The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1900-07-20

speech to your Daughters of the Revo'
luton it will not be any woman's make
up, l can tell you. To begin with,
haven't time to monkey with any such
nonsense; but if did l would make my
own speech-and / wouldn't have to
write it out first, either. Do you think
l can't make a speech? Why, could
make speech that would knock out
anything any of your Revolution
| Daughters husbands could do-just
off-hand-Jim Perkins, Lem Stubbins
or any of the rest of them. Mebby, you
think because there are lot of stuck
up lawyers and professors in your set,
that 1 can't trot in their class. Some
day I'll fool you, Mrs. Limkins." And
putting on his hat, Mr.. Limkins blus-
tered out of the house leaving Mrs.
Limkins in doubt as to whether he
would, or would not, carry out her
plans.
This was just the sort of impression
Mr.. Limkins wanted to make on Mrs.
Limkins, for from the very first men
ton of it, he was rather taken with
the idea of making that speech but did
not want to appear too willing. Mr..
Limkins belonged to a class of men
who go through life with an idea that
they are born for better things. Ever
lastingly thinking that they could have
shone in some other fellows place if
they had had the opportunity. Men
tally sure that they have natural tai
ent for some calling of which they
know absolutely nothing.
Mr.. Limkins welcomed this oppor-
tunity as something he had always
longed for; but he wanted Mrs. Linn
kins to think he was doing it under
protest.
As Mr.. Limkins strobe along in the
moonlight, he felt particularly salts
fed with himself and he made up his
mind that his speech should be mas
terpiece He would make Stubbins
and Perkins turn green with envy. With
that speech he would make a lasting
reputation. Mrs. Limkins should know
nothing about it in advance; he would
make it a complete surprise to her.
And then how proud she would be of
him; and how much it would add to his
advantage with her.
He decided to tell Mrs. Limkins in
the morning that he would make
speech just to please her, and as
though it were a matter of no conse-
quence to him. He would then spend
the rest of his time before the banquet
in arranging that speech, and fire it off
as an entirely "eXtemporaneous" af-
fair. The very thought of the glory
awaiting him as the result had an ex-
hilarating effect, and Mr.. Limkins
raised his chin in the air, clenched his
fingers, and pranced along like a
"three-year-old."
The next morning as Mr.. Limkins
was leaving the house for his office, he
said to his wife as he patted her on the
head in fatherly way: "Now, little
woman, if it will please you will make
a few remarks at your banquet"
That's a dear, good boy" said Mrs.
Limkins, land you will let me write
out something for you, won't you"
mo, little woman" he replied, II
can't come down to that, you know;
but you shall not be ashamed of me"
And Mr.. Limkins went off, leaving Mrs.
with some misgivings as to the
final outcome of her plans. For when
4 woman has been the constant COM
panion of a man for II years, she is
very apt to have fair idea fhis men
tai capacity.
During the next few days MIR. Linn
kins devoted the greater part of his |
time to the preparation of his extern
poraneous" speech. 1t was matter of |
so much Importance to him that he |
even neglected his business to a con-
siderable extent; and when the morn
ing of the day of the banquet arrived,
Mr.. Limkins had written out and com
mitted to memory speech that he
considered very high-class. However,
he felt that he needed little practice
in delivery and determined to let his
clerks go home early in the afternoon,
in order to have the Office all to himself
for rehearsal. By three o'clock the
asst clerk had gone, and Mr.. Limkins,
lfter locking all the doors, began his
recitation. However, he did not find
his sort of practice at all satisfactory
at first. The dead, bare walls of his Of
ice did not give back any encourage
ment, and he tried again and again
some particular sentences, with the
same unfavorable results. He felt that
he could do better if he had some living
hing to speak to-even if only dog or
/ cat. He needed living pair of eyes
hat he could fix with his eyes, in order
% concentrate his attention and prop
arlv rench his climax