To be sure, this note-book habit means labor, but remember that more speeches have been spoiled by half-hearted preparation than by lack of talent.  Laziness is an own-brother to Over-confidence, and both are your inveterate enemies, though they pretend to be soothing friends.

Conserve your material by indexing every good idea on cards, thus: 

[HW: 

Socialism

Progress of S., Env. 16
S. a fallacy, 96/210
General article on S., Howells’, Dec. 1913
“Socialism and the Franchise,” Forbes
“Socialism in Ancient Life,” Original Ms.,
       Env. 102

]

On the card illustrated above, clippings are indexed by giving the number of the envelope in which they are filed.  The envelopes may be of any size desired and kept in any convenient receptacle.  On the foregoing example, “Progress of S., Envelope 16,” will represent a clipping, filed in Envelope 16, which is, of course, numbered arbitrarily.

The fractions refer to books in your library—­the numerator being the book-number, the denominator referring to the page.  Thus, “S. a fallacy, 96/210,” refers to page 210 of volume 96 in your library.  By some arbitrary sign—­say red ink—­you may even index a reference in a public library book.

If you preserve your magazines, important articles may be indexed by month and year.  An entire volume on a subject may be indicated like the imaginary book by “Forbes.”  If you clip the articles, it is better to index them according to the envelope system.

Your own writings and notes may be filed in envelopes with the clippings or in a separate series.

Another good indexing system combines the library index with the “scrap,” or clipping, system by making the outside of the envelope serve the same purpose as the card for the indexing of books, magazines, clippings and manuscripts, the latter two classes of material being enclosed in the envelopes that index them, and all filed alphabetically.

When your cards accumulate so as to make ready reference difficult under a single alphabet, you may subdivide each letter by subordinate guide cards marked by the vowels, A, E, I, O, U. Thus, “Antiquities” would be filed under i in A, because A begins the word, and the second letter, n, comes after the vowel i in the alphabet, but before o.  In the same manner, “Beecher” would be filed under e in B; and “Hydrogen” would come under u in H.

Outlining the Address

No one can advise you how to prepare the notes for an address.  Some speakers get the best results while walking out and ruminating, jotting down notes as they pause in their walk.  Others never put pen to paper until the whole speech has been thought out.  The great majority, however, will take notes, classify their notes, write a hasty first draft, and then revise the speech.  Try each of these methods and choose the one that is best—­for you.  Do not allow any man to force you to work in his way; but do not neglect to consider his way, for it may be better than your own.