IX: THE EFFECT OF MR. BLY’S SERMON
Street oratory was at that time very common, but there was a note in Mr. Bly’s eloquence which attracted many of the inhabitants of the district, especially the young, and he achieved a certain fame. No one knew exactly what he was talking about, for, except for expletive purposes, the word Jah had dropped out of the vernacular. Mr. Bly was assumed to be some kind of politician, and he was certainly more exciting than most. Therefore his audiences were twice as large as those of any other speaker. Seeing this, a Labour Agitator came to him and offered him a place on his committee and a pound a week as a lecturer.
“I can speak about nothing but Jah,” said Mr. Bly.
“Speak about anything you like so long as you catch their ears,” said the agitator.
So Mr. Bly accepted the offer.