The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-01-15
EpistIe Written II 1893 TO Mrs. J. D.
Graves by Humorlst, Preacher,
lecturer Tells Of His
First lecture.
WILL GO IN ARCHIVES
This Interesting Letter In Handwrit-
ing Of Man Who Started His
Lecture Career Here, Will
be Preserved.

A letter-from the late Robert Bur-
dette. written in 1898, to the secre-
tary of the Womans Exchange of
| Keokuk which was then flourishing,
has been presented to the Keokuk
public library by Mrs. ]. D. Graves,
to whom the letter was addressed.
The letter has to do with an invita-
! ton to lecture which was extended
/ the preacher-orator.
The Woman's Exchange was at one
time quite a flourishing institution Of
the city. Like all such societies,
there was felt an urgent need for in
creasing the treasury. Robert Bur
dette was looked to as means to
this end. The following is his letter
to Mrs. Graves. which has been pre-
scented to the library:
Bryn Mawr, Pa, Feb. IA, 1898.
Ny Dear Mrs. Graves:
/ have just crawled out OF Wis
consin snow drift and have been shak-
ing avalanchess out Of my garments,
boots and hair ever since 1 reached
home. The dawn OF ST. Valentines
day, shows to me, for the first time,
your letter Of January 80. It is now
too late for my answer to reach your
board Of managers in time for the
meeting OF February 4th, am afraid.
You see how, timid l am. Any little
thing scares me. The danger Of
having the 4ths go by the 18th is fairly
appalling to me. "a xyaE sgta
49, s ,re7 4e s{.sA
His Lecture Here.
And now what? Do you still want
lecture from me Keokuk; launch
ed my first lecture on the broad ocean
of human hearts and ears In Decem-
Der 1876, in Keokuk. The Baptist
church was the generous phalanx that
supported me and stood responsible
for the lecture. Miss Cleayer was the
secretary.sssA swarmrhearte swarm OF
Keokuk's beast and skindest" was the
audience. i had about 9h pounds of
manuscript on the reading desk, II
think, and read it clear through.
Never missed word, didn't leave out
a line. Took me 2 hours and IL min
utes. When 4 gots through ! hadn't
enough voice left to ask for glass
OF water, and my throat was So dry
l couldn't drink tt when 1ngot 1t. How
wretchedk + felt whenever the audi
ence laughed! thought, they are
laughing 1T me-" Maybe they were
It never occurred to me that / was
reading what purported to be hum |
orous lecture. Occasional bursts OF
frightened me. l thought, |
"WelI now WHAT" l said to myself,
"The eggs will begin to fly pretty |
soon" When / dared look, the encour |!
aging countenances Of my audience
treasured me- and I would pull my
self together and read little louder
and a great deal faster.
Oh, what great big long, wide.
large lecture it was.
Cushioned in an easy chair with
loving hands ready on every side to
be helpful to her helpfulness. Mrs,
Burdette sat In the audience, her face
with courage and aglow with
her eyes eloquent with a
wifes enthusiasm carrying me
through the long evening. All day I
ong she had nerved my weakness.
She kept me from chucking the big {
bundle OF manuscript into the fire
Ind running away. was a paralyzed ,
nan all that afternoon.
Wife's Faith Saves Him. ,
I said to her, Carrie, your husband
s dying man. Do not Jest at his :