The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-21
D Az GHTER OF MRS. LEASE
Has Been a Philosopher Since Child
hood-Has Natural Eloquence.


hood-Has Natural Eloquence.
Wichita, May 21-Evelyn Louise
Lease, daughter of Mrs Mary E. Lease,
who graduated from the Wichita high
| scooI last week. is the pride of her gift
/ ed mothers heart and is a remarkable
I girl in many respects. AS a wee child
| she exhibited unusual precocity and has
| walked and talked since she was seven
months old. She Will be II on the goth
! of next july
! Louise Lease, as she is called, is be-
! coming a very interesting and attract
| I've youn~ lady. She is Wonderfully like
! her mother, and vet in some WAYS diff
| ferent. She has her mothers natural
| eloquence and personal magnetism, as
| was shown by the tremendous entblIsi-
assn that her valedistory Grafton. which
she was forced to crowd into three min
utes of time, evoked. She is slender in
| build and Will be tall like her mother
| Her voice is nothing short of marvel
Gus. 1t is clear. resonant and strong
ana fails with a strange insistence on
the ear, for back of it is a woman s
earnest soul seeking free expression.
she mas q heavy head of blue black
hair and fair skin and blue eyes of the
irish race. She never cared for dolls
but has always been a great lover of
BOOKS; and has made free use of the
splendid library of Mrs. Lease. She
made her debut as a public speaker
rather early in life and in a very unex-
Pected manner. It was at the first
st. Louis, over eight years ago, in which
her mother took an active part There
was an immense audience. and while
the conference was Waitino for a COM
mittee to report, the chairman asked
little Louise to speak a. piece" The
child gave a recitation from Gerald
Massey, beginning:
Coming up the steps of time
This old world is growing brighter.
She did it full justice, and the long
continued applause forced her to re-
turn. 1t happened that almost the en-
tire day had been taken up with dis
cusSiOns over the adoption of the suf-
frage plank, and Louise had become
greatly wrought up over the question
Instead of reciting again, she launched
forth into a woTnan's suffrage speech.
She spoke in ringing tones and with
dramatic gestures and said:
You men must keep your promises
and give us a suffrage plank You
have been telling US that the hand that
rocks the cradle rules the world but
I want to say to you, gentlemen, that
unless you make your promises good
dies to rock and no babies to put in
them"
Mrs. Lease. who was on the platform
caught the last sentence and in a hOrri-
fed whisper said to the chairman: For
heavens sake, call that child down.
but the chairman only laughed and re-
piled: Let her alone; she's all right .
The applause when she had finished
was deafening. At recess they took the
| little suffragist up on their shoulders
and carried her around the hall. She
was the idol of the convention.
During dwellings administration,
| MIS-, Lease was visiting the boys re-
| form school at Topeka, and Louise ac-
| conpanied her. There were 200 boys
| out on the play ground. and Louise was
/ soon the center of an interested group.
| She conceived the idea that here was
/ an opportune time to look after her
! PohticaI fences, and she made a speech
{
| Now, boys, a great many years from
/ now l may be candidate for congress
| or the United States senate. BY that
| time you boys will be men and I want
/ you to promise to vote for me-
| Two hundred Iusty-Iunged youngsters
/ applauded with an their might and
| shouted: I'VE will
l Miss Lease is a strict vegetarian. es-