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the midst of those 500 shouting men, and poured the molten silver from
his lips! Lord, what an organ is human speech when it is played by a
master! All these speeches may look dull in print, but how the lightning
glared around them when they were uttered, and how the crowd roared in
response! It was a great night, a memorable night. I am so richly repaid
for my journey--and how I did wish with all my whole heart that you were
there to be lifted into the very seventh heaven of enthusiasm, as I was.
The army songs, the military music, the crashing applause--Lord bless
me, it was unspeakable.
Out of compliment they placed me last in the list--No. 15--I was to
"
hold the crowd"--and bless my life I was in awful terror when No.
4. rose, at a o'clock this morning and killed all the enthusiasm
by delivering the flattest, insipidest, silliest of all responses to
Woman" that ever a weary multitude listened to. Then Gen. Sherman
Chairman) announced my toast, and the crowd gave me a good round of
1
"
(
applause as I mounted on top of the dinner table, but it was only on
account of my name, nothing more--they were all tired and wretched. They
let my first sentence go in silence, till I paused and added "we stand
on common ground"--then they burst forth like a hurricane and I saw that
I had them! From that time on, I stopped at the end of each sentence,
and let the tornado of applause and laughter sweep around me--and when I
closed with "And if the child is but the prophecy of the man, there are
mighty few who will doubt that he succeeded," I say it who oughtn't to
say it, the house came down with a crash. For two hours and a half, now,
I've been shaking hands and listening to congratulations. Gen. Sherman
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