Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-25
A LITTLE LECTURER.
Eisht-Yea Old Girl Who is Good Platform
Speaker.

The lecture field has been invaded by
an eight-year-od girl. Despite her ten
fer years, Eleanor Young of Athens, Ga,
holds the attention of her audience better
than platform speakers many times rer
&c. She talks about Tales and Travels
That l Remember. The quaint story
dred photographs which her father. the
Rev. William II. Young. pastor of the
| First Baptist church of Athens. took in
places that the two visited. and regarding
which she speaks.
This child. the youngest who ever as
summed the role of lecturer. is d phenom-
cnon in many ways. Her little lips never
framed the jargon known as baby talk
She began to speak correctly just as soon
as she learned TO talk at all.
Her father. pr. Young. says: Il would
read to Eleanor in French, German and
Hebrew when she was three years Old.
entirely without translation She would
always listen to me attcntivcly. ana when
had concluded would repeat 10 me the
substance of what | had read to her.
II is not surprising. then. that the child
who. while still a baby. WAS able to talk
in English, French. German and Hebrew
should acquit herself well on the lecture
Platform. When first she began to speak
and her subject was announced people
We're inclined to make light OF the affair
ana went TO hear her solely from curios-
ity. But after listening to her the tenor
of opinion changed Instead OF being
amused. cleaners hearers became inter-
rsted. Her childish voice. firm and clear
reSOundeU through the naii III winch she
WAS speaking. Forceful and distinct. her
tones had lost none of the childish sweet
ness which one would expect IN a speaker
of such tender years.
Her descriptive power is surprising.
The lecture which she delivers treats Of
events and scenes throughout the coun-
try from Washington TO New York, in the
Catskill mountains along the Atlantic
|coast. ana at the famous Columbian EN-
position in Chicago. Then, too. there are
stories and pictures that treat of what
Eleanor and her father saw when the
latter was professor in Acadia college. in
the land of the poet LongfellowS Evan
selne. All that is told about them is re
lated in the simplest and most unaffected
manner possible.
Not the least surprising feature Of it
all is that the lecture itself is designed
solely by this eight-year-old child The
arrangement and the method used in de-
scription. the emphasis-the most promi-
nent scenes-all are exactly as the Won
derfully developed mind of this little girl
thought would best suit her purpose; her
father has changed nothing at all. 1t
was resolved that when she gave a lee
ture it should be entirely her own-that
no mature nature should have finger in
surprising. Instead of needing a touch
here and there, the lecture has been far
better than If some one had attempted
to revise it, Throughout is a vein of sim
plicity which charms far more then the
most elegant diction.
1T is in the interest of charity that she
lectures; and it was charity that first I'M
PEELED her to take to the platform An
effort was being made to raise a building
fund of $780, 900 for the institute which she
attended. She was very anxious to do
more for it than the limitations of her
childish pocket would permit; and so.
without advice or suggestion from any
one. she original ted the lecture idea which
she has brought to SO successful frui-
ton. AS a result the building fund has
received a very handsome addition, and
Eleanor Young is one of the happiest lit
tie girls in all Georgia. even though she is
an infant prodigy.