The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-20

where I lived when I was boy, |
 would have been worth going to Eng
 land for"
 'Is 1t possible" said the German
 member, that you spoke to mayor
 when you were boy and have never
 told us about it?"
 Tt was soon after the centennia,
 celebration of the surrender of York ] town" said the American, "and thai was in"
 Here, Dennis, Dennis" the Irish | member interrupted, bring fresh
 siphon; he's going to begin with the l surrender of Yorktown"
 The American tried to pretend to look
 hurt at the interruption and went on: The United States government invited
 the French government to send repre- sentatives to the Yorktown centennial, and 1t sent a considerable delegation
 l was a schoolboy in Providence then.
 After the celebration the Frenchmen
 travelled around and saw a little of the country before going home, and incl dentally they visited Providence, be- cause the French forces that came 10 help in the Revolution were encamped there for a long time and good many of them died from smallpox. The party came up to see the school where was, and we sang the 'Marseillaise' and the
 Star Spanked Banner and the wedding march from Lohengrin' for them. There were the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of France to the United States and real, live des- cendant of Lafayette and a dozen other great persons who politely expressed vast delight at our music.
 The descendant of Lafayette was very tall, very slender and very blond young man, and l can remember the exact words of the speech that he made tc us: As my great-grandfazier vas ze friend of your Washington. I hope we shall be always yer good friends. Good byl'
 Then the French delegation trotted off to see the rest of the sights of the town. In the evening there was to be a dinner at the Narragansett hotel, and after that, the newspapers had announce ed, there would be a public reception. That meant, of course, that all who would might enter in single file and shake the hands of the Envoy Extraor-
  and the descendant of Lafayette. This was just the chance that some of us boys wanted, for we were not all satis- fled with merely having these great persons exhibited before us at school. So one of my schoolmates, my younger brother and myself went to the hotel in the evening, and were grieved to find the entrance guarded by policemen, who would not let us or anybody else in.
 After weary wait, somebody com> ing out whispered to us. You can get through the bar-room.' We had been brought up to believe that barrooms were fatal, but it was not a theory but a condition that confronted us, and we went in through the barroom. For a time we seemed no better off, for the two stairways that led to the second floor, where the parlors and dining rooms were, were guarded by policemen. But by good luck, one of the guards got thirsty, and as soon as he was gone we reasoned with ourselves thus: Tn a few minutes that dinner will be over, and the reception will begin; if we dodge up there before the policeman gets back we shall be the first ones in line. and shall shake the hands of the | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister l while they are fresh
 We ran up and the guard came back | to his post. The minute we were at the | head of the stairs the dining room doors | opened, and out came the French dele | gation and all the rest of the party. | The parlors were filled with people, and | we were in the midst of them. There | were the Frenchmen, and there were | Mayor Doyle. who had been mayor of | Providence at that time for about as many years as had lived, and the Protestant bishop and the Catholic bishop, and hundred or so of officially invited guests. We didn't see any crowd coming in from the street and we felt a little uncomfortable, but we followed the example of others present. and shook hands with the Envoy Extraor- 1inary and Minister Plenipotentiary put that was not enough for us. We must shake the hand of the descendant )f LafaS Sette.
 And our luck did not desert us All It once we saw the descendant of La 'ayette standing right in front of us, md all alone, and at the same instant Mayor Doyle was coming straight tow lrd us, also alone. It was no time to hesitate. I went boldly up to him and iaid: MT. Mayor. we go to the high ,chool we want to be introduced to the of Lafayette; there he is; will you please introduce us?'
 But I don't know his name said he mayor.
 " No matter about his name,' said, will be enough; my name s-'
 "The mayor was not made of stone. 1e went to the descendant of Lafa Yctte md said: eur-ah--Monslaur this 5 young MT. -, who wants to be in- reduced to you The descendant of bowed and said: am ver' 'lease'.' Then I introduced the other oys by name, and he bowed and seid, am yer please twice more. Then ye decided that we were out Of place n such an assembly as this, and we ] vent home, vowing that when we were Id enough to vote we would vote for fo