Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-04-09

tu1e and gestur
- - ing. learned
= = r"H1S how to make
climax, wet or dry ! learned how To
use the tremolo stop and how to split
the window panes. And made a
monkey oil myself.
1t has taken fifteen years to begin
to learn that lecture is the over
flow OF a life. 1t Is the man inside the
clothes and the gestures We need
the gestures and the training, but
they are the necktie. And had
necktie and no man to hang it on
Now am trying to make my life
luminous and big and warm and right,
and something is happening. The
world used to rum away from me, but
now it comes to see me- The world
is hungry, and when my audience ask
ed me for bread I gave it a gesture.
And the audience went to sleep. Now
am trying to give my audience food,
no matter If the wrapper isn't very
artistic, and they come back and ask
for more
And i is a daily job to lecture.
work All the day on the typewriter,
and run for trains. and grab for ma
chine-nade PIE off the lunch counters.
make long drives and stay out Of bed
all night, and wien get to my town
in the evening it is hearenly rest just
to get on the platform and spill out
the god am digAing out each day
over the audience that some hard
working committee mas been strug-
Cling for weeks to get out.
love every audience. l 60 to 1t
like It was ny toughest brother.
used to hate aud. ences+ and they
hated me. The audience is just my
own mirror smile at the audience.
and it always smiles back There's
that front row Of wriggling kids down
in there. love them, and pretty soon
they quit wriggling and listen to me.
And there's the baby that breaks its
heart and fuses up its mother as
commence to lecture. | love that
baby, and somehow the wireless be-
gins to work and pretty soon the baby
is sticky-eyed and mother has forgot
ten it all
Then talk few moments and rest
travel, and, bless me. Just about the
time ] get started on my lecture,
look at my watch and | have talked
too long already. SO don't give my
lecture at all haven't given lee
ture for a year. | just started to give
one and the time was up; just like
used to sleep when roy went to
for the next minute il was morning
and father was coming upstairs with
pitcher Of water to make his last
call.
But / go away from the hall all
rested | Lllad pretty near 300 dates
last year. Fslks warned me | was
killing myself | want to 90 on kill
ing myself that way. for got fatter
and happier each month, resting near
ly 900 times. 1t is great to rest in
public and be paid money for 1t. |
feel guilty every time ! take money
from committee. ! feel as though
ought to pay the committee for the
privilege of resting before their audi
ence.
know my lecture stuff is good for
the audience, because it is good for
me-, | first try it on myself.
And the big thing | have learned In
these years of trying to lecture Is
Keep in touch with the Power-House.
There is only one subject in this
world--God and Man. There is no
difference between sermon and
lecture. The Lyeeum platform is my
pulpit Boil it all down into Race I'M
rrovement.
| haven't done anything vet, but |
lee the way Somebody slaps me on
the back and says: q heard you at
Z "stop!v l beg. Don't throw
t up to me! am trying to forget it,"
For am not pleased with one lecture
yet, but the Big Lecture ! want to
give is ahead. I'll give it when my
life gets Big.
Mr.. Parlette will be b ere Monday
evening, April 18th, at p. M, unaer
tile auspices Of the Balington Lyeenm
League.
Evera body Come