Lavender. Seeing his speech thus endangered, the latter cried out at the
top of his voice: "Free speech, gentlemen, free speech; I have come here
expressly to see that we have nothing of the sort." At this the young
men, who now filled the aisle, raised a mighty booing.
"Gentlemen," shouted Mr. Lavender, waving his leaders, "gentlemen---"
But at this moment the large man was hurled into contact with what
served Mr. Lavender for stomach, and the two fell in confusion. An
uproar ensued of which Mr. Lavender was more than vaguely conscious, for
many feet went over him. He managed, however, to creep into a corner,
and, getting up, surveyed the scene. The young men who had invaded the
meeting, much superior in numbers and strength to the speakers, to
the large man, and the three or four other able-bodied persons who had
rallied to them from among the audience, were taking every advantage of
their superiority; and it went to Mr. Lavender's heart to see how they
thumped and maltreated their opponents. The sight of their brutality,
indeed, rendered him so furious that, forgetting all his principles
and his purpose in coming to the meeting, he climbed on to a form, and
folding his arms tightly on his breast, called out at the top of his
voice:
"Cads! Do not thus take advantage of your numbers.
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