Democratic messenger., 1894-03-24
$l.OO A YEAR.
AN UNLucKY DEPuTATiON.
The Villagers Followed the Lead of IL
Mayor with Ludicrous Consequences.

AN UNlUCkH OEPUTATtON.
The Villagers Followed the Lead of the
Mayor with Ludicrous Consequences.
On one occasion, while on a journey
through Italy, the pope halted AT a small
village. the inhabitants of which resolved
to send some of their principal men as IA
deputatiOn To his holiness. The mayor,
who was Ia head the deputatiun pro-
posed Ia present him with some of the
chief produce of the country. consisting
of pineapples. figs and cream. Ii was
accordingly arranged that each member
should carry some figs and cream in sill
yer basins. the pineapples. however. be-
ing dispensed with
Before setting ont the mayor thus adj
dressed his followers: AS you do not
know very well how 10 conduct your
selves before exalted perSonages. you
must watch me closely and do as do
The procession was formed with the
mayor stalking majostically in front,
furnished. like his followers, with ba-
sin of figs III his left hand and another
of cream in his right There was "A step
down into the room. but the mayor fail
ed to notice it, lie stumbled. and the
shock sent his face and beard into the
cream basin. Trying To recover himself,
he only made matters worse. for he fell
upon his knees. with his hands and basin
under him. and his creaned face raised
imploringly to the holy father.
The members of the leputation, think
ing that this was the proper ceremony TO
observe III the presence of such distin-
guished parsonage. dipped their boards
i'll the cream. threw away their vessels
and bent down on their knees at the
same time casting IA half inquiring and
confident look at their leader, as II they
meant To say: ''Iou see We are all right.
We have carefully followed your exam
pie"
The pope was at first astonished, but
soon burst into fit of the most bolster
GUS laughter, while the attendants,
thinking that the deputation had come
to mock their master. began pelting them
with the saturated figs.
The mayor hobbled out of the room,
closely followed by his brethren, one of
whom whispered to him:
"How lucky it is for us that we did
not bring the pineapples. How nicely
our heads would have been battered by
them."-London Million.
Mrs. Stevenson In the Chair.
Mrs. Stevenson presided at the recent
convention of the Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution. The wife of the vice
president has evidently never opened the
covers of her husbands authorities on
parliamentary order. But she was not
blind To her own defects. so she supplied
them quite easily by engaging as adviser
mild hammered man, who neverthe-
less knew all about overruling and
quashing and laying on the table This
man sat ut Mrs. Stevenson's elbow, told
her what 10 do next i'll all cases and scut-
tied "A number of ships III the shape of
resolutions offered by adventurous
Daughters.
The first little incident of this sort was
when motion was offered by distin-
guished looking woman from the Mount
Vernon chapter. Mrs. Stevenson was
standing ut the time. and without wait
ing for any discussion asked the yeas and
udN > anu SOl ltltI4l, too, DciOEc the Hlllc
man or any one else had chance 10
draw IA long breath. Immediately there
was u storm of opposition. Then the
mild parliamentarian whispered some
thing u Mrs. Stevenson. She pounded
i'll ladylike manner with her pretty
gavel and said:
"The question before the congress, la
dies, is the resolution. We can do one
of two things with it. We can either
we can either what" she blandly and
frankly asked. turning to the blushing
parliamentarian.
1t was so openly done that IT brought
down the house Nrs. Stevenson laughed,
the little man laughed. everybody laugh
ed and order was not restored for sew
eral minutes. Then they laid the reso-
luton ON the table and went gayly on
about their business. York Sun.