Chapter IX. The Debating Club

utgirls,andI'mnotashamedtosaythatIthinkthemoreweseeofthem,andtrytobeliketheminmanyways,thebettermenweshallbebyandby.” “Hear!hear!”criedFrank,inhisdeepesttone,forheheartilyagreedtothat,havingtalkedthematteroverwithhismother,andreceivedmuchlightuponthingswhichshouldalwaysbesetrightinyoungheadsandhearts.Andwhocandothissowiselyandwellasmothers,iftheyonlywill? Feelingthathissentimentshadbeenapproved,andheneednotbeashamedofthehonestcolorinhischeeks,Edsatdownamidtheapplauseofhisside,especiallyofJack,whopoundedsovigorouslywithhiscrutchthatMrs.Pecqpoppedinherheadtoseeifanythingwaswanted. “No,thankyou,ma'am,wewereonlycheeringEd,”saidGus,nowuponhislegs,andratheratalosswhattosaytillMrs.Pecq'sappearancesuggestedanidea,andheseizeduponit. “MyhonoredfriendhasspokensowellthatIhavelittletoadd.Iagreewithhim,andifyouwantanexampleofwhatgirlscando,why,lookatJill.She'syoung,Iknow,butafirst-ratescholarforherage.Asforpluck,sheisasbraveasaboy,andalmostassmartatrunning,rowing,andsoon.Ofcourse,shecan'tplayball—nogirlcantheirarmsarenotmaderighttothrow—butshecancatchremarkablywell.I'llsaythatforher.Now,ifsheandMabel—and—and—someothersIcouldname,aresocleverandstrongatthebeginning,Idon'tseewhytheyshouldn'tkeepupandgoalongwithusallthrough.I'mwilling,andwilldowhatIcantohelpotherfellows'sistersasI'dliketohavethemhelpmine.AndI'llpunchtheirheadsiftheydon't”andGussubsided,assured,byaburstofapplause,thathismanlywayofstatingthecasemetwithgeneralapproval. “Weshallbehappytohearfromourseniormemberifhewillhonoruswithafewremarks,”saidFrank,withabowtoRalph. Nooneeverknewwhomhewouldchoosetopersonate,forheneverspokeinhisowncharacter.Nowheroseslowly,putonehandinhisbosom,andfixinghiseyesternlyonGrif,whowasdoingsomethingsuspiciouswithapin,gavethematouchofSergeantBuzfuz,fromthePickwicktrial,thinkingthatthedebatewasnotlikelytothrowmuchlightonthesubjectunderdiscussion.Inthemidstofthisappealto“Meludandgentlemenofthejury,”hesuddenlypaused,smoothedhishairdownuponhisforehead,rolleduphiseyes,andfoldinghishands,dronedoutMr.Chadband'ssermononPeace,deliveredoverpoorJo,andendingwiththefamouslines:— “Oh,runningstreamofsparklingjoy, Tobeaglorioushumanboy!” Then,settinghishairerectwithonecomprehensivesweep,hecaughtuphiscoat-skirtsoverhisarm,and,assumingaparliamentaryattitude,burstintoacomicalmedley,composedofextractsfromJeffersonBrick'sandLafayetteKettle'sspeeches,andElijahPogram'sDefiance,from“MartinChuzzlewit.”GazingatGus,whowasconvulsedwithsuppressedmerriment,hethunderedforth:— “Inthenameofourcommoncountry,sir,inthenameofthatrighteouscauseinwhichwearejined,andinthenameofthestar-spangledbanner,Ithankyouforyoureloquentandcategoricalremarks.You,sir,areamodelofamanfreshfromNatur'smould.Atrue-bornchildofthisfreehemisphereverdantasthemountainsofourlandbrightandflowin'asourmineralLicksunspiledbyfashionasairourboundlessperearers.RoughyoumaybesoairourBarrs.WildyoumaybesoairourBuffalers.But,sir,youairaChildofFreedom,andyourproudanswertotheTyrantis,thatyourbrighthomeisintheSettin'Sun.And,sir,ifanymandeniesthisfact,thoughitbetheBritishLionhimself,Idefyhim.Letmehavehimhere!”—smitingthetable,andcausingtheinkstandtoskip—“here,uponthissacredaltar!Here,upontheancestralashescementedwiththegloriousbloodpouredoutlikewaterontheplainsofChickabiddyLick.AloneIdarethatLion,andtellhimthatFreedom'shandoncetwistedinhismane,herollsacorsebeforeme,andtheEaglesoftheGreatRepublicscream,Ha,ha!” BythistimetheboyswererollingaboutinfitsoflaughterevensoberFrankwasredandbreathless,andJacklayback,feeblysquealing,ashecouldlaughnomore.InamomentRalphwasasmeekasaQuaker,andsatlookingabouthimwithamildlyastonishedair,asifinquiringthecauseofsuchunseemlymirth.Aknockatthedoorproducedalull,andincameamaidwithapples. “Time'supfalltoandmakeyourselvescomfortable,”wasthesummarywayinwhichtheclubwasreleasedfromitssternerdutiesandpermittedtounbenditsmightymindforasocialhalf-hour,chieflydevotedtowhist,withanIndianwar-danceasaclosingceremony.