Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-03-19
His First speech.

His First Speech.
The story as told by the orator
himself, business man prominent in
every movement that brings together
citizens for the general good, pre-
sents MIN as Cne of four persons who
went to another city to help start
charity"
A clergyman was Of the party, so
was city official, and its third num-
Der was woman OF gifts and gra-
cious presence. The business man,
who had never made speech, was
summoned at the last moment as q
substitute for physician who found
he could not go.
The four philanthropists chatted
merrily during the journey. When
they reached their destination, theJ
were taken TO church, a large church
filed with people, and welcomed by
the mayor of the city.
Before the business man. who had
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.like, drew from
his pocket 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 q pause.
An inspiration flashed upon the
business man, an opening sentence.
Beyond that his mind was a blank,
except for hysterlcal recollection of
a German student whom he had once
scorned and pi!ied-an orator, whose
trembling, apologetic knees belied the
thunder Of his voice.
"If ever l speak in public" the
business man had said then, Il will
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 recognize-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 purring
voice somewhere within him MUIR
INJURED, Perhaps. after all, it is as
we'll to let ones knees wiggle-wasgie
little" His knees, which he had
always expected to master, began to
initiate the German students knees.
Ladies and gentlemen" he gasped
to this knee accompanimcnt-it
sounded to him like the rhythmical
rattle of castanets, ladies and gentle
men, this work which you are about
to undertake. is so important that, II
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
tellcct. This spoken, he looked
blankly out upon the sea of faces,
vaguely wondering how soon the au-
Gience would begin to laugh.
81 might start the laugh myself"
he thought, fantastically. His knees
continued active. After 4 time his
lips also moved.
Ladies and gentlemen he shout
ed again, II feel so strongly what |
have already said that | 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 GO seconds.
1--WE cannot feel too strongly tnat
this work is serious!" he cried aloud
yet again, and he thanked heaven
that this was so, that he had thought
of it bctimes.
And having thus shouted his be-
loved remark a third tome, he sat
down.
1t 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-
tunitics 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, q day of possible reward pre-
sented itself; and this time, when he
was called upon, 1t was not his knees
that moved-it was his tongue
Youths Companion.