Evening star., 1932-06-06

Preparing ones speeches In advance
in every day Life Is entirely different
from the same preparation in public life
The curious thing Is that not one
out Of ten of these orations is ever
made.
They are prepared solely In the mind
to meet situations which often never
arrive.
This Is something Of q shame, because
these speeches more often than not
are very good, and the audience de-
serves to hear them. They would dc
'em coed!
Practically every one, at some time OF
other, meets with words or treatment
which strike him the wrong way. as the
saying has 1t. Often as not he is In
the right.
Almost never, however. does the
average person say "the right thing
at the right time.
An hour or so later, or maybe a few
minutes later, he thinks Of exactly the
proper brilliant thrust which would have
given him the victory in some en-
counter with a nasty person, or at least
which would have soothed his own
mind.
A soothed mind, In many everyday
emergencies, Is more to be desired than
all the victories in the world. Such q
state Of mind Is sort OF victory In
itself.
And 1t does one not the slightest good
in the world, alas, to think OF some
snappy retort after the occasion for its
delivery has passed away.
What 1t may do, of course, Is to start
the individual to composing that great
speech for next time"
There Is always a next time, one
thinks, but the truth Is that the next
time" often fails to matertalize, as
experience proves.
And that is why SO many OF these fine
speeches, prepared in advance, sparkling
with witticisms and keen thrusts, never
fall upon mortal ear
Suppose one goes to a store. for In
stance, and the clerks are 30 busy dis
cuSsing their own affairs, as the best
Of these aids and helpers will do, upon
occasion.
Restlessly shifting from one foot tc
the other, the agrieved customer
thinks that one minute Is ten minutes
and that certain bright young ladies
ought to be better trained
He looks around hopelessly. In the
sublime faith that some one will ge,
the idea that he Is there to buy some
thing, and that he has cash in his
pocket.
No one seems to connect his presence
in the store with the system OF mer-
chandising which has been built up al
so much cost and with so much genuine
ability.
Evidently q small cog has slipped
somehow, and somewhere, and here he
stands, first on one foot, then or
the othes. with money in his pocket
and, certain desires in his mind.
Occasionally the customer may work
himself up so about his waiting tina,
he walks out without buying anything
Right then is when he sets himself tC
the task Of preparing form OF ad-
dress which will show those bright
young ladies just what they ought tc
do and when they ought to do 1t.
1t Is great speech, as 1t unfolds
In his mind, and the abused customer
can scarce wait until the next day
when he may appear upon the same
scene, but this time loaded for bear,
according to the old maxim.
The bears evidently must have got
wind Of his preparations, however.
This time they are all smiles and
attention.
May I wait on you?" says a sweet
young thing, with an anxious smile
the very moment he walks into the
place.
rs anyone waiting on you. sir?" asks
another lady, almost before the first has
stopped speaking.
Clerks and their superior officers fall
over each other, as it were. to render
him the sort OF service which he had
not expected.
He feels like visiting potentate OF
something. This, he muses.. Is some
thing like!
His great speech fades away into the
mists. How could one utter crude