The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-07
"The Homeless" COLLATION..
BANQUET IN HONOR OF THE AB-
BEVILLE LITERARY CLUB.
A Joyous Gathering on New Years Eve.

Wit, Wisdom, and Eloquence-Toast
and Sentiment-A Feast Of Rea.
son and q Flow Of Soul.
A BRILLIANT ASSEMBLAGE.
Fair Women and Brave Men-Gar.
lands, Flowers, and Dainty Viands-
Strangers Entertained - The Press
and Banner Toasted.
The banquet given to the Abbeville Liter
ary Club on New Years Eve, Wednesday 3lst
ultiIno, was on occasion long TO be remember
ed by all whose good fortune 1t was to be pres
ent. 1t was given In honor Of the Club
by few of the members OF the Club who,
! under the name Of 1.-THE Homeless" invited
the gentlemen Of the Club ard their wives
and other lady friends to whatthey modestly
called n "Collatlon," in the rooms of the
Academy. 1t is perhaps necessary to ex-
plain what Is meant by the NAME, 1.-THE
Homeless" The Literary Club hold monthly
meetings ut the houses Of the members, who
each in turn entertain the Club to q supper.
Ten OF the members who are without
homes Of their own, or who have been from
any other cause prevented from entertaining
the Club ut their homes, conceived the happy
idea Of joining together in a temporary or
ganizatlon under the name OF Tho Home
less for the purpose OF giving the Club n
New Years Eve entertainment. The rules
of the Club wisely do not permit any out
frugal suppers; and, whether wisely or
not Is not for US to say. the rules also do not
allow the presence Of the ladies. On this &C.
casion, however, 1.-THE Homeless" consider
Ing themselves as not bound by the rules and
bylaws of the Club, did not confine the sup
per to the limits of frugality, and they invit-
cd the ladies.
The roomso Of the Academy had been beau
tifully fitted up for the occasion. The parti-
ton separating the two rooms up stairs had
been removed, and the two thrown into one
spacious hall. a table In the form Of q L had
been constructed, capable of seating seventy
five people. The hall had been tastcfully dec
grated with fcstoons Of evergreens. and pic
lures adorned the walls, and the hugest bunch
! of mistletoc we ever saw hung from the CEN
tire of the ceiling. A committee Of ladies had
been appointed to superintend the arrange
ments OF the table. and a number OF young
ladies assisted the Homeless In identifying
their home" To the ladies Of the commit
tee and to the young ladies, 1.-The Homeless"
are greatly indebted for the splendid success
Of the entertainment,
The hour of invitation was half.past eight,
and soon thereafter the reception room down
stairs was crowded with the ladies and gen.
tlemen OF .Abbcville, old and young, married
md single, oil joining In gathering together
forn joyous meeting OF the last night OF the
year.
The scene In the supper room when all were
seated, WIS n very brilliant one. sixty-eight
hall was brightly lighted, the board was
bounteously supplied with fruits and flowers,
delicate viands and varied sweets. We are
only q country editor and o know much,
but we hnve heard from those who do know
that 1t was one Of the most magnificent BAN
quets they ever saw. and altogether one Of the
plcasantest gatherings they ever attended
either in Abbeville or elsewhere.
The company assembled In the hall below
stairs, n at quarter past nine o'clock, all
were present. Upon invitation, they pro-
ceeded to the hall above, where each guest or
member Of the Club took position at the
table to which he had been previously as
signed. Before being seated the President,
by rapping the table, called n silence, when
he said: 1.-The Reverend Mr.. GalIaudct will
usk u blessing"
The Blessing.
In response to the request Of the President
the Reverend gentleman said:
Almighty God. who hast promised TO be
with uS, in our pleasures and our sorrows, be
graciously pleased to be present with us, on
this occasion, and give us Thy blessing, in
much mercy for the sake Of our Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
At tho conclusion Of which the guests were
seated. and q most sumPtuous supper Of
! solids and liquids, was served. At half-past
ten o'clock. after all had fcastcd most boun-
teously, the President announced that the
hour for toasts Had arrived.
Our Guests.-The Abbevllle Literary
Club.
PROPOSED 81 THE PRESIDENT, OF "TuE
HOMELESS" Mr.. W. c. BENET,
Ladies and Gentlemen: I welcome you all
TO the home of the "Elomeless,' and If / am to
Judge by the pleasure depicted on your faces
/ believe that you all feel yourselves at home
The time for t0asts has come, and I rise to
propose one. that shall do In few words,
for, DESTROYS though 1 might be OF making a
speech, it would he supplementary In Inc
as chairman OH this occasion to be guilty Of
| speech-makIng. The best way to keep q man
| ouict Is to place him In the chair. While I
thank the "Homeless" for the honor they
conferred on me, | am not blind TO the hint
conveyed Herewith. l ask you all TO drink
to which you will all respond most heartily
the toast of the evening.-Our Guests-the
Literary Club Of Abbeville.
We have assembled around this board to-
Literary Club,-a Club who's w%ell-housed
members nave so often entertained us OF
"The Homeless" at their hospitable homes,
that we determined to lease this temporary
home for their entertainment, and to call on
| the ladies to come In and help us. The word
"Club" is said to mean brotherly love, q band
of good fellows; we have tried to improve up
on that meaning tonight by including sister.
The motto OF the Literary Club or Able
willie Is "Esto PeTpetmG'-a legend which we
fi,ef"rs c 1TG% fo Snr i,lp SS Dr. s Pr9s1eTp g;o ths
son. That famous Club has existed for more
than one hundred years. At the close OF
every meeting, its members stand and pro-
nounce the charmed words "Esto Perpetual"
Gentlemen. the toast hoffer Is the toast Of the
evening, the standingtoast, and l ask you all
to stand as we drink u health TO the Abbevlllc
Literary Club. Long may she flourish; long
may she continue to be. what she has been In
the past. q wellspring not only Of literary,
but. of social pleasure. A hundred years
hence, when these walls shall have crumbled
into dust and the place that knows us now
shall know US no more for ever. may n gath.
crlng such as this Of THE men and the women
In rooms more lovely and spacious and ut a
board moro bounteous, on the last night OF
the year 1914, standing as We arc tonight
drinking TO the health OF the still tiourishing
Literary Club Of Abbeville. .E$to Perpctua!t'
Ladies and gentlemen, / couple with this
toast the name Of the gentleman who honor
ell the Club by reading the first essay, and
who Is at present the president Of the Club
my distinguished friend. Judge MCGOWAN.
REPLIED TO BY JUDGE MCGOWAN.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :
In rising to reply for the Abbeville Literary
Club | can only express my regret that the
duty had not fallen upon some one more able
to do the subject Justice. Doubtless l have
been called ON from no supposed fitness. but
from the circumstance that at this time l
happen To be president OF the Club. Mr..
Presidential Is Il large subject and If l were
capable of doing 1t any thing like Justice, the
proprietics Of this occasion would not allow
me TO do So.
or course I shall not attempt to say any
s sbna; a eSo1 r !l,srsasre ol seniff ,e4ayure of eS ou1
mother country. Whose heart does not glow
with O delightful enthusiasm at the mere
mention of the words "English literature"
which has given us Shakespeare, Milton,
Jonson, Dryden, Scott, Byron, Macaulay and
=, b,ocf IF nthorc pnatS historians and writer's