Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-12-22
The Charles Town Society in
New York.

NEW YoRK, December 90, 1891.
When twenty odd members OF the Charles
Town Society received the appended invitation
they at once went into trimming for the annual
event known as the Charles Town Dinner:
NEW YORK, December 18th, 1891.
DedI. ,Si,. :-It has been deemed advisable to
hold the Third Annual inquet of the Charles
Town Society on Saturday. December 18th. in
stead of January 2nd, the latter date being an
inconvenient one for number of the members.
The dinner will be held. as usual, at tho
/" Arena" Al W. 31st St., ! aud our members are
requested to assemble promptly at 7:30.
j. HARRY BEALL.
Those benighted individuals who have not
had the pleasure of setting down at an annual
dinner with the Charles Town Colony in New
York Will wonder why 1t was necessary for
her eXiled sons to make special preparation
for the, to them, most important event of the
year. II those same citizens who have not
been there could but see the various young
men In tue great Metropolis to-day. who, last
night, with mirth and melody. feast and wine,
recalled the memories of their boyhoOd days in
historic Charles Town. the question which pre-
scented itself to their minds would be answered.
1t would be apparent at glance that prepara-
ton lie far from being preventative of what
is vulgarly called !" big head" when one at
tends Christmas dinner. For fear that some
of the good peoplein Charles Town whom we,
that experience has enabled to form more Lib
eral ideas of the world! think bit strait-laced,
may get the impression from the above that
wine or other intoxicants are q most potent
factor at a Charles Town dinner, and that
therefore. the aforesaid young men are on the
downward path to ruin, 1 would say ease
your minds 1t does not necessarily follow
that because man gets up in the morning
with something of headache, even If he has
been to q banquet the night before. that i was
caused by drinking. If the readers OF the
SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON could conjure mp in
their minds q devil" who was formerly In
that office. as he went down Broadway after
that dinner, the statement made would be con-
firmed without further argument. Being q
total abstainer, and having been under the
W0tchful eyes of his friends oil evening. no
one doubted his seemingly remarkable state
ment that 1t was caused by too many strong
cigars. Seriously, when men look forward for
twelve months to an approaching event. and
for a week or more prior to that event IRE
only he compared to that experienced by a
prospective bridegroom, it Is only natural that
when relaxation comes that man should be
unable to sleep aoundly even If he did not re-
tire until late hour, and must consequently
feel the effects the next day. Thus it is that a
majority of the young men Who sat down to
the dinner of the Charles Town Society last
night are not feeling at their best. Many OF
them had not seen the familiar faces gathered
around that board since the last annual BAN
qnet, Notwithstanding that all live in the same
city. 1t is an easy matter for twenty odd peo-
pie to be swallowed up among million and
a-half. With long hours of labor and little
leisure It sometimes happens that the year
rolls around before we know it, If we do not
meet at other times; if we are not as congenial
perhaps during the twelve months as we should
be ; if certain things cause us to move in diff
fcrent circles, we are always comforted with
the thought that when the annual dinner of
the Charles Town Society is held we will see
the familiar faces of those whom we knew
when we were barefooted boys running the
streets OF the old village. No man who has
been eXiled from his home, who has been
brought in contact with the heartless world
until all, in the final, but of the exterior SEN
timent has been brushed off SO to speak. can
appreciate the joy felt by that exile at seeing
the face or grasping the hand of one whom he
knew in the home of his hoyh0ed. For twelve
months VIC battlcd with the world in our re-
spective callings. We. like all men who come
to New York to seek fame and fortune. look
first of all for that mighty element in life
money. Sometimes our better, our nObler and
our higher feelings give way before the all
pervading desire to accumulate wealth. On one
night of the year. though, all the dross. all
that is impure, the ignoble element of our lives
are thrust to one side, and that is the night
when we set down to a banquet to recall the
memories of our old time home. Thus it was,
that last night when we gathered together.
grasped each others hands and set down in
the magnificent dining hall of the Arena"
that we realized that we were almost at home.
We put the French waiter out aud then VIC
talked Rbout-as one of the orators said, in
simple, hOmely way--our fathers, our mothers
and our sweethearts at home. OF course the
latte: part of this does not apply to those gen
t!emOn who had wives waiting for them and
blessing the Charles Town Society for keeping
them out late. The menu and toasts follow !: