WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 172, 9 April 1923, Page 6

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T. D. H.)

Mention is made in to-day’s cablo message of the curse of tho priestess of Amen-ra—the famous “unlucky mummy” of the British Museum. Many utories have been circulated about this mummy, but the London “Times” some years ago declared that they had no foundation. It was said by all sorts of people that anyone who interfered with the mummy of th* “lady of College of Amen-ra (No. 22,542)” —that is how the museum authorities have labelled her —would meet with calamity. I have not been able to put my hand on any details as to the legend of this mummy’s uuluckiness, but there were some accidents, I think, in moving »t, and the late Mr. W. T. Stead predicted that if any further attempt were made to move the lady it would probably result in the destruction of tho entire British Museum building, such was the extremely virulent nature of the priestess as revealed tu Mr. Stead by her astral body. She mi<t have been one of those acidulous vestals we read about, and perhaps her nephew* and nieces put the curse on her mummy case to discourage anyone from letting her out again. However, despite Mr. Stead, the British Museum staff moved the Egyptian rooms at the beginning of 1921 and shifted the unlucky mummy to a new position, and none of the dire results predicted have followed yet.

To have sat in the House of Commons for thirty-five years and to have made only two speeches there, as is to-day reported of the Lord Biddulph, not establish a record. Sir Charles Burrell, who sat in the Commons for nearly sixty years, made but one solitary- speech in the whole period, and that ivas when.he introduced a Bill providing that housemaids must not be made to clean windows from the outside. General Forester-Walker, who sat for Much Wenlock for forty-six years, did better still, for he never spoke once during the entire period. New Zealand has had at least one legislative councililor who sat for several years and was silent throughout, but the hope that this new model would become popular in Parliamentary circles was disappointed.

Dr. Bumpus informs me that a man can build up a great reputation for wisdom by keeping silent, and the Doctor believes that had he been able to keep silent long enough he might eventually have risen to hold the office of President of the United States, barring, of course, his initial disqualification of not being a native of that great country. 'Hie greatest political campaign of the Doctor’s life was fought against a silent man. He was a rival practitioner in the same town as the Doctor during the latter’s period of residence in Western Nevada half a century ago.

A gentleman of venerable appearance and dignified appearance, who rarely gave utterance to more than a monosyllable, Dr. Bumpus’s opponent for the mayoralty in that rising city in Nevada was held in the very highest regard by the entire community. His advice was sought by everybody 7 with a difficult problem tc solve, and the greatest weight was attached to the opinions he never uttered—for when he was asked what he thought it was his nature to look very thoughtful and stroke his beard and give, a grunt or two. There was a wide range of expression in the grants, and everybody came away feeling thoroughly confirmed in their general opinions, which is the most pleasing sensation it is possible for one human being to give another. About three-quarters of the leading citizens had waited on. the Doctor’s opponent in a body to ask him to stand, and after a series of eloquent addresses, lasting more than forty minutes, the old gentleman rose, bowed to the right and left amid great applause, stroked his beard thoughtfully for a while, and then suddenly nodded his head. That was all. It might sound abrupt, but it did not seem a tame and disappointing termination to the vast assemblage —at least fifty persons must have been present, the Doctor says—for when the suspense was ended with that nod such a pandemonium of cheers broke out that the like had never before been heard in all Western Nevada. Everybody shook hands with everyone else, and the entire concourse must have shaken hands with their candidate at least half a dozen times each. In fact, the members of the town band went home and got their instruments, and the evening concluded with harniony and fireworks, left over from tho Fourth of July.

The Doctor began his campaign with a sinking feeling in his heart. It was announced that his opponent being so well known would not address the electors, but was quite content to leave the decision in their hands. Dr. Bumpus manfully struggled on delivering a series of orations which evoked great applause by their brilliant and caustic comment, but although most of the audience remained to shake hands with the Doctor and heartily congratulate him, they almost invariably wound up bv saying: “If anybody else but Blank”—-naming the other candidal —“was standing we’d vote for yoir to a man.” Nevertheless, the opposition hoard the applause at the meetings, and they felt they had better make quite sure of tilings by getting their man to mako a speech to wipe the Doctor completely off the face of the earth. It took a tot or persuasion; but at length they succeeded, the f hall was packed to. suffocation people climbed up the windows to look in, young men sat on the rafters and every inch of space wns packed to suffocation. After a deafening ovation that threatened to bring the entire building to the ground, the. candidate began. Everyone was straining not to miss a word of such wisdom as had never before been heard m the. town if their candidate could express such profound thoughts without ever saying a. word, what couldn t he do u hen it came to making a complete speech! After a while, first one person began to look at another, and then another. The candidate did not seem to bo getting anywhere. Every second sentence he contradicted himself. His sentences had neither beginning nor end. He knew noth ng. That speech was the greatest drivel ever hea.rd. . As soon as the chairman saw how things were going ho tried to get the candidate to sit down before bad was made worse; but the candidate was having his innings. He had said nothing for forty years, and now he was started ho was not go ng to stop until he had finished. Every word almost lost another vote. Dr. Bumpus would most certainly have won that contest by the largest majority on record had not that sudden crisis' developed in his affairs which determined him on his immediate removal to this country. It was unfortunate, but Nevada’s loss was New Zealand’s gain. CRASS. So the days pass, So greens the grass: ( Until at last Some fruit is cast. But fruit, that fades Into the earth, By a new birth Gives greener blades. That is our round: Morning and even Lapsing to ground, Piercing to heaven. —Edmond X. Kapp, in the “Spectator.”