Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-12-31
Little Girl Lecturer.

|
years, Eleanor Young of Athens, Ga,
holds the attention of her audience bet |
Ter than plaEfHrm speakers many times |
her age. She talks about Tales and !
Travels That-I Remember The quaint |
story she tells is illustrated by several |
Rev. William II. Young, pastor Of the |
First Baptist church of Athens, took in |
places that the two visited, and regard |
ing which she speaks.
This child, the youngest who ever as
sumed the role of lecturer. is Il phe- |
nomenon in many ways. Though she |
does not look it. she is truly little old |
woman 1t is hardly too much to say
that she has never known what real
childhood is. Her little lips never framed |
the jargon known as baby talk. She be-
gan to speak correctly just as soon as !
she learned to talk at all.
Indeed, her father says her language
was excellent and even elegant, almost
from the time she began 10 talk, and she
is now not only correct, but fluent. An
indication of the precocity of the child
is found in the fact that at the age Of 2
years. she could spell many words of
which nine-tenths of the children of her
age know nothing at all.
These facts indicate the rapid develop
ment of the little ones mind. BY the
time she had reached the age of three
years, she not only spoke perfect English
but understood Hebrew to slight ex-
tent. Her father, DR.. Young said to
the writer concerning this marvellous
power of memory and speech: Il would
read to Eleanor in French German and
Hebrew. when she was 5 years old, en-
tirely without translation She would
always listen to me attentivey and
when | had concluded would repeat to
me the substance of what l had read to
her. Of course, in selecting matters to
read in the languages of which 1 have
spoken, ] always chose tales suitable for
children and calculated to aDpeal 10 rhe
childish mind"
1t is not surprising, then, that the child
who, while still Il baby, was able to
talk in English, French. German and
Hebrew, should acquit herself we'll ON
the lecture platform. When first she be-
gan to speak and her subject was an
nounced, people We're inclined to make
light OF the affair, and went to hear her
solely from curiosity. But after listen
ing to her, the tenor Of opinion changed.
Instead of being amused. Eleanor's
voice, firm and clear, resounded through
the hall il which she was speaking.
Forceful and distinct, her tones had lost
none of the childish sweetness which one
would expect.in speaker Of such tender
years
Her descriptive power is surprising.
The lecture which she delivers treats of
events and scenes throughout the country
from Washington to New York, in the
Catskill mountains. along the Atlantic
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 col
leGe. in the land of the poet Longfellow's
Evangeline. All that is told about them
s related in the simplest and most I'M
affected manner possible.
Not the least surprising feature of it
all is that the lecture itself is designed
solely by this S-year-old child. The ar
rangement and the method used in de-
scription, the emphasis, the most prom
incnt scenes-a1l 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 taht when she gave lect.
no mature hand should have a finger IN
this intellectual pie. The result has been
surprising. Instead of needing touch
here and there. the lecture has been far
better than if some one had attempted
TO revise it. Throughout is vein OF
simplicity which charms far more than
the most elegant diction. Inns llttie
child in her maiden effort before the pub
lie has accomplished what very many
lecturers who have been speaking Tor
She has found without training solely
by the promptings of nature, the secret
Of simplicity and directness in present
ing her subjects.
She is a very pretty child, and desp1te
all her .precocity, does not lo0S IN une
least older than her years would JUSTIFY;
She is graceful and easy in gesture: ana
never exhibits the slightest sign OF en-
barrassment Nor does she manifest any
pcotism: she bows and smiles i'll response
to the applause which greets her III
very droil and old-fashioned way,
e. CT
throughout all that. she says. Ter Iis
tbouchts are always bright. and she mas
an incisive way OF presehtlns o liz"
which enforces attention ana respecei.
ing this little girl goes to schooi 4"s ,,a az
other children do, and though II nsaa
soon, odd. she, attends classes cohiposeu
of children of her own age. lier s.u aars
arc those usual for one or ner yeas
and her progress IN t 1i' marks ,ro" Of the
renius which she manifests on the plats,
form She is Il very earnest student. ahu
is able TO maintain her standllis a' ~.
head Of every class of when snr -
member. Bright .ha na har made 1e'' herself
very nonular for one of such tehoe'
sV ~ is in the interest of charity that she
lectures: and it was charity that e LIS
inlpeilcd her to take 10 1lle r.;sn
l IN fIorf fun m Of 100000 for the insti-
tute Which she a attena er s fhsn T hs m
tations of her childish pocket Wouiu ore.-
and So sn1 without tne she savs Sn
1 1,, ed idea which she has brought as1 70
s ro srece les frution As result ysry
tho building. fund has recelNeu vonno
bandsome addition. and eleanor =, o al
Geo orr " even though she is an infan'
prodigy.
Hare Hunting.
This branch Of snort has tne h %art Rl
earnest supporters tnr da md many fine
5a ''a'ss kept sn essn sole s"e hunt st
driving the VIII fiasxhaunds and crosshredss.
eTs ch use na are used to drive deer Need
ss the w E TsG t certain hound,
TO tor d SdT fS nusnnss On to foow
Jun. ''A'T Tho greater Is NuhSs