Evening star., 1915-01-31

arrived also a Snowstorm that tor that sec
ton of the country was heavy one. Heavy
or light, it brought with it enough snow to
provide these forty-odd youngsters with the
kind of occupation that all healthy-minded
Youngsters find to their taste,-that OF
snow-balling passersby. When my motor
arrived at the lecture hall the boys were on
hand, and for two or three minutes the car
was the object of fierce fusillade of icy mis-
siles that nearly put the chauffeur out of
commission The committee hustled me
into the hall with no more damage than one
rather slushy splosh of snow perilously close
to my neck.
"It's shame Mr.. Bangs said the chair
man, "and apologize. These boys aren't
bad lot; but they are irrepressible. I'd ad-
wise YOU to go slow with them tonight.
THEY'VE broken up two lectures already
"Gracious!' said l. "Do they attend the
lectures?'
"Yes," said the chairman. by arrange
ment with the school authorities they have
the first two rows reserved for them free.
And sure enough when l walked out upon
the platform there they were, two solid rows
of them, eying me like hungry birds of prey
ready to pounce upon particularly luscious
morsel. / should have fled if flight had been
possible; but it was not, and | looked for
ward to an hour and half of trial. But as
the chairman was introducing me an idea
popped into nv head which | am glad to say
saved the day-or rather the night. In
stead of my usual opening l addressed few
words to the boys.
at is an awful shame, my young friends"
said l, @that the requirements of this lee
ture course and the necessities of my own
engagements compel YOU and me to waste
such a delightful evening as this indoors.
feel lust as badly as you do about 1t; tor
while what few hairs have left are gray,
/ give YOU nv word that I'd rather go into
a good redhot SNOWFALL fight with you than
listen to the finest lecture that ever was de-
ivered. If l didn't have to 60 on to Mem
phis tonight, I'd ask the committee and the
audience to postpone this lecture until the
snow melts, so that l could show you what
a corking shot l am at any old beaver hat,
moving or fixed, that ever crowned mortal
head
The effect was instantaneous. A wave of
enthusiasm swept over the lads, and the
only interference l had from them during
nv talk was somewhat too-ready incl1na-
tion on their part to help me along with
laughter and applause at points where tears
and silence would have been more appro-
pirate. Moreover, when at the close OF my
lecture | started with some reluctance to
leave the hall, instead of the voley of arctic
ammunition that l had expected, found
those youngsters lined up twenty on side
between the door and my motor with their
hats off, forming little alley of honor for
me to tread, giving me three rousing cheers
as departed.
From which somewhat trying experience
/ deduce that there is good deal more
latent courtesy in Young America than GER
tain despairing critics of modern manners
would have us believe. 1t may be that the
reason why we do not find it oftener is that
we do not ourselves give it the opportunity
to express itself.
IHAVE spoken of our exposure to battle,
murder, and sudden death, and to some
it may have seemed an exaggeration to
claim anything of the sort as platform
peril; and yet there was one occasion upon
which l was so uncomfortably tangent to
such conditions that they seemed all too
real. 1t was in one of our Far Western
States. Scheduled to lecture there at eight
P. NJ, my train did not reach the town until
nine-forty-five. l had telegraphed news of
my delay ahead, and my audience with rare
courtesy had voted to remain at the hall
until l arrived.
l dressed on the train, and on descend
ing from it was whisked to the opera house
in prehistoric hack which shed one of its