Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-05
uniform, of Indian ..politicals," and last,
not least. of eager. ambitious politicians.
Hall Game in Fiction.

Hall Caine in Fiction.
Mr. Hall Game discoursed pleasantly on
the uses of fiction at the Christmas dinner
of the New vagabond Club last night.
Speaking as an author to an audience Of
authors, the tone of half irony in which
he spoke of the position occupied by the
novelist OF today evoked. no doubt. a re-
sponsfve echo in many q literary bosom.
Among the literary 'vagabonds'' hidden to
the feast were such well-known figures as
Mr. Jerome X. Jerome, Mr. G. B. Burgia,
Mr. Silas Hooking. Annie Swan, Mr.. Saw
age Lander and Mr.. Douglas Sladen.
Mr.. Hall Caine described them all as the
"Punchinellos of literature" but it was
obvious that he himself takes very much
higher view of the mission in life of the
writer of fiction. He girded against the
hypocrisy of the novel-reading public. 1t
read novels from one end of the earth TO
the other, but 1t was always apolosizing
to itself for reading them and pretending
t. read something more solid. Lydia Lam
guish in The Rivals" sends her maid
round the circulating libraries for all the
iiveiiest novels of the time, and her room
is full of them but as soon as Sir Anthony
Absolute and Mrs. Malaprop appear she
filings "Peregrine Pickle under the toilet,
throws "Roderick Random into the closet,
smuggles The Man of Feeling" into her
pocket, and opens somebody's sermons at
the page about sobriety. The public. y
says Mr.. Hall Game, lis perpetually play
From which it would seem that Mr.. Hal
Game has not a very high opinion of the
novel-reading public of today
nave never seen SO many 'hawkers' on
Luogate Hill, under the shadow of St
Pauis Cathedral, as this Christmastide
has brought there. On Saturday they mus
tered over 20O, men, women and children.
In ordinary days they go to the hill to
catch the chance visitor to St Paul's. but
at this time of the year 1t is they who are
visited. They have many new things. For
penny you can buy little box contain
ing two farmyard cocks red pheasant q
goose and peacock--all of really remark
able design and finish, even to the color
and strut of the birds. They have another
claim to popular sympathy, for they are
made in Japan. This is Japan's first APP
pearance on the Ludgate Hill market.
The hawkers have made another grand
effort to touch the interest of the moment
with a "hex-ray machine for seem your
own skelerton"--a very simple, ingenious
arrangement of lenses which throws your
eye out of focus. and, If you hold your
finger to the light, permits you to see an
opaque and a transparent version of it.
There is also a very sportsmanlike model
of an American railway train, made of
some white metal The amount of detail
upon it must astonish old-fashioned chill
dren. 1t has it's ventilators over the cars.
steps, real windows whistles and the en-
gineer looking out at one side of his en-
CINE. The carriages can be coupled and
uncoupled. and will provide endless amuse-
300 toys are offered on the hill.
Ancient Quarrel Recalled
A quarrel which took place between two
rich companies. the Merchant Taylors
Company and the SINNERS Company, 400
years ago is recalled by panel at the
Royal Exchange. painted by Mr.. Edwin
Abbey, r. A., and unveiled by the lady
mayoress yesterday afternoon. There were
time5 when the old city companies were
jealous as to matters Of precedence, and
in 1881 Lord Mayor Billesdon was called
upon to settle the important question
whether or no the Merchant Taylors should
precede the SINNERS. His judgment was
that they should enjoy precedence in alter
nate years, and he added an order which Is
believed to have been rigidly obeyed dur
ing the more than four centuries which
have since elapsed.
1t was that each company should enter
tain the other at dinner every year. Some
of the toasts still given at these annual
gatherings evidently originated in the IF
tenth century, and it is one of them which
is emblazoned on a board held by page in
Mr.. Abbey's picture. 1t runs: Health and
prosperity to the Merchant Taylors and
SINNERS, SINNERS and Merchant Taylors,
root and branch, and may they continue
and flourish for ever" The panel is one
of the finest at the Royal Exchange. 1t
represents the master of the Merchant
Taylors' Company drinking to the master
of the SINNERS in a loving cup,
The Active Service CluD Will Shortly
open it's doors at palatial mansion in
Piccadilly. This new club will be confined
to officers of the navy ana army, inclusive
of the militia and yeomanry, who have
seen active service at any time. A limited
number of gentlemen will be eligible for
membership who have seen active service
in conjunction with the regular forces
The method of the formation Of the club
constitutes a new departure. At present
there are only two classes of clubs in Lon
don-the proprietary and the members
but in the new club the advantages of both
classes can be obtained. Members can ap-
ply for shares in the syndicate, which is
incorporated under the companies acts,
the club, and yet limiting their liability to
the amount invested in the shares they
hold In the event of a member taking no
shares, he is only liable to.the amount of
his annual subscription for membership.
The provisional committee is a very influ-
entiaj one L. H MOORE.