too with the facts concerning iliit-
eracy. which were laid before Congress by
Senator, Blair. If 1 had not seen the fig
ures to demonstrate it, ! would never have
believed that there was so much ignorancd
in this country Senator Blair has done
ton of how greatly it is needed. l believe
his work has been called one of the fail
ures that succeeded The resolutions
which Mr.. Blair failed to get through the
Senate have called attention to the facts.
at least"
Dr. Talmage has found his Washington
audiences intelligent and appreciative
when he has lectured in that city-and he
has been there once or twice a year for
almost twenty years. l asked him II ne
found his audiences an inspiration, and he
sad that he did.
II speak better with large audience be-
fore me than l do in conversation" he
said. And 1 can speak better without
notes than with them. That is because 1t
is s.natural for me to speak without notes.
I follow the bent of my nature If it was
easier for me to speak from actcs Moulu
use them. 1t is mistake for man to try
to go against his nature some people ,.
teach that a speaker should always talk
without referring to notes. 1t is a great
mistake to lay down any such cast-iroh
rule and a greater mistake to try to follow
it, 1 have known that attempt to hght
nature to spoil good many men,
Dictates His Sermons.
Don't you think an orator more effective
who speaks without notes?" asked.
.That deueIds on the man." said DR.. Tai
mage Chalmers, you know. spoke from
notes-from very fine notes. His sheets of
raper were hardly longer than that" and
the doctor indicated the length of the palm
and fingers of his rather long hand me
writing was as fine as it could be. and he
used to hold the sheets very close 10 nus
face. The Scotch, you know, don't ike
their preachers to use notes. They tell
story of an old lady who was praisins MN
to some ore. and who was asked II ne
didn't use notes. oh, yes, she said, but
he reads 'em as if he was amos dyin. It
depends entirely on the man who reads
the notes whether they will be effective or
not"
1 asked DR.. Talmage to tel! me something
of his work and how he did it.
Il use stenograpby a great DEAL, he
said. Il use it because for me 1t Is the
easiest way. Not that am seeking ease,
but 1 can accomplish more in that way.
1 almost always dictate my sermons to a
stenographer. and l never write line OF
the three columns of editorial which use
in my paper every week l have one OF
the fastest stenographers there is, and l
Eever lave to say anything twice.
"Do you attempt to nemorize your SER
mons after you have dictated them?'
mo; l find that the act Of debating them
fixes them pretty firmly in my mind. 40
most of my studying walking up and down
l find that my thoughts flow most freely
that way
As Editor and Lecturer.
you expect to keep up the editorship of
your paper?" Z!
Yes Washington Is. hardly any far
ther from Brooklyn in these days than
New YORK is. Inrough my paper cdh
cover much wider field than l otherwise
could. 1 am doing some other magazine
work. o-'f
"Wil YOU continue III the lecture field?"
YES but my lecturing will be subor-
dnate to my work in the pulpit as 1t al
ways has BEEN
Or. Talmage spoke enthusiastically of
his lecture tours abroad and of the evan
gelstic tour he made less than two years
ago. This tour was NADER when he was
returning from Russia, where he went to
deliver bread sent by the American people
to the sufferers by the, great Russian fam
inc DR.. Talmage spoke briefly of his visit
to St. Petersburg and of the late Car of
|. Russia and the cZarina ~
81 met the present car, too" he sad,
land l found him a splendid fellow.
believe the correspondents have not done
him justice. Although he was so near the
throne, he was thoroughly democratic. He
is man of simple tastes and splendid
character"
What and How He Reads.
I asked DR.. Talmage to tell me some
thing of his reading his study.
II am a man of moods" he said. "and I
follow my inclination. A man of my dis
CHI to do