The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-11-01
Observations
Trials of Woman
Lecturer Related
by Columnist
BY HELEN EssARY

nv place. OF course, 1t is made up
OF blow and show and push and
snub. But other PAGES are funny.
too. Other places Ike stage busl-
ness and build up and strut.
AS today's proof OF this profund.
ity, ! offer a few PARTICLES reported
by a smart woman friend OF mine
who has started on a career as .
public speaker. My friend, being
devastatingly in the know In Wash
ington. Is naturally basing her talks
on Washington.
Before she left for her nation
SCATTERING tour, an expert from the
New York lecture bureau which
has her talents and personality IN
charge at the moment, made
trip down 10 the capital on the Po-
tomac TO give some technical advice
on how TO charm an audience.
Especially an audience OF ladies.
First" said the adviser earnest
~, there is your appearance and
your entrance on the lecture plat
form. For the best success ! recon-
mend that you wear a mink coat.
What? Yes, my dear, a mink coat IS
almost essential.
"Oh, no, do not leave 1t in the
check room. Wear II into the hall.
Hold your head up as you walk and
try to be nonchalant about the
cost Of the little fur.bearing amin
ais you are carrying on your proud
shoulders.
'Whe you are sure the audience
has had time TO decide that the
coat is real Independently wild
mink, not mink-dyed muskrat or
pussy cat-take the coat of in
leisurely and slightly bored man
ner. Let II fall over the back OF
chair as though you felt After all,
what is minR-anyhow?
Next, remove your gloves. /
hope you have some handsome.
long gloves. Draw the gloves OIL
very slowly. Place them sort OF abb
sentmindedly over the mink coat.
Then proceed calmly to the front
OF the stage. Smile-a smile that
combines condescension, good will.
sophistication and great knowledge.
Oh. yes. you CAN do that. II you
practice. Begin your lecture conf
IDENTIFY. They'll be spellbound by
that time. Craning both ears to
hear your words OF wisdom"
Ny public speaking friend hasn't
a mink coat-yet. This is upset
ting her dreadfully So is the re-
quest made by a Midwest town
that she appear for a morning lee
ture In full evening dress-decol-
cite gown and electric light CON-
plexion.
Another problem that troubles
her is trying to decide whether her
audiences want TO know about taxa
ton, the postwar world and such
or whether they just think they
ought TO want TO hear about these
flaming subjects. For after she
finished one recent talk deep in the
problems that confront this and all
other Governments OF the world,
somebody spoke up brightly in the
question period" and said:
What we really want to know
is. how is Ernie Pyle getting
along?"
Several centuries ago, In a town
on the eastern shore OF Maryland,
I gave a little talk. II took me
weeks to prepare the nasty thing.
| learned every earnest word by
heart and I was certain | had COW
cred every matter OF great public
interest.
When ! had finished speaking my
noble sentences, | was not imme-
t'ately deafened by applause. There
was instead painfully thin flutter
OF hand-clapping. Then someone
arose from the front row OF the
audience. She seemed to be a
sort OF spokesman for the group.
What we really want TO know is
this" she said "Do you think Alice
Longworth or Dolly Gam should
have precedence at formal Wash.
ington parties?'
Promptly l plunged into the CAP
ital gossip about this chee~y prob
lem OF the Hoover administration.
when vice President Charles Cur
tbs said his sister, Dolly Gam.
should outrank the wife OF the
sreaber OF the House Everybody
in my audience nrightened up.
From that minute on was a
success.