MERE MAN.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3145, 20 July 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

MERE MAN.

A Woman’s After-Dinner Speech.

At the annual dinner of the Whitefviius Club held recently in London, the principal toasts were “Sovran Woman” and “Meie Man.” Tho task of proposing the latter toast was entrusted to Mrs C. N. Williamson, authoress of the novel “One of the Bravest.” Her speech, which was clever, ran us follows :—“The only other time I was ever acked to make a speech I had to say nice things about women. Now tlmie is no difficulty in that. Not that I Ike woman better than man—no woman won d believe me if I said I did. But I could say all the nice things I really thought about women without blushing and being taken for a bold person. Besides, I begun life by standing rather in awe of man—in the abstract. Of course, one gets over that. But be seemed to have got such a start of us by being born a few days earlier, and putting us in his debt tho very first thing by making us a present of a rib to go ou w.th, and inviting us to his garden party. That start did give him a tremendous advantage over us, and we can t say he has not made the most of it. So, you see, having for a long time (I won’t say how long) regarded man from this point of view, it comts as rather a shock to be asked to toast him as ‘ Mere Man.’ I really must apologise for that word ; it does sound too revengeful, when one comes to think of it, especially as he is to be defended to-niglit by a representative man who doesn’t evn need a start to w.n ;n the great games of war, politics, and letters, and tots of other things only to begin which I should have to use up the whole alphabet, to end which would only be to spell success in a new way. Of course, I don’t need to say I refer* to Mr Winston Churchill, and it’s not to be wondered at that be lias achieved so much in such a short time when one reflects that it took two very great countries to achieve him. A little while ago it was the faith ion for us to run down man, and we almost wanted him to believe we meant it. But it’s different now, at least temporarily. It’s quite the thing again for us to he kind to man. We have oven accorded him a privilege latterly which, so far as my knowledge goes, we have never given him before. We have encouraged him to set us a fashion in dress, and we have eagerly followed it. He put on kharki, and so did we, whether it was becoming 10 ns or not. Wo stole Ills hat, we stole his jacket, we even tried to steal his heart, under the im-pie.-jsion that it was kharki too. It is foruin ite for me that it .s the iash ou ogam ■;or us to make a pet of man, for, even at tho dreadful risk of being out of date, 1 do not think 1 could reconcile it to my conscience to-night, when man lias been lined litre in the hope that as he was to lie toasted he would he buttered ns well, ami then, knowing that lie wius too brave to ciy, t.io polite to answer buck or throw things, beg n to betnre him on his faults. Mo, how much nobler to heap coa.s oi li;e on his head in the process of toasting! What if lie bus given us some cause nt comp aim in the pa-I, when lie was young ami km w no b.tni'.' Mow much w in i to forgive ami forger, thus setting him a go. d example. which he as always expecting us ! , d I II w much v. is. r to lauicmb r. aiur ail, tli it it was on his invitation t ..at wI i: i so to.it on carl!;; to r member how io.ic’i be has done to make i.nr si iv exciting I ;Vw 11 - since we fir si br.-ame It s guc.-l . 1 I Io ngii | -aril ; ]is bis motive may lave bun j |i i i iy -■ j(js|, ; how Im has o| nub; 1 ab ill i (imiitig i 111 fncis for ns in a -! r immy, geclo.y, hislorv, semim:-, and lots of nt In r lather useful tilings, though no doubt we could have, found them cut jm-t as well for our -elves had we been obliged ; bow be has walked fur us, fought for us, bled for us.

brought us sweets, and mime love to us; liow he writes poetry about its, and publishes our novels, even when we say unkind I kings about him in them ; how dull dinner parties and dances, and many other of life’s entertainments would be without him. And while we are animated w.th this spirit of ftaukntss, let us confess that, whether it pleases us to call him in Stating creature, mere man, or brave comrade and hen; (they are all equally appropriate), let us confess that he has been, is, and will be the most interesting subject of disciissimi in the world—with the exception of the wars he has made and the- dresses we tire making—mere man.”