New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-18

~ the last Sunday in March among the
4 callers at the University Club a man
~ of good height a well-deveoped figure, and
iron gray hair and mustache. There some
thing in the erectness of his bearing and the
wiry crispness of mustache that suggested col
onel of the regular army. He looked like man
in middle-age in the pink of condition.
"I'd like to have his health at seventy-seven"
some one remarked as he swung out Of the door.
The speaker was referring to F. Hopkinson
Smith, who died on April 7, in his seventy-seventh
year
It is the custom Of the Authors Club to cele-
brate the incoming Of the year with an enter
tainment consisting of contributions by the mem
bers In the middle of the programme, on De-
cember 81, 1914 the name Of Mr.. Smith an
nounced He came forward to the broad entrance
Of the main room in which the larger part OF the
members and their guests were seated
Usually when a man is called to his feet at an
informal gathering he prefaces his remarks with
something of a casual nature. With no introduc-
tory sentences and with marked facial rec
IGNITION of the fact that he had audience be-
fore him Mr. Smith launched out. 1t was like the
sudden breaking of a dam. There a graspng
for fresh bearings. Before one knew it one was
in the midst of a story that had all the earmarks
Of an original tale There not an excess
or misplaced word, word that could not perform
the task imposed upon it. The story followed with
the spontaneity of cascade. With the last word
the speaker retired to q back seat
WHICH is ONE WAY OF LEADING UP TO A
SUBJECT.
Mr. Smith knew how to secure instant attention
on the part of an audience. Upon his return
O,tCb tba dla agt ha
described an incident which illustrates this fact.
In the course of his trip he called upon to
give a reading from his works in a city in Kansas
The hall was an auditorium large that it might
have been used for a national political conven-'
ton. The rear gallery was far back According
to Mr. Smith, it was with difficulty that could
see it from the platform. The furnishings Of the
platform a small rug and table on castors
which stood the conventional white water
pitcher and tumbler. The reading stand, which
he invariably carried with him, had been placed in
position and adjusted at the desired height Its
elevation or depression regulated by button
As Mr.. Smith followed the chairman to the
platform he observed that il would be necessary
for him TO gain the attention Of the vast audience
within the first five minutes or he would never
cure it, There Mary and John down in the front
row chewing gum and exchanging condolences. In
Tact, the NnOle AuulenCe seemed 10 De preOCCupleu
with its personal affairs to the exclusion of every
thing else. Slowly he drew of one glove-he
always Immediately dressed-and shook hands
with the chairman, with whom he began a
versation With equal deliberateness he removed
the other. Then he glanced casually around He
appeared 20 catch sight of the rug for the first
time Was the pattern offensive to his artistic
sense? Or was il an intense dislike of all floor
coverings that caused him to glare at it so
fcrociously? Advancing toward it he drew back
his foot and then kicked it half way across the
platform. Turning toward the chairman he spoke
TO him, apparently somewhat Indignantly.
The audience began 10 look toward the pair on
the platform. What was the matter there? The
lecturer glanced about again. He scowled. His
eyes seemed for the first time TO alight upon the
innocent table on casters and its pitcher. Was
there anything inartistic about the receptacle for
water? Did he think there ought 10 be sub
stitute for water in it? Or had he been making
the substitution himself at his hotel? He gave the
table shove with his foot that sent il half way
down the platform in the wake Of the rug
Truly, this WAS extraordinary lecturer. BY
now one could almost have heard piece of gum
drop. The lecturer strobe over to the chairman,
seemingly in q blaze Of anger, and made what