Sir Mathew's aid was again called
into service; reminding his lordship that his history was at fault, he
added, in a tone most prudent, 'Not yet one hundred, my lord; 1776
marks the date of the declaration of independence.' Thanking Sir
Mathew for the kindly hint, he apologized to his hearers, and
proceeded. 'One hundred years, then have hardly rolled around, and we
find that wonderful country presided over by a commoner--the choice of
a free people, who raise him to that proud eminence once every eight
years--vieing (here Sir Mathew again interrupted by saying, 'Every
four years, my lord!') with the oldest and most powerful nations of
Europe. Thanks, Sir Mathew,' interpolated his lordship, rather tartly,
turning round. His Honor now proceeded for some time on a rather
smooth course, except that he left out a great many h's and put in a
great many a's. The great minds of America, he said, had done a world
for her greatness. Here he condescended to pay what he was pleased to
consider a very deserved compliment to General Flum of New York, whose
broad and deeply wrinkled face he espied at the extreme end of one of
the long tables, where it loomed up like a careworn lantern amidst a
cluster of delicately tinted foliage.
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