New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-22

BAYARD AND HIS SCOT
TIsH FRIENDs-SCOTLAND
AND AMERICA
London December 6.
public dinner in London IS not commonly
,boucht to be the most exhilarating ceremony
90, devised by the wit of man and one public
dinner is very much like another say those who
ore condemned to attend many. Nevertheless,
=, the dinner Of the Scottish Corporation Oh st.
Andrews Day II was found possible to sit from
seven in the evening TIL near midnight. and 10
.nend all this long time. or most Of il. very
srreeably. 1t certainly not the novelty OF
,he festival which made il attractive. This was
me 23Oth annual banquet of this excellent and
charitable company. They date back to King
Charles the Second; Of pions memory as overloyal
cnronioers sometimes say. However, 1t was
novel to some Of us who were there. and there
was an undoub.ed novelty in the Craftsmanship
~ the American Ambassador. MI Bayard. |
believe was present last year, and spoke. and
tbe clever Scot captured him this year as pre-
aiding officer The difference Is that instead Of
his one speech OF last year he now chair
man had TO make half dozen
Whether all Scottish societies have the same
,ashion. know not have sat at meat many
times in public with the Scot: most often in
edinburgh But the peculiarties specaties
~ last Fridays performance were new 10 me.
There was brave display OF kits and tartans
~ many colors The officers Of the corporation
vho welcomed the guests on their arrival were
Tilted and splendid. The pipers Of course Were
tuted and more splendid still. Even the little
hoys who played upon this astonishing instru-
pent wore kits | hope TO be forgiven II | say
that 10 the non Scottish eye this splendor. with
,ts ouaint array of belts and sporran and dag
GERS and cleaning cairngorms had in it some
thing Of the barbaric Not barbaric pearl and
sod unless the pears were Scotch pearls and
the gold but gilt. yet the Miltonic phrase is
sufficient to show that the word barbaric as APP
pl:ed to ornament has nothing in 1t to offend
the most patriotic Caedonian ear
7 suppose the eliminating moment Of the feast
arrived when the full force OF ppers. each piping
his loudest. marched in at the head OF COM
pany Of white-capped and white-aproned men
cooks Each cook bearing proudly aloft dish
Of that peculiar Scottish ambrosia hagg!s. Twice
or thrice they circled round the great hall; the
four or five hundred Scots cheering wildly as
the sacred food went past The haggis has been
heard OF before now as the national dish OF
Scotland. 1t was more than national on this oc-
casion: II was received with religious honors,
and the elevation of the haggis was perhaps a
too suggestive protest of the descendants-the
spiritual descendants-of John Knox against the
Popery he and they abhorred.
When the time arrived to drink the health Of
their Chairman. the fervent Scots drank II in
the manner which TO their notion is the most
expressive of ali compliments; one foot on the
ha tabl wi
with cries and from full cups; some Of which
had already been several times before this filled
and emptied. Mrs Bayard sat in the gallery
and looked on. her face beaming. All Of us
Americans. and we We're very considerable
minority including the whole, or nearly the
whole stafY of the Embassy. thought II heartily
done The Ambassadors face, too shone. You
ra,her wondered what the fervent Scots might
do next. or whether sword-dance or khlle-
and-fork dance was going to form part OF the
proceedings. But they all sat comfortably down.
without, so far We saw. single mishap IN
descending from a perch which to some of them
seemed per.lous and listened TO Mr.. Bayard's
response.
IL thcre was one other feature which was es-
sentially Scottish II in the reading out OF the
subscriptions. The total sum exceeded slo.coo;
made up Of many items whereof the contribution
Of the Queen. which was $500, was. THINK the
largest sum. Much had been collected by indi-
ylduafs whose names. with the amounts to their
credit were announced with an extreme particu-
,ar,ty The assiduous and most CONSCIENTIOUS
Treasurer-I think he was Treasurer-spared us
never a shilling nor penny nor even haIi-pehc'
as he proclaimed the various figures. Thrift
thrift Horatio was the motto that ought 10 nave
hoen STAMPED upon his balance sheet There
dicha heci
There was choice between turtle soup. which IS
not exclusively Scotch. and Scotch BROTH which Is
There were black buildings and white puddings'
az ingredients to unknown There were
iqueur glasses OF Scotch whiskey to WASH down
tho haqgis with: a Circumstance which gave rise
N comments on the part Of those who were OF
,,her nat,onaliijeg Could haggs only be eaten
eefelv nv help Of these strong Scotch waters! /
knov, not | know we Americans. as II IN con-
sidsra,ior for stomachs unused 20 this dainty
dish were urged seriously not 10 omit the WIS
key nor did we. And as II this were not SHi'
guard enough one sage counsellor TecomWe"u'u
tina, the haggis be well drenched win cayenne
uDoer Such he assured US. was the or'h 'uoN
mefhoi II devouring 1t. He never 'olu US """'
hagsis really IT,
or a,hcr thing also there was. the Sco'cnhess
Of which no man might deny. the accent ~"
oyer the great banquetng hall OF the hoioo' "
Restaurant called the Kings Room preVa''e"
Inc tones which prevail north of the Iweeu
You heard them in conversation you mean '"'"
1, various oratorical efforts; the atmosphere IL
,elf. though in other respects unlike that wh'c"
an. enAg ., q Scottish hillside seemed arucuia'e
with Scottish voices sat next good American
whom had met before in the land CAKES. ne
had then avowed with shame that to MN ''i'
Scottish tongue was unintelligible. he aVo"eu At
again In the hall And there really were certain
speakers to whom. II one desired 10 MAKE ou'
what they were saying. one had to pay ciose a.
tention. The Scottish accent is fine Dut " re-