AFTER THE SPEECH.
When a fervent and successful discourse has been concluded there comes a
feeling of inexpressible relief. The burden of an important speech rests
with accumulating force upon the mind from the time the subject is
chosen until it becomes well-nigh intolerable. When speech actually
begins every power is called into play and exerted to its utmost
capacity. The excitement of the conflict hurries the speaker on, and
although he may not at the time realize the gigantic exertions put
forth, yet when he pauses at length, perhaps exhausted, but with the
victory won, the sense of rest, relief, and security, is exceedingly
delightful.
After such an effort both mind and body do need rest. There are speakers
who profess to feel no fatigue after an hour’s labor, but these are
seldom in the front rank of orators. If the soul has been aroused and
all the man’s faculties bent to the accomplishment of a great purpose,
relaxation is often followed by a sense of utter prostration. Nothing
better for the moment can be advised than to abandon one’s self to the
luxury of utter repose. Social intercourse and all distractions should
as far as possible be avoided. If circumstances permit, a short sleep,
if but for a few minutes, will afford great relief; and in most cases
sleep will come if wisely courted.
After resting, it is well to ponder closely the lessons derived from
each new experience in speaking. To indulge in exultation over success
or to lament over failure is not profitable. The speaker is not a
perfect judge of either. He has probably done the best he could at the
time, and there the case should rest, except so far as he sees the need
or the means of future improvement.
But judgment of success or failure cannot easily be avoided. If the
speaker’s standard is low, he may pass beyond it without accomplishing
anything worthy of high praise: or if he is despondent in nature he may
have expected little and may now feel correspondingly elated because he
has exceeded his very moderate expectations. But it is a curious fact
that speakers are often least pleased with their best speeches. In the
mightiest efforts of the mind the standard is placed very high—perhaps
beyond the possibility of attainment—and the speaker works with his eyes
fixed upon that summit, and probably, after all his exertions, sees it
shining still far above him. His ideas are but half expressed; he is
mortified that there should be such a difference between conception and
realization. But his hearers have been led over untrodden fields of
thought, and knowing nothing of the grander heights still above the
orator’s head, they are naturally filled with enthusiasm, and cannot
enter into the feelings of the speaker if he is foolish enough to tell
them of his disappointment.
This is the reason that we are least able to judge of the success of
speeches that have been long meditated and thoroughly prepared. The
subject expands as we study, its outlines becoming grander and vaster
until they pass beyond our power of adequate representation. Each
separate thought in the whole discussion that is fully mastered becomes
familiar, and is not, therefore, valued at its true worth. Sometimes,
when we begin to speak with little thought, intending to give only easy
and common views of the subject, everything appears fresh before us, and
if some striking ideas arise, their novelty gives them three-fold value,
and we imagine that we have made a great speech. All this constitutes no
argument against diligent preparation, but it should stimulate us to
bring up our powers of expression more nearly to the level of our
conceptions.
There should never be extreme discouragement over an apparent failure.
Some good end may be reached even by a very poor speech. One evening the
writer preached when weary and almost unprepared. From first to last the
effort was painful, and to prevent absolute failure the intended plan
had to be abandoned, and detached thoughts from any source thrown in.
Yet that discourse, which was scarcely worthy of the name, elicited
warmer approval and did more apparent good than any one preached for
several previous months. One or two fortunate illustrations redeemed
every defect, so far as the audience (but not the speaker) was
concerned.
Whatever judgment we may entertain of our own performances, it is not
usually wise to tell our hearers, or to ask their opinions. Criticisms
spontaneously offered need not be repulsed, but all seeking for
commendation is childish or disgusting. It is sweet to hear our efforts
praised, and most of men can bear an amount of flattery addressed to
themselves which would be insufferable if offered to others; but this
disposition, if much indulged, becomes ungovernable and exposes us to
well-deserved ridicule. It is pitiable to see a man who has been
uttering wise and eloquent words afterward stooping to beg crusts of
indiscriminating flattery from his hearers.
Whenever there is a probability that any discourse will be repeated, it
is well to review it soon after delivery, while its impression is still
fresh upon the mind, and if any defect appears, amend it in the plan,
and add to the same plan all the valuable ideas that have been suggested
during the speech or afterward. In this manner we keep each discourse up
to the high watermark of our ability.
Some orators are accustomed to write their speeches out in full after
delivery. When the theme is important and time permits, this is a good
exercise, but in many—perhaps the majority of cases—the labor would
outweigh the profit.
No such objection applies to reviewing and correcting a verbatim report
of our speeches. To many speakers such a review of the exact words they
have uttered would be a striking and not altogether pleasing revelation.
Pet phrases, which might otherwise be unnoticed for years; faults of
expression, and especially the profuseness of words, in which
extemporaneous speakers are tempted to indulge;—would all be forced upon
our notice. We would be surprised to learn that we could often write the
discourse in one-fourth the words employed in delivery. To form the
habit of thus condensing our speeches after delivery would have a
powerful tendency toward compacting thought in speech itself. The only
hindrance in applying this capital means of improvement consists in the
difficulty of obtaining such shorthand reports. Where this cannot be
overcome a part of the advantage may be gained by taking the plan and
from it writing out the same kind of a compact presentation of the
thoughts as uttered. This differs from writing in full by making no
effort to record exact words or forms of expression, but only to recall
from memory and from the sketch the exact thoughts that were expressed
in the language of the moment. Even if the same kind of brief sketch has
been made previous to the act of speech, this does not take the place of
what we now recommend; for the former outline may have been greatly
modified by the experience of delivery.
In whatever form the best result of the discourse is recorded, great
care should be taken in its preservation. The plan, sketch, or fully
written discourse may be slipped into an envelope (which may also
contain all illustrative scraps, notes, or references to books that bear
upon the discourse) and on the back may be written the title, time, and
character of delivery, with any other facts of importance. If the young
speaker will faithfully follow up such a method of recording the results
of his oratorical experience, he will find it one of the best forms of
discipline, and the record itself—carefully indexed, frequently
reviewed, and kept within reasonable bulk—will in time possess a value
greater than gold.
FINIS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entertainment Books
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Tiny Tot’_s_ Speaker
By Lizzie J. Rook & Mr_s_. E. J. H. Goodfellow
For the Wee Ones
The need of a book of short, bright pieces for the little ones to speak
is apparent to every one who has had anything to do with getting up
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Paper binding, 15 cents; boards, 25 cents.
Child’_s_ Own Speaker
By E. C. & L. J. Rook
For Children of Six Years
This collection comprises over 100 selections consisting of Recitations,
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Paper binding, 15 cents; boards, 25 cents.
Little People’_s_ Speaker
By Mr_s_. J. W. Shoemaker
For Children of Nine Years
The book comprises 100 pages of choice pieces in prose and verse adapted
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Paper binding, 15 cents; boards, 25 cents.
Young People’_s_ Speaker
By E. C. & L. J. Rook
For Children of Twelve Years
Almost every prominent author has written some good things for young
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Young Folks’ Recitation_s_
By Mrs. J. W. Shoemaker
For Young People of Fifteen Years
The book is made up of short recitations in prose and poetry carefully
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Paper binding, 15 cents; boards, 25 cents.
Little People’s Dialogue_s_
By Clara J. Denton
For Children of Ten Years
The dialogues were prepared especially for this book and possess a
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Paper binding, 25 cents; boards, 40 cents.
Young Folks’ Dialogues
By Charle_s_ C. Shoemaker
For Young People of Fifteen Years
Dialogues rendered by young people are always enjoyable, being relished
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Paper binding, 25 cents; boards, 40 cents.
Young Folks’ Entertainment_s_
By E. C. & L. J. Rook
For Children from Five to Fifteen Years
The constant demand is for something new and original for School and
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Easy Entertainment_s_ for Young People
The book consists of bright, new, original plays sparkling with wit and
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Paper binding, 25 cents; boards, 40 cents.
Drill_s_ and Marches
By E. C. & L. J. Rook
No form of entertainment has intrenched itself more strongly in popular
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Paper binding, 25 cents; boards, 40 cents.
Ideal Drill_s_
By Marguerite W. Morton
This book contains a collection of entirely new and original drills,
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Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
[Illustration]
Humorous Speakers & Dialogues
BOOKS FOR HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. TABLEAUX, MONOLOGUES, ETC.
Good Humor
By Henry Firth Wood
For Reading and Recitation
There is no better way of contributing to the amusement and enjoyment of
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Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
Choice Humor
By Charle_s_ C. Shoemaker
For Reading and Recitation
To prepare a book of humor that shall be free from anything that is
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Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
Choice Dialect
By Charle_s_ C. Shoemaker
For Reading and Recitation
This book will be found to contain a rare and valuable collection of
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Choice Dialogues
By Mr_s_. J. W. Shoemaker
For School and Social Entertainment
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Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
Humorous Dialogues _and_ Dramas
By Charle_s_ C. Shoemaker
If there is anything more enjoyable than a humorous reading or
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Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
Classic Dialogues _and_ Dramas
By Mr_s_. J. W. Shoemaker
This unique work will prove not only interesting and profitable for
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scenes judiciously selected from the plays of Shakespeare, Sheridan,
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highest culture and refinement.
Paper binding, 30 cents; cloth, 50 cents.
THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY
923 Arch Street, Philadelphia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Changed ‘long’ to ‘lung’ on p. 142.
2. Silently corrected typographical errors.
3. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.