Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-06

questions. but there was one question not
on the paper. There was a particular piece
OF news ears wanted to hear. OF course,
the leader of the opposition would put the
leading remark to give the leader of the
house his opportunity.
Hush. There was a halt in the tax.
swinging forward of bodies. "C.-B.' was
up, leaning heavily with clenched knuckles
on the table. putting an inquiry. A thous-
and folks in the house knew what 1t was
and yet were eager to hear.
Mr.. Speaker. SIR" he began. II beg the
leader of the house to relieve our suspense
on matter of Importance" There was a
low cheer. checked instantly so that the
other words would not be lost. What
about the Whitsuntide holidays?" The
words caught the house with gasp Its
thoughts were away in South Africa, dwell
Ing on the heroic Baden-Powell and the
way he guarded his little town on the
plains. 1t laughed at it's own tumbled ex-
pectancy: 1t laughed at the pathos of Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman. He hadn't
put the question he ought to have put The
house put 1t for itself.
"Mafeking! What about Mafeking?
What's the news from Mafeking?
A Mighty Cheer.
Sir C.-B. Topped back. turned red and
twiddled his thumbs. Mr.. Balfour slowly
rose, smiling and rubbing his hands. His
face told the good news. and the house
smiled back in turn. Yes. it true. MIR.
SidubOeIldll ldu it't!NSu iiioi VA
that Mafeking was relieved last Thursday.
There came the cheer, a little rumhling at
first, but growing. booming, laundering. 1t
was a shout. Vociferous. straight from the
hearts of glad men, But there was no other
demonstration. Not hat was waved nor a
union jack drawn from a pocket. There
was stolidIy in the joy. Four hundred men.
nearly all clad in black and all wearing silk
hats, sitting in long rows roaring out wave
on wave of cheers.
That was the scene Mr. Balfour stood
through it all, pink with pleasure triiing
with his taper fingers. Then he told C-B
what he had asked. The Whitsun holidays
would extend from next Tuesday to the
next Thursday fortnight.
His majesty of Sweden was intensely in
terested. A fine man, six foot four if an
inch, full-faced, crisp. gray bearded and
with the blue eyes of the northerner. He
was bowed into the peers gallery by the
scrgeant-at-arms, and took the seat usually
appropriated by the Prince of Wales when
he visits the commons. On his right was
the Swedish minister, little, partly bald
old man, who pointed out the celebrites-
Mr.. Chamberlain. Mr.. Swift MacNeil., Mr..
GoSchen, Mr.. Pat OBrien and others. On
his majestys left was Il wax-mustached at
tache. infieXible, motionless who only spoke
when he was spoken to.
spondent must often take all the risk
of a fighting man. Four English jour
nalists have already lost their lives in
the present campaign. and the reports from
MalehlHS give us IedSol " ltdI tIt utttIl
of another. while two more have been
wounded seriously. and at least five have
been made prisoners by the enemy Alter
Mr.. G. w. Stevens, who died of typhoid
at Ladysmith no writer of such distinctly
original talent as Mr.. C. Z. Hands went
out to the war, and as a colleague he is
even better liked than Mr.. Stevens was
himself.
Brilliant Correspondent.
He is liked for qualities which make the
chance that singled him out for danger
Gus wound seem unknd. Charlie Hands
to everybody, this small mild-natured, easy
going man, with the blonde mustache and
weak eyes, has never made an enemy or
lost a friend, but is a boon companion SO
simply natural and charming that We be-
lieve the worst barbarian could not, had he
heard him speak ten words, fee, satisfied
to have hurt a hair of his head. Mr.. Hands
is not the ordinary war correspondent but
a humorist. When he went out to the hard
ships of the Spansh-American war every
body laughed who knew him, for. to be
plain, he looks quite lmperturbably lazy,
and with soldering he had no better ac-
quaintance than you may get by sleeping
out once or twice in volunteer camp
But the laugh among those who knew his
genius was full of expectation. AS in all
things else he took his own way and his
own time. The fighting might go as it
would; he kept us quietly amused without
much regard for it at quaint aspects of life
as he CHANGED to see life So 1t has been IN
South Africa. But here the interest of
romance and patriotism focused on MAIZE
king has been too much for his phlegm; he
must have Lord Roberts leave to go with
the relief column and perhaps We have said
goodbye to him for the last time.
The relief of Mafeking may have con-
siderable effect on the military position.
The relieving column amounted, it is stated,
to about 1000 men, united with Colonel
Plummer's column. and the rescued garri-
son, though the latter cannat be fit for
work for some time. The force Will amount
to nearly 1000. Before the end of the
month it may be Joined by portion of Sir
F. Carringtons force, and can thus be
brought up to a strength of from 5000 to
5000 men, This considerable force is with
in weeks march of Johannesburg, and
may be used with serious effect on the
flank of the enemy. l.. H. MOORE.