Evening journal., 1910-12-31
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Story Of the Last lays Of
a Great Orator
BY HOLLAND"
BY "HOIlssd."

I'm the early part Of December,
1881 think II was about two weeks
after Congress had met in regular
session. was sitting IN my office
in Washington one evening when a
man came in, threw himself into an
unoccupied chair, and said 'Hello!' &"
In this way the late Amos J. Cum
mings, who in 1899. was closing his
first term In Congress, described 20
mo his last meeting with Henry w.
! Grady. editor OF the Atlanta Consu-
tuition, who gained national fame in q
single night by a speech which he
made on "The New South" before the
members OF the Few English Society
In New York on the evening OF Fore
fathers Day. 1866.
81 noticed the moment Grady sat
down." Mr. Cummings went on, that
he seemed to be in i'll health, or else
was mentally distressed. He pushed
his hat upon the back sido Of his head,
leaned forward, placed his elbows
upon the table, and dejectedly rested
his chin in both hands.
Don't you feel well?" I asked; and
he replied that 30 far as he knew he
was perfectly well physically, but
that he had been laboring under a at
OF great depression, which had seized
him the very moment he took the
train at Atlanta for the North.
Thinking TO cheer him up a bit,
said to him that no man who had
gained SO swiftly the brilliant reputa-
ton which had come to him from Que
address ought 20 have a moments de-
preston. He gave me no direct an
swer, but said instead:
" I am on my way TO Boston. They
have invited me TO deliver an address
on the evening Of Forefathers' Day.
They asked me last year, but was
unable to 90 TO Boston then. That
New York address. so far as its sue
cess was concerned, was as great
surprise to me as it could have been
70 any OF those who invited me 70
speak AT the New England dinner
Having said this, Grady buried his
face In his hands ! thought that no
was fearful that he would not maiu-
tain at Boston the reputation he had
gained three years earlier ia New
York. 7 asked him If he was 10 speak
upon the same subject, The New
South. How fervid was his rhetoric
upon that occasion! With what per-
fection Of the spoken word he prophe-
sled the future of the united conn
tryi How apt were his metaphors, en-
tlrely free from any grandiloquent
flourish. the more effective BY reason
OF their simplicity ] thought Of this,
and wondered whether he would be
able al Boston TO stir the sons Of New
England IN the New England capital
as he had moved the sons OF New
England in New York
He must have known what was In
my mind, for he said that he was not
at all concerned about the effect OF
his speech in Boston. And he wac not
going TO speak OF the new south. but
Of some phases Of the negro question.
II VIII be q more serious subject than
the one / chose for New York. be-
cause the neg-o question Is the grave
one Of the South he continued. But
] am going to tell them about il OK
actly what I think
Again Grady stopped. and once
more rested his face in his hands. At
last he said: I don't know what has
come over me. / have not the slight
est anxiety about my Boston speech,
but can't shake OF this feeling OF
depression Ii I were superstitious.
! should say that It II portentous.
Il suggested 70 him that perhaps
bis stomach was out Of order.
No he replied, IL is not that. Bur
don't know what it is. l went TO
New York with light heart. and with
real enthusiasm. go 10 Boston la
boring under this depression.
He tried to shake on the feeling.
We chatted for while, and then, with
.a forced cheerfulness, he bade me
goodbye. A few days later read
the reports IN the pape-s Of Gradys
Boston address, learned that he had
maintained his New York reputation.
and ! said to myself: Now that tit Of
depression will pass
"A few days later the news came
from Atlanta that Henry W. Grady
vas dead. Il Is my recollection That
he caught a cold az Boston. whicn
developed swiftly into mortal disease.
And ! have never had any doubt rhat
some premonition had come 10 him of
what bis destiny was To- be-the reaI
explanation Of the depression that he
was laboring under when last / saw
him"
Copyright, 1910. by Z. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved.)