Now this man, who will not smile, very often is not so bad as he looks. You imagine that you bore him to death, but you don't. You wonder how it is he does not go, but the fact is he actually enjoys himself--inside. Or, maybe, he is a professional man himself, and no conjuror has ever been known to laugh at another conjuror's tricks. A great American humorist relates that, after speaking for an hour and a half without succeeding in getting a smile from a certain man in the audience, he sent some one to inquire into the state of his mind. "Excuse me, sir, did you not enjoy the lecture that has been delivered to-night?" "Very much indeed," said the man, "it was a most clever and entertaining lecture." "But you never smiled----" "Oh, no--I'm a liar myself." * * * * * Sometimes there are other reasons to explain the unsmiling man's attitude. One evening I had lectured in Birmingham. On the first row there sat the whole time an old gentleman, with his umbrella standing between his legs, his hands crossed on the handle, and his chin resting on his hands. Frowning, his mouth gaping, and his eyes perfectly vacant, he remained motionless, looking at me, and for an hour and twenty minutes seemed to say to me: "My poor fellow, you may do what you like, but you won't 'fetch' me to-night, I can tell you." I looked at him, I spoke to him, I winked at him, I aimed at him; several times even I paused so as to give him ample time to see a point. All was in vain. I had just returned, after the lecture, to the secretary's room behind the platform, when he entered. "Oh, that man again!" I cried, pointing to him. He advanced toward me, took my hand, and said: "Thank you very much for your excellent lecture, I have enjoyed it very much." "Have you?" said I. [Illustration: THE OLD GENTLEMAN WHO WILL NOT SMILE.] "Would you be kind enough to give me your autograph?" And he pulled out of his pocket a beautiful autograph book. "Well," I said to the secretary in a whisper, "this old gentleman is extremely kind to ask for my autograph, for I am certain he has not enjoyed my lecture." "What makes you think so?" "Why, he never smiled once." "Oh, poor old gentleman," said the secretary; "he is stone deaf." Many a lecturer must have met this man. It would be unwise, when you discover that certain members of the audience will not laugh, to give them up at once. As long as you are on the platform there is hope.