THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.

Otago Witness, Issue 2326, 29 September 1898, Page 46

THE MYSTERIOUS BOX.

HOW jHE CALEDONIANS IN WELLINGTON GOT THEIR HACGIS. AND HOW IT AFFECTED THE M'GLASHAN. By the Socioceat. The enterprising manufacturer of Sleepy Hollow who brands his toothsome wares with a big "X" — needless to add that he is a son of Scotia — recently imported a haggis specialist fra Glasga, and consequently had added this savoury dish to his already long list of tinned goods for the table. One of the first cases of tins put up at the factory was sent to Mr George Wilson, President of the Wellington Caledonian Society and a prominent and popular merchant. The case was sent as a sampler. What to do with the case was beyond the thoughts of the merchant ; but when as chief of the Caledonians he had consulted some of his chiels the happy idea of a supper was struck to give the haggis the reception the national dish deserved. A great evening resulted, some 80 Scots tucking their legs under the Panama Hotel dining room, table Geologist Mackay was installed parson for the occasion, and with rare unction he pronounced Burns's lines to a haggis as his grace, opening gravey with : Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the pudden' race! Aboon them a' ye tak' your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm. Weel are ye worthy of a grace, As lang's my arm. Mr Wilson presided, and the vice-chair was occupied by the Hon. W. Walkei'j M.L.0., Minister for Education and a native of Edinburgh. _ An admission made by the Minister fra Edinboro' is worth a place in this narrative. Mr Walker had been asked to sing, but declined, explaining that before Mr Lely had visited the colony he (Mr Walker) had made a specialty of singing " The Laird o' Cockpen," but after hearing Lely he had sworn off sing-ing that item. All the same the Minister ga-vo " The Laird " — but he stuck to his statement, for the piece was spoken, not sung. No Hielan' gathering would be complete without tho presence of the Elgin bard, Mr John M'Glashan, conductor of the society, a talented violinist, and a composer whose strains have been heard beyond this colony. The conviviality of the evening, the tastiness of his dear old friend Haggis, and the clacking of the clans all laid a braw grip upon all that was pootic in the M'Glashan, and the afflatus would not let him go until the minstrel strain had been relieyed. " The Lay of the Mysterious s Box " is so good that I craved the "copy" for the edification of readers of the Witness. Here is the lay of the latest minstrel : —