The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-15

Mary Buffers girlhood was far diff
ferent from that of most children. Her
father was a Methodist minister who
was sent from town to town to preach
and so Mary never had any real home
for she was moving from place to
place with her father.
She had very little schooling like
other children for she was never in
one place long enough to attend the
classes. Both her mother and father,
however, were we'll educated and they
took it upon themselves to see that
Mary was taught reading and writing
and many other things which she
otherwise would have missed in her
itinerant life.
She showed a talent for music when
but small child and her mother en-
couraged her and taught her to play
practice on the organ because when
she was old enough she always had to
play for her fathers services.
Mary developed into a musician OF
more than ordinary talent but she was
by no means a real artist and she
would probably never have done any
more with her muisc than play hymns
at prayer meeting except for the fact
that she was almost compelled to.
Forced to Teach Music.
When Mary was about seventeen
her mother became i'll and she never
fully regained her health but remain
ed an invalid and was of course,
great care. Mr.. Butler established
Mary and her mother in a tiny house
in one of the cheaper districts of
wealthy steel city which was in the
center of his territory and Mary
taught music and nursed her mother
Mary's pupils were for the most part
children of wealthy families, but even
so she was not able to make much
money Music teaching several years
ago was not very remunerative and
then, too. Mary had to spend so much
time with her mother that she could
not take as many pupils as other
teachers could.
Mary had another talent which was
developed in practically the same way
that her musical ability had been
brought out. She was a good speaker.
She learned the art of oratory by
reading and addressing people at the
church coferences. Naturally she got
all her training and practice while she
was still very young, for she seldom if
ever attended her father on his tours.
If reared in different almost sphere
her ambition would have been realized
on the stage, but the daughter of a
Methodist brought up practically in
the pulpit itself, she would naturally
turon to some other field with her
oratorical ability. The lecture plat
form was the logical place.
Mary often talked with her mother
about her ambitions and she often
wished that she might earn her living
by lecturing instead of by teaching
music, but this seemed impossible.
Finally she did get an. opportunity
to make a speech. A wealthy club
woman whose children took music
lessons from Mary, was to give a
talk on current topics at her club
She contracted a severe cold and
lost her voice for a few days. She
was worrying about her talk and told
Mary about it. Mary volunteered to
look up the material and write a
speech for her so that she could rest
D." up and take care Of her cold and
doctor it up until the day Of the
club meeting.
Wanted to Be Lecturer.
She enjoyed nothing more thar
speaking to a large audience and she
was far more interested in lectures
anu ltIl Ing llldll sic " do III HSl
music Her ambition was to become
a great speaker, not great musician
She spent far more time reading VI
on current topics and attending lee
lures and political speeches than she
did practicing and stud sing music.
Toured With Taft
But the day came and the woman
was no better and so as a last resor
she asked Mary to deliver the speech
herself and present regrets for hel
employers enforced absence from
the meeting. Mary instead of being
frightened and emba rrassed was more
thrilled than she had been since her
first speech in country church many
years before.
She scarcely needed to look at the
speech she had written, but gave the
club members such a brilliant and in
tereStng talk that she crea ted a sen
sation. The member whose place she
took paid Mary very good sum for
her trouble although Mary tried tC
show her that it was pleasure, not
work, and she did not want to take
the money
Gradually from that time on she
got more chances to speak and she
became one of the best speakers in
her city. She usually gave interest
ing and comprehensive talks on cur