A MOCK BANQUET

Evening Star, Issue 12883, 4 August 1906, Page 2

A MOCK BANQUET

m STUART HALL. Banquets there are of many kinds anfc for many purposes. There exists a 6aying that all roads lead to Rome. So with banquets, no matter whether held iai connection with a Parliament or a .football club. They start off with eating and drinking. There is the rap on the table, followed by "The King," there is the policy speech and the policy reply, tho humorous speech and the humorous reply, the interspersed song, tho intermittent recitation, felicitation, reciprocation in moderation—for a certain percentage also intoxication, hallucination, incapacitation, with maybe a wind-up (at home) in recrimination and lamentation. But that is the banquet proper. It appears that, thero is also a "mock" banquet. On perusing the card of invitation courteously forwarded to the Press by the officials of tho Knox Church Young Men's Bible Class, the words "Mock Banquet" caught the eye iind stirred, the imagination. Visions of a shadowy feast, of drumsticks and wish-bones with nothing on them* of solemn uprisings and slow bending of elbows after the uplifted arm, the hand clutching firmly an empty glass, of the dumb show of drinking—mockery indeed—came from goodness knows where. The speeches could hardly be in dumb show, nor could the songs, but wo were curious to hear them, curious to see the whole affair. Alas! there iB nothing new under the sun. Fortified with the usual evening meal, in expectation of a mere abstraction for provender, the Press attended. But, as the up-country reporter hath it, "the tobies literally groaned beneath their load of tho good things and delicacies provided." It was a solid banquet, with a solid chairman, supported by solid officials, and a very solid programme of toasts, sort's.- etc. As is invariably the case, this too- solid list had to be lightened towards the finishnot so much jettisoning of cargo, perhaps, as trimming, to rectify tho list. Thus much the "mock banquet" had in common with the banquet before-men-tioned ; in another resect it differed. I'ho foaming grape of Eastern Prance' was eschewed. So were various other potent beverages; and although there was plenty to drink as well as to eat, from what our representative could gather the -likelihood of any of the banqueters "going home with the milk" was remote in the extreme. Tn fact, it amounted to an impossibility. To somo this would be a mockery, to others, we, believe, it was the model banquet. At any rate those present, and there were some sixty or seventy, appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Conviviality can survive on animal as well as vegetable spirits, it is plain. The Rev W. Hewitson presided, and tr-asts were "TV i>,ole Class Lmon (proposed by Mr Davies and replied fo by Mr Farqnharson), "Kindred Classes and Vwtors" (proposed by Mi Young arid replied to by M*s=rs Sutherland and Scott), "Knox Church Bibk Class (proposed bv Mr Boy and responded to by Mr Gray), and "Parliament {proposed by Mr Sibbnld and responded to bv Mr Prain). The simrers were Messrs Alexander, GaJlowav, and White, and the renters Me*sra AHin and Salmonl Mr Macfie acted as accompanist and Messrs Poole and Beaumond supplied instrumental music.