The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-05-16
A Contest in Courtesy

Of the real kindness of heart and the
childish delight in adventurous pranks of
all kinds that characterized that versatile
gentleman, Lord William Beresford, it
would be hard to find a more entertaining
example than this story that Mrs. Stuart
Menzies tells in her recently published life
of Lord William,
When was giving children's party at
home in England. says Mrs. Menzies, Lord
Bill asked, "May this child come, please?'
Of course replied that l should be charm
ed. and certainly the children were; l never
saw BARNS enjoy themselves more. He pre-
tended he was an elephant at the ZOO, and
allowed them to sit all over him while he
travelled about on all tours, giving them
rides, and then pretending to fall and roll
with them. When he thought they were
tired of this, he crawled under the table in
the dining room and pretended he was a
bear in cage, and had to be fed by the
children through the bars formed by the
legs of the chairs arranged around him.
After the last happy child had gone
home, Lord William and my younger
brother, who had likewise been assisting,
feeling rather limp and exhausted, suggest
ed that they would like to wash and brush
up. After this operation both were due at
opposite ends of London. 1t was pouring
rain, and there seemed to be a scarcity of
| cabs. The servants whistled until they
were nearly black in the face, as my BROTH
er- expressed it. At last they succeeded in
attracting the attention of one hanson; then
each man refused to take the cab from the
other. and as they were going in opposite
directions they could not share it. My
brother told Lord William to jump in, and
he would find one for himself or wait with
me until another arrived.
Lord William would not agree to that,
and told my brother to jump in. 1t ended
in their struggling 6ercely in the street,
each trying to put the other into the cab.
The cabby at first looked on in awe and
wonderment. He was anxious to keep the
cab dry, and each time one of the strugglers
was nearly deposited in the cab, up would
60 the glass; then, as they would subside
for fresh effort on the pavement, down
went the glass again, as the cabby saw all
was not yet decided. He was now enter
ing the spirit of the game, and settled down
to watch and be ready to receive the missile
when it eventually arrived.
By this time another cab had turned up,
but no one took the least notice of it. A
| small crowd OF wet errand boys had collect
ed to watch the fun, and l was momentum
ly expecting policeman to appear on the
scene and take both the strugglers into Gus
| tody.
At last Lord William won the day.
From behind the curtains in the dining
room window saw my bruised and shin
barked brother chucked into the cab, and
in response to the claimants, "Where tor
Lord William replied, "Home for lost dogs,
and drive like the wind" Needless to say,
neither my brother nor Lord William was
in condition to pay visits after this romp;
their hats had been knocked off and claPped
on again by the servants and small boys who
were looking on, only to roll off once more.
Ties had waltzed around and were looking
out from unaccustomed places, and their
collars were soiled and dropping. -Er..