Impromptu Speaking.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 464, 7 June 1890, Page 2

Impromptu Speaking.

Thu members of ths Union Literary Society passed an hour and a half vary pleasantly last Thursday evening in trying to make impromptu speeches on subjects assigned by lot. Each member wrote down a subject, and the papers after being numbered were shuffled in a hat and then distributed. Until one has tried to sneak on an unknown subject, it is hard to realise how difficult it is to find any words at all, to say nothing ot making a fair speech. As specimens of the subjects, it may be mentioned that Mrs Dunlop drew ‘ Emin Pasha,’ Mrs Williams ‘ Beauty,* Miss Williams ‘ Photography,’ Miss Watson ‘ Procras'ioalion,’ Miss P-Pairet ‘ Gas,’ while Mr Crawford was expected to fill tip ten minutes with ‘Nrfling,’ Rev. A. Gardiner and Mr Pettie with ‘La Grippe,’ Mr H. Watson with ‘Pig,’ Mr Shellard wih ‘Exhibitions,’ Mr Dunlop with ‘ Strikes,* and Mr Mann with ‘ Kiohard the three,* as Christie Murray's friend called him.

The honors of the evening rest entirely with the two first mentioned ladies, who could hardly have dealt with their subjects better if they had prepared them. Each of the others in turn helped to amuse their listeners by more or less losing themselves, When one jumped up, the first sentence rolled out promptly snd well, and then there was an awkward pause in most oasas. Sometimes the pause lasted till the victim and the audience found it equally impossible to keep countenance. Directly the former sat down again; he or she thought of some particularly happy thing that might have been, but was not said, All present seemed to enjoy the proceedings, and agreed that the evening was one of the beet of the session. Next, Thursday the members propose dipoussing Shakespeare’s ■ Much ado about Nothing,* Two or three scenes will be read t by the members, and then a general discussion fof the play. Tbe Society will be glad to see 1 any non mambere who care to be present.