Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-08
THE LONG AGO AND THE LATER ON
an Experience Eighty Years OF Life By George Sdae Bromley

I appearance before the noisy audience.
My speech had the desired effect, but
the first intimation that I had said
anything worth while was given me
when l found that instead of continu-
ing their preparations, the ladies had
stopped dead still and listened to me.
The next day, l met the editor Of The
Santa Cruz Sentinel at the hotel, and
said he;
oh, I've got you down all right"
What do you mean?' said l.
Well said he, Il took your speech
down in shorthand and l am going to
publish it,"
Don't you do it." I answered. "for
| have friends outside of Santa Cruz,
and should they see that speech they
VIII think have gone into my second
Childhood
4hen he said he would obey my
wishes in the matter. but he claimed
That when ne came to make up his
paper he found he needed about that
much to fill it, so the speech appeared
IN print, much to my annoyance. New
ertheless. and to my establishment. it
became quite famous as Uncle
Georges School Speech" Mrs. Eliza
beth Stuart Phelps, while visiting
President ID. c. Gilman of the Johns
Hopkins university at Baltimore. was
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid, and he gave it to
my brother, who was then on the ed
ltorial staff of The New York Tri-
bune, VINO. in turn, sent it to me. The
copy | have reads thus:
Ladies, Gentlemen and Children:-I
appear before you to apologize for the
non-appearance off the two gentle
men whose names appear on the pro-
Sramme, and l am requested to make
a little speech as q substitute for the
song they were to sing Now, I was
calculating to address the children on
this occasion, but, unfortunately. the
young lady who was to accompany
the address on the piano was so over
come by its rehearsal that she has not
been out of the house since There
fore | will have to deliver the address
without the accompaniment and leave
out the most affecting part for fear
of consequences.
Now, if there is any one thing that
l love to do better than another, it is
to make speeches to children, because
l love them, and, in fact, / have it
from very good authority that / was
once little boy myself. and although
not so good as some other little boys,
the only reason for that was that
there were so many other little boys
That were better than I was. SO you
see now near ! came TO being one of
the best little boys in the district. I
mention this for your encouragement
Now. we want you oil to be good
children and to love your books and
your teachers. | love your teachers
because they are the most lovable Of
any teachers | have ever known. and
they have worked very hard to ge up
this entertainment to raise money
to put a new floor in the schoolhouse
and to get nice new seats for the little
boys trousers-no nice new trousers
for the little boys seats-no 1 don't
mean that. either. What / do mean is
to get new seats to keep the BOYS
from wearing out their trousers.
Now, they have worked hard to do
all this and have sometimes sat up late
at night. and l have been so sorry
that | could not sit up with them and
help them. But l couldn't because I
had to sit up at the hotel and let in
the people who's were out late. Now.
want you all to be good children.
and never keep the man at the hotel
up late to let you in when he wants
to be sitting up with your teachers
and helping them to get up a festi-
val to raise money to buy a new floor
and all that sort of thing for the
schoolhouse. Now. if what I am say
ing is too deep for you children to
understand, you can get your parents
to explain it in the morning. after
they get through dancing.
When / was a little boy how ] did
love to go to school Saturday after
noon. and ham well do feinemhes