tion。 The celebration was so successful in the saloon that Mr。 Daly had it repeated the next night in the second cabin； and the night after that in the steerage。 The steerage did its best； and was clothed in the finest things which it was carrying back to astonish the old folks in the old country； and its enthusiasm was greater； if possible； than the welcome which had greeted the artists among the first and second cabin passengers。
After Miss Rehan had recited her part and been encored and encored； I found her in tears。 I said： 〃Miss Rehan； your triumph has been so great that it should be laughter。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃but it is so pathetic to see these people who probably never before met with the highest art。〃
Among the many eminent English men of letters who at one time came to the United States was Matthew Arnold。 The American lecture promoters were active in securing these gentlemen； and the American audiences were most appreciative。 Many came with letters of introduction to me。
Mr。 Arnold was a great poet； critic； and writer； and an eminent professor at Oxford University and well…known to our people。 His first address was at Chickering Hall to a crowded house。 Beyond the first few rows no one could hear him。 Explaining this he said to me： 〃My trouble is that my lectures at the university are given in small halls and to limited audiences。〃 I advised him that before going any farther he should secure an elocutionist and accustom himself to large halls； otherwise his tour would be a disappointment。
He gave me an amusing account of his instructor selecting Chickering Hall； where he had failed； and making him repeat his lecture； while the instructor kept a progressive movement farther and farther from the stage until he reached the rear seats； when he said he was satisfied。 It is a tribute to the versatility of this great author that he learned his lesson so well that his subsequent lectures in different parts of the country were very successful。
Once Mr。 Arnold said to me： 〃The lectures which I have prepared are for university audiences； to which I am accustomed。 I have asked my American manager to put me only in university towns； but I wish you would look over my engagements。〃
Having done this； I remarked： 〃Managers are looking for large and profitable audiences。 There is no university or college in any of these towns； though one of them has an inebriate home and another an insane asylum。 However； both of these cities have a cultured population。 Your noisiest and probably most appreciative audience will be at the one which is a large railroad terminal。 Our railroad people are up…to…date。〃
I saw Mr。 Arnold on his return from his tour。 The description he gave of his adventures was very picturesque and the income had been exceedingly satisfactory and beyond expectation。
Describing the peculiarities of the chairmen who introduced him； he mentioned one of them who said： 〃Ladies and gentlemen； next week we will have in our course the most famous magician there is in the world； and the week after； I am happy to say； we shall be honored by the presence of a great opera…singer； a wonderful artist。 For this evening it is my pleasure to introduce to you that distinguished English journalist Mr。 Edwin Arnold。〃 Mr。 Arnold began his lecture with a vigorous denial that he was Edwin Arnold； whom I judged he did not consider in his class。
Mr。 Arnold received in New York and in the larger cities which he visited the highest social attention from the leading families。 I met him several times and found that he never could be reconciled to our two most famous dishesterrapin and canvasback duckthe duck nearly raw。 He said indignantly to one hostess； who chided him for his neglect of the canvasback： 〃Madam； when your ancestors left England two hundred and fifty years ago； the English of that time were accustomed to eat their meat raw； now they cook it。〃 To which the lady answered： 〃I am not familiar with the customs of my ancestors； but I know that I pay my chef； who cooked the duck； three hundred dollars a month。〃
We were all very fond of Thackeray。 He did not have the general popularity of Charles Dickens； nor did he possess Dickens's dramatic power； but he had a large and enthusiastic following among our people。 It was an intellectual treat and revelation to listen to him。 That wonderful head of his seemed to be an enormous and perennial fountain of wit and wisdom。
They had a good story of him at the Century Club； which is our Athenaeum； that when taken there after a lecture by his friends they gave him the usual Centurion supper of those days： saddlerock oysters。 The saddlerock of that time was nearly as large as a dinner…plate。 Thackeray said to his host： 〃What do I do with this animal？〃
The host answered： 〃We Americans swallow them whole。〃
Thackeray； always equal to the demand of American hospitality； closed his eyes and swallowed the oyster； and the oyster went down。 When he had recovered he remarked： 〃I feel as if I had swallowed a live baby。〃
We have been excited at different times to an absorbing extent by the stories of explorers。 None were more generally read than the adventures of the famous missionary； David Livingstone； in Africa。 When Livingstone was lost the whole world saluted Henry M。 Stanley as he started upon his famous journey to find him。 Stanley's adventures； his perils and escapes； had their final success in finding Livingstone。 The story enraptured and thrilled every one。 The British Government knighted him； and when he returned to the United States he was Sir Henry Stanley。 He was accompanied by his wife； a beautiful and accomplished woman； and received with open arms。
I met Sir Henry many times at private and public entertainments and found him always most interesting。 The Lotos Club gave him one of its most famous dinners； famous to those invited and to those who spoke。
It was arranged that he should begin his lecture tour of the United States in New York。 At the request of Sir Henry and his committee I presided and introduced him at the Metropolitan Opera House。 The great auditorium was crowded to suffocation and the audience one of the finest and most sympathetic。
We knew little at that time of Central Africa and its people； and the curiosity was intense to hear from Sir Henry a personal and intimate account of his wonderful discoveries and experiences。 He thought that as his African life was so familiar to him； it must be the same to everybody else。 As a result； instead of a thriller he gave a commonplace talk on some literary subject which bored the audience and cast a cloud over a lecture tour which promised to be one of the most successful。 Of course Sir Henry's effort disappointed his audience the more because their indifference and indignation depressed him； and he did not do justice to himself or the uninteresting subject which he had。selected。 He never again made the same mistake； and the tour was highly remunerative。
For nearly a generation there was no subject which so interested the American people as the adventures of explorers。 I met many of them； eulogized them in speeches at banquets given in their honor。 The people everywhere were open…eyed； open…eared； and open…mouthed in their welcome and eagerness to hear them。
It is a commentary upon the fickleness of popular favor that the time was so short before these universal favorites dropped out of popular attention and recollection。
XXIV。 SOCIETIES AND PUBLIC BANQUETS
The most unique experience in my life has been the dinners given to me by the Montauk Club of Brooklyn on my birthday。 The Montauk is a social club of high standing； whose members are of professional and business life and different political and religious faiths。
Thirty years ago Mr。 Charles A。 Moore was president of the club。 He was a prominent manufacturer and a gentleman of wide influence in political and social circles。 Mr。 McKinley offered him the position of secretary of the navy； which Mr。 Moore declined。 He came to me one day with a committee from the club； and said： 〃The Montauk wishes to celebrate your birthday。 We know that it is on the 23d of April； and that you have two distinguished colleagues who also have the 23d as their birthdayShakespeare and St。 George。 We do not care to include them； but desire only to celebrate yours。〃
The club has continued these celebrations for thirty years by an annual dinner。 The ceremonial of the occasion is a reception； then dinner； and； after an introduction by the president； a speech by myself。 To make a new speech every year which will be of interest to those present and those who read it； is not easy。
These festivities had a fortunate beginning。 In thinking over what I should talk about at the first dinner； I decided to get some fun out of the municipality of Brooklyn by a picturesque description of its municipal conditions。 It was charged in the newspapers that there had been serious graft in some public improvements which had been condoned by the authorities and excused by an act of the legislature。 It had also been charged that the Common Council had been giving away valuable franchises to their favorites。 Of course； this presented a fine field of contrast between ancient and modern times。 In ancient times grateful citizens erected statues to eminent men who had deserved well of their country in military or civic life； but Brooklyn had improved upon the ancient model through the grant of public utilities。 The speech caused a riot after the dinner as to its propriety； many taking the ground that it was a criticism； and； therefore； inappropriate to the occasion。 However； the affair illustrated a common experience of mine that unexpected results will sometimes flow from a bit of humor； if the humor has concealed in it a stick of dynamite。
The Brooklyn pulpit； which is the most progressive in the world； took the matter up and aroused public discussion on municipal affairs。 The result was the formation of a committee of one hundred citizens to investigate municipal conditions。 They found that while the mayor and some other officials were high…toned and admirable officers； yet the general administration of the city go