Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-02-27


himself, business man prominent in
every movement that brings together
citizens for the general good pre-
sents him as one of four persons who
went to another city to help start
a charity"
A clergyman was Of the party, sc
was a city official and it's third mum
Der was a woman of gifts and gra
cious presence. The business man
who had never made a speech, was
summoned at the last moment as a
substitute for a physician who found
he could not go.
The four philanthropists chatte6
merrily during the journey. When
they reached their destination, they
were taken to church, large church
filed with people, and welcomed by
the mayor of the city.
Before the business man, who haG
prepared no speech, who had never
made speech, the occasion began to
loom up in unexpected proportions
Apparently these hundreds of persons
had come to hear something and he
had nothing to say.
Presently the mayor mounted the
platform, laid his left hand upon the
pulpit. and called on the visiting city
official to address the meeting. The
city official, magician-lile drew from
bis pocket a fine array of typewriter
papers and calmly proceeded to read
A nervous sweat broke out upon
the young business mans forehead
He had no typewriter papers.
Then the minister was called upon
He laid his left hand on the pulpit
as had the mayor, and spoke in rich
persuasive voice, without a pause.
An inspiration flashed upon the
business man, an opening sentence
Beyond that his mind was a blank
except for hysterical recollection OF
German student whom he had once
scorned and pitied-an orator, whose
trembling, apologize knees belied the
thunder Of his voice.
IF ever l speak in public" the
business man had said then. Il viii,
keep my knees stiff. They shall not
betray embarrassment, even though
my tongue refuse to Wag.
But now the minister ended, and
the mayor began a description OF
some one whom the business man did
not in the least recogniZa-until he
heard his own name. He found him
self staggering toward the pulpit. AS
the others had done, he laid his left
hand lightly upon it.
At that critical moment a purring
voice somewhere within him mur
INJURED, Perhaps. after ALL it is as
well to let ones knees wiggle-waggie
a little" His knees, which he had
always expected to master, began tc
initiate the German students knees.
Ladies and gentlemen" he gaspei
to this knee accompaniment-it
sounded to him like the rhythmicai
rattle of castanets, ladies and gentle
men, this work which you are about
to undertake. is SO important that, il
it is to be undertaken at all, it must
be undertaken seriously"
That was his opening sentence. the
one he had prepared. the only one he
had rescued from the wreck of his in
tellect This spoken, he looked
blankly out upon the sea of faces.
vaguely wondering how soon the au
dience would begin to laugh.
Il might start the laugh myself
he thought, Enthusiastically. His knees
continued active. After n time his
lips also moved.
Ladies and gentlemen" he shout
ed again, Il feel so strongly what !
have already said that l desire to re
peat it."
AS he repeated his only prepared
sentence, it occurred to him that he
might cover sufficient time by eXplod
ing with this precious utterance, this
which the world could not take from
him, although all else was gone, at
regular intervals of 60 seconds.
I'VE cannot feel too strongly that
this work is serous!" he cried alout
yet again, and he thanked heaven
that this was so, that he had thought
of it betimes.
And having thus shouted his be
loved remark a third tome, he sal
down.
It was long before he was asked
again to speak in public, although in
his dreams he addressed many audi
ences and We'd with Daniel Webster
Day by day he accepted such oppor
tunities for public activity as came
in his way, and he wrote much, that
he might develop ability to express
his thoughts. Then, after many
months, a day of possible reward pre-
sented itself; and this time, when he
was called upon, it was not his kneel
that moved-it was his tongue
YoNth's Companion.