The Washington times., 1915-09-05
Jean Eliot's
Letter
CONTINUED from Eighth PassJ


companed DR.. and Mrs. Gwynn to At
lantio City and returned with them,
She makes her home with her son-in-
law and daughter and IL quite a SEQ
, ond mother to the Children. who in turn
are devoted to her. The youngsters
never wear shoes or stockings even In
tho coldest, weather; but they arc
robust and sminsntly healthy and some
how their little toes don't freeze.
-
Virginia will not be the only bride at
t1e Barracks this winter. for Lieut..
Charles williams is bringing home .
brand new wife. He was married on
August "a. and he and his wife are
motoring from her home in Fort
Wayne. Ind. They expect to reach the
post about September 10.
Mrs. Wooten plans to return from
North Hatley about the middle OF Sep
tember, Mrs. Kuhn and her mother.
Mrs. Parker. are due almost any day;
and before we. realize 1t the post will
have settled down to its round OF win
ter gayety. A little while now and the
committee will be busy with plans for
the winter hops. then the invitations
will be out and for one will b ever
20 glad. Tho dances are always run
and the Engineer Band IL a wonder.
Now 1t plays for the diners on the
Army and Navy Club roof At ieast
once a week.
read a little story recently in q
current magazine Of how q direct de-
scendant Of Cant. John Smith, the
~ In
probably the frst man In America to
become famous on account Of his
wife-''had beon awarded tho Victoria
Crcss. An interesting bit Of news. in
deed. for Virginians and all good
Americans. butt is writ in my his
tory book that Pocahontas married
John Rolfe. and modern iconaclasts
are wont to oven doubt the truth Of
the tradition which says that the In
dian maid saved the life Of the old
soldier at the risk of her own.
However. whether Lieutenant Gmyth
-he spells his name with y. and Is
listed in the British army register a.
Lieut.. John s,nyth. Of Oxford--is a
descendant OF Capt. John Smith,
whether his ancestry dates back to
the Indian princess and her strapping
young husband, John Rolfe. or
whether he 10 plain John smyth. with
no forbsars Of particular note, at
Ieaet he 10 young man after the
doughty captains own heart. He 10
nephew Of Sir Robert Smyth Baden
Powell. father Of the BOY Scout or
ganization in England. and 10 the first
Cxonian to win the coveted decora-
tion.
Although only twenty -one years old,
he had already been commended for
diktinguished bravery when he was
selected to lead q bombing party into
the German trenches In q recent sn-
gssement: = hazardous undertaking,
Which he carried out successfully,
after the feat had been twice attempt
Cd BY the Highland Light Infantry.
with the result that all the officers
OF the command had been KILLED.
Since this escapade Lieutenant Smyth
10 supposed to bear charmed life. as
five times he mas had his cap blown of
oy Ohells; bullets innumerable have
penetrated his clothes and once when
Hghting cigarette a chance bullet
blew the match from his fingers, lesy.
ing the latter unscathed
The Victoria Cross Is not so promis-
OF Germany, which statistics show, has
been so often bestowed by the Kaiser
az to aggregate several tons The v. C.
10 OF bronze and the decorations are
cast from a Russian gun taken at
sevastopol. Men Of all rank of the
British army and navy are eligible to
receive 1t and to date there have been
. few exceptions to the rule. limiting
1t to military men. Four civilians,
several doctors and one clergyman have
received the V. &. The civilians are
James Dalton, W. F. Mcdonnell, r. l..
Mangles and Thomas A. kavanagh-
Lucknow Kavanagh. The latter won
the distinction at fearful risk by
passing disguised as a native soldier
through the mutineers' lines, from
Lucknow, in 1875. and communicating
important news to the leader of the
relieving forces. Sir James Outram.
Mcdonnell and Mangles also won their
crosses in the mutiny, risking their
lives to help number Of troops escape
from pursuing mutineers. Mr.. Dalton's
decoration dates from Rorke's Drift,
where he saved a soldiers life by hold.
ting four Zulus at bay.
Many recent visitors to the San Fran
osACo |ApoSltlon experienced an addt-
tional treat In witnessing the annual
high links of the Bohemian Club, given
A. always In the wonderful redwood
grove on Russian river You remember
don't you. the interesting things
bispham had to say last WIN
ter of this famous organization and of
some of the pageants they have staged
IN former years? Well. anyway, the
Flay this year was Apollo" and was
written by Frank Pixly and Edwin
Schneider. Among the disting uished
people who were guests of the club
on the occasion Of its presentation were
Chi Chen. the Chinese diplomat; H.
Wyanawaki. a prominent citizen of Ja-
pan; Lord Richard Nevil. representa-
tive Of King George: Dean witter.
Charles Page Bryan. formerly minister
to Portugal. who has become q familiar
and popular figure in Washir gton; Lord
Arthur Herbert. Macklyn Arbuckle.
William Winter. critic and Shakespear-
can scholar: George AIDE. John T. Nc
Crtcheon, and Harrison Fisher. Later
in the week the Bohemian Club gave q
concert at the Cort Theater. San Fran
cisco. which was attended only by mem
h0ro of 81,