The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-22

sibility of waiting another hour until somebody else had finished was the only alternative that one had between going away hungry, or moving off to the quiet haven of home, which no one seemed to wish to do during the celebrations. Peo- pie who probably had never before dream ed of going to restaura nts and behaving as If they were quiIe out of their minda all seemed to appear and add to the general confusion and noise that reigned everywhere, and everybody shook hands with everybody else and talked to every body else quite irrespective of whether they knew each other or not. It was wonderful week, and people did the most ridiculous things without seeming to realize that they were at all out of the ordinary.
 One evening, after a riotous perform ance at music hall, I dived into sub way station with some friends in order | to avoid tremendous crush near Pic cadilly Circus. The station platform was | crowded, and the trains, too full to ac- commodate any more passengers, were passing through without stopping; but the 40 or 50 people waiting on the tunnel platform did not worry about any such ] detail as that they had their own amusements. Two soldiers formed an , orchestra, one with concertina, and the other with mouth-organ, and ev- erybody at once proceeded to dance III an impromptu ballroom that surely was the oldest that London had ever before provided The musicians seemed to know | all the latest rags" from New York. all l though they happened to be British | Tommies, and 1t was really great sport | Several trains stopped and few pas sengers got on and some got off, put the dancing still continued, until the
 bandsmen were exhausted, and the l !. l..xk L body took up collection for the band' 1 and at last got on board an incoming
 train, after having spent the best part l of an hour under the most amusing cir cumstances in this subterranean danclng | palace.
 I could fill columns with tales or anus ing episodes that occurred during Lon
 don's joy week, but I dare say you nave had your own very special celebrations and your own "experience." I was in Itensely amused when I was told by pretty French girl at present living in London that on the Tuesday after that
 wonderful Monday" she had been some
 what embarrassed when as she was walking along Regent street with a
 French flag pinned on her shoulder sne
 was surrounded by a group or Ameri-
 can, English and French soldiers, wno
 all insisted upon shaking hands with her. Some among the bolder splrlts
 kissed her with much enthusiasm
 was a little frightened" she told me-
 "but also little glad; it seemed so won :
 derful thing to happen in quiet oio London! And that is just It. 'oie
 London seems to have become young
 London" lately. and the spirit or youth
 that has infected us will do no harm IT
 the future.
 Our royalties are among the nusies
 people in the Kingdom just now; the'
 seem to. be here, there and everywhere
 and one sees quite ordinary people sha's.
 ing hands with the King and Queen anf
 receiving smiles and bows and esaiute' from princes and princesses just sas | they also were among the every da. folk. There are always vast crowds a ,I unexpected places surging round car { riage containing Queen Mary or kinl George, or Princess Mary. or the Prime : of Wales, while I really think the i [ great ones of the earth are rather en
 toying the happy -go-lucky. intimat 7 touch into which they are coming wi' the people.
 : The other afternoon when went to SC \ the English version of IL Afgion' Il v which Marie Lohr played the role Of tn lBoy Prince, which Madame Sarah Bern !! lshardt once made farnouss saw ! whol : row of royalties in box. inciudin