The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-03

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CT me Homer'
1t was not a brilliant sun that broke
over London on the morning of july L
Reluctantly piercing dull. gray sweep
Of sky, 1t sought to twinkle weakly
through the bank Of fog that enveiopeo
the city. But it was strong enough TO
pick out from a thousand walls and SET
in bold relief the legends quoted.
In every thoroughfare the words nut
tered in the colors of the empire. From
the fronts Of the big hotels they giittered
in tinted glass globes arranged In artistic
design. On more modest structures they
were spelled on folded flags or twined In
flowers. Sometimes they Haunted merely
on painted signs, for the most part crude
and tawdry.
There was a new significance in those
simple inscriptions on that day.
For centuries the former legend had
been shouted, sung and waved. over. the
great British metropolis with loyalty
which is second nature to the British.
Had a Spscial Significance.
But on that day there was a special
vignificancc in the words which was add
ed to and magnified by the other emblem.
Barely three weeks before, Englands
monarch had been stricken down almost
upon the very steps of his throne, which
an ancient prophecy declared he would
never ascend. For while after that the
empire had held its breath. scarce daring
to hope. yet refusing to expect the worst
The King lay stricken unto death: the
sands of life were running low. The
course of destiny seemed almost to pause
to await the crisis.
And then 1t came and passed, and the
news was spread far and wide as fast
as Geographic wires could carry the mo-
mentous message:
The danger was passed; the sovereign
would recover.
From that time on a loving empire and
an anxious world awaited the daily ud-
ings of the monarch's slow return to
health.
And on this 18th day of July London
had again heard with satisfaction that
the King was still improving. Its loyalty
and Thanksgiving was becoming vocal
Return Of "K. of K"
But moro than that. it was gala day
in the history of the nation. Lord Gen.
eral Kitchener, tx. of X" as he is ia
miliarly referred to by grateful people,
was to return to London from his long
and difficult campaign in South Africa.
Kitchener. the man who had spent sew
en- years in preparation for the march
up the Nile, who avenged General Cor
don's murder at Khartoum and recon-
the idol of the empire.
Not single Britisher lost sight of the
fact that under his generalship the South
African war, which had been sapping the
strength of the nation, had been brought
to successful termination. u
And now. on this 18th day of July,
when all London was ringing with the
news of the Kings Improvement. kitch-
ener was returning to receive his laurels
Hf1Fl
turned out as one soul to bid him well
Noon had Changed from the countless
beffries of the capital but a short while
before, when the train bearing the world {
most prominent soldier of the hour rolled
slowly into the long. low station. Lord
Kitchener was met by the Duke of Con-
nsught. the Prince of Wales, and Other
distinguished officials. From there he
Yves escorted to the palace, where th'
sick chamber of the King was thrown
open to him. and the monarch pinned the
medal of. the Order of Merit upon his
breast. AS he passed through the streets
cheer upon cheer greeted him, and rolled
upward in mighty roar The multitude'
fairly Worshiped him, believing out theil
shouts of welcome and praise in deafen
ing volumes.
Kitchener the Man.
The enthusiastic crowds found little OF
no change in General Lord Kitchener al
a man They had all seen him before oil
were familiar with the pictures of him
The bold, fearless eyes, the short nose
the aggressiveness and determination o.
his expression, leave a strong impression
In his pictures he appears to be hand
eome-a hero-looking soldier.
To the person who has studied his pic
ture, and then sees him for the first time
the revelation is a bit startling. He !!
tall. about six feet two or three; his fig
ure ungainly, and his shoulders sloped
he slouches somewhat in his gait as III
walks in long. knee-bending strides. HI
IL a much older man than his pictures
make him appear to be.
His face-immovable as the Egyptian
Sphinx-is brick red. 1t is full Of Ittl
lines, and his prominent steel-gray eye'
have a peculiar expression. one Of then
has a habit of rowing by itself, while tn
other transfxes you with a cold ant
piercing glare. To a certain extent tn
eyes are characteristic of the man, TO
Kitchener is known to be able to Sc
things nearby and things far off at tn
same time.
The Sphinx of the War.
Kitchener of Khartoum. TX. of k" a
he is Familiarity referred to by the officer
WHO nave hhOWH anu SCI FSN NAAN.~
him, has been all along the sphinx of tn
South African campaign. He is the mai
from whose lips nothing has been hear
about whom little has been known; hi
plans were secret, his movements myste
rious. During the early weeks that fol
lowed Lord Roberts's arrival in Sout
Africa with the English army TX. of X
was more or less of a myth. He wa
talked about and criticised, he was com
plimented and complained of (for he upse
a great many arrangements especiall
I'm regard to the army transportation ia