The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-03-12

oNS' Doe hcch-tstu prince. I'M
the lshmaelites know well, and the,
love him for it, just as they hail hin
prince OF good fellows. and the bes'
and most honest hater of sham ant
humbug in the country.
Hence the dinner which was beine
given in his honor was the most bril-.
liant and at the same time the heart.
lest function that the club house has
ever witnessed. Brains, pluck and
Observation-Disclosures are what the
lshmaelites most delight to honor;
but being a British club, they put
bravery before even brains, and at the
high table that night sat wearers of
the Victoria cross, leaders of forlorn
hopes, admirals who had saved life as
well as fought the enemy at sea, ex-
plorers, travellers and soldiers who
with a handful of men had held an
impossible position or not hesitated to
face a thrice outnumbering foe.
Everything had gone without a
hitch, and there wa no denying that
the function was a magnificent success.
The prince, still pale from his recent
illness. was, 1t was easy to see. both
touched and gratiied by the genuinely
enthusiastic and affectionate greeting
which had been accorded to him: and
never had he looked more thoroughly
at home than when %hobnobbing with
the lshmaelites.
Dinner being finished, and the per-
mission, Brother I%shmaelites. you
may smoke!" having gone forth and
been received with the customary yell.
the chairman rose in his place to
make the speech of the evening, by
proposing the princes health. An
other yell greeted the placing of the
ten-minute bell before him, and vet
another the setting of the machinery
in motion. Then he began his speech.
Nothing of the sort could have been
happier, for there wa not a false note
throughout. He claimed for the prince
only that illustrious personage's due;
and yet he referred so sympath etically
to his illness and paid so graceful a
tribute to his qualities as a man, a
sportsman and a good fellow, that the /
lshmaelites interrupted him again and
again with ringing cheers.
n announcement-the unexpected
announcement-that the prince had
that evening expressed his wish to be-
a member Of the club and a
Brother Ishmaelite, brought the en-
to the eliminating point; but
the welcome words had scarcely passed
the chairman's lips before the first
OF the ten-minute gong was
heard, and at the sound he held up the
customary ~silencing hand and dropped
back into his chair.
The rule of the club Is that when
The gong strikes, the speaker, who
he may be, at once resumes his
seat, and every one sits in silence I'M
the ten strokes have sounded, when
members are at liberty to give express
lion to their feelings, a privilege OF
which they avail themselves by yell
ne, bowling and hurting epithets, and
ven match-boxes, cigar-ends, or any
hing else which may be handy, at the
'fender who has transgressed their
ten-minutes rule.
Hence when Lord Cranthorpe
into his seat there was
sudden hush while the members
'aited dutifully for the ten strokes
, sound. Half a dozen seconds had
OF throbbed away before the 1shmael- {
,es became aware that something I
ut OF the ordinary--but what they {
ID not know-was happening. There
as a f1utter Of repressed excitement.
hen some one called out "Hush,' and ,
lie silence became electric. What was ,
lat sprinkling of bird-song music that !,
srcolated the ~smoke-hung atmos- =
here as if fairy hands were ninging ;
70 largest of tiny wafer-like silver !,
Inns for all to gather? "Hush!" some q
le said impatiently again. Expecta- .
stood on tiptoe, as every ear was Il
rained and every face became alert
ID expectant
Note by note the thin thread of mu- /"
; rlppled out. Ii was recognized, l.
d a tremendous cheer set rafting ;,
g trophies on the wall as the chair :.
rose and with a wave of his hand r.
owe his head took up the strain. :,
another second every man was on :,
feet, and God Bless the Prince of y
was being sung as it had never =,
sung before. -
With heart and voice awaken re
Those minstrel strains of yore, hr
III Brltains name and glory ~,
Resound from shore to shore. ~
From all our ancient mountains, al
And from our lovely wales,
o. let the prayer re-echo-
God bless the prince Of Wales!" J.,
Fhe secretary's little u~nrehearsed va
ect was a huge success. Perhaps the
noes illness had left him somewhat VIZ
and shaky. for as the hymn con- no
ded with the most deafening Three cit
les three" and yet again Three
Ies three, that ever left human
S buzzing and human hearts hump dit
the kindly eyes of that right royal me
nee of good fellows we're suspicious chi
bright, and when in a few manly at
DIS he thanked his brother Ish- a
for the greeting that had the
n accorded to him, there was just the
ghost of a tremble in the voice bal
/ is generally so firm and strong. TIVE
ITO Be Continuedl
y
In the Old Kent Road. IN