The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-01-30
!. BY
LOUIS WEADCOC

z
sidestep this lecture thing?"
Mr.. Hopkins threw back his. head and laughed
'I?' he asked. Il try dodge like that? Not Il I,
Am one of these fellows that is tied fast to the
hardware business that he doesn't know Balzac from
Hall Game? Am slave to my business? No r.:
read / study improve my mind: m going I'd &
for more than week Been neglecting my business
in fact. Here's looking at you" >ss=SS ~
"Pillsbury looked at Hafnes and Haines looked At 8
Pillsbury for some time before they drank. Then
they sighed. = -. ~ g-ss=5.s5
TITS going to be worse than bull fight" said
Pillsbury genially - -<s::
II hope the police don't interfere. /" said Haina.
"A ten:round bout between Hopkins and Balzac. why
Hop can't even pronounce that name the same way
three times in succession" >-... ."%.S...szS
The two big front rooms were filled. The women
outnumbered the men. Yet none of the men seemed
to regret that he there Hopkins did not lecture
on Balzac every evening" :3..
glasses and an English accent, opened the meeting
Mr. Hopkins freshly shaver and slightly flushed.
sat at her side. From the other side of the room
Mrs Hopkins beamed upon him. ...@s -zs
he wlnked at her. Then he remembered that +he .
had never seen any other lecturer wink at his wife
or anybody's else wife in public. So he blushed !
little more 800
ne saw that every eye in the room was fixed upon .
him and he began to wonder if his coat was not get
ting too tight across the shoulders ID.
He noticed, too that of the electric lights shon
more brightly than the others. He wondered why.
He compared that electric light with those in the
store. He remembered that somebody had said that
all 1ecandle-power lights are not of the same
strength, and as his mind went wandering dovn. i
vista illuminated with various sorts of lights he got
cold all OVER and his face began to feel as if it were
made OF wood The president had called his name .
and made brief speech of INTRODUCTION. " -
" He stood up and bowed stiuy Ptllsburv and
Haines were looking at him with compassion written
all over their fat faces Mr. Hopkins glared back
at them
fuence Of Balzac upon the Latter-day French Novel 8
lists, ;" pounded into his ears, and he grabbed the
readingtabe with one hand and cleared his throat
Ladies' and gentlemen" he said 1--WE written ont
what I'm going to say, and it isn't very long and .
hope you'll enjoy hearing it as well as did writing
it," ~. s>~,.e .|@
And then he read them Mikes copy Of the intro
duction to Balzac N*<
Even Pilsbury and Haines got interested in It as
Mr. Hopkins went along. ~. =: = T.. - So
AS for the real members they fairly drank IN every
word - .@@*s-*
Mr. Hopkins warming to his work, regretted that &
there were only three pages instead Of thirty
He liked the sensation Of being the centre Of all tho
attention He even ventured to introduce pathetic
tone in his voice or twice. - Is.
Once he stamped his foot and then elevated his
hand above his head He had to keep there little
longer than he had intended but he did not bring
down until he could ind seine appropriate sentiment
with which to accompany It's descent and produce IN
effect. ;'>sz . = H. - -
He read slowly, that every word might sink In
And striking the last page and happening to no .
tcs that both Pilssury and Haines were locking at
him in opearnouthea admiratton, he slackened his
pace even more and became even more imprssstvs
And" he read, "Bazac represented in his various
works both poles Of narrative writing He vas It S.
once renaanticist and realist hne steel .nsrav
ing Of Balzac will be found upon page ave hundred
and twentysix."