Six hundred and sixty-nine years ago, at the Council of Oxfurd, it was ordered that the feast of St. George should be kept by Englishmen as n national festival, and in 1830 Edward LI made St. George the patron of the Order of the Garter. Fifty-six years afterwards Richard IT, when he was about to invade Scotland, ordained "That every man of what state, condition, or nation they be of, sv that he be vf cure partie, here a sign of the armes of St. George, large, bathe before and be-inde, upon paroli that if he be slayne or woulded to doth, he that hath so dvon to hym shall not be butte to doth for default of the crosse that he lacketh."
Henry Vj made a similar ordinance when he invaded France; but so little doves the world know of its greatest men, that it is still uncertain why St. George wus. Gibbon is the authority for the story that he was a Cap: padocini army contractor, and that his character was stained by the vices too often 26 24 associated with that calling; but Gibbon enjoyed depreciating the saints whenever Fivst, Second Third, he could. 'Traditionally at any rate St. Bl coco Of HHH Hee was early regarded as one of the patrons of the military' profession; and though our
bathe before and behind," it is still, with
2 Hwwecooconmnrnccommnol Bl coooHHomHHeaHHEuneN morocconuconrnocnoccok Bi err cacocomnomHwoummn George was a gallant Christian soldier, and
soldiers no longer bear his cross large, the Union in one corner, the distinguishing signal of our men-of-war, His cult has been revived by the replacing of his effigy fon our gold coinage, and it would be a graceful thing if his Gyure were transferred to the notes that are to replace our familiar sovereigns. Englishmen abroad are more ready to keep upSt. George'scelebrationthan they are at home, and in the United States especially the St. George's Societies flourish exceedingly. He has ben wuch neglected in Shanghai in comparison with his brothers St, Andrew and St. Patrick, but a vigorous attempt was made at the Shanghai Club on Thursday night to atone for this English indifference. Indeed it was not so much a desire to obey the injunction of the of Oxford, as a wish tu repay the hospitality continued for so many years by the Scotchmen of Shanghai and others, that prompted some votaries of St. George to organise Thursday's Ball, and the scheme was heartily taken up by Englishmen, anda Committee elected, the leading pripeiple being that no English resident should be invited who did not subscribe tu the ball. 'The total number of people invited was 620, of whom some 520 accepted, the num-capacity of the Club. ber of invitations being only limited by the was very hot on Thursday morning, the mercury nearly reachitig' 80°. in the shade, and the croakers who had predicted that it would be much too hot for a ball on the 23rd of April were able to aay, "I told you sv," and it is probable that this pro-mature and short-lived burat of summer away some of the ladies who had accepted invitations. In the middle of the day, however, the wind shifted to the
fall. As soon aa the hall of the Club, which north, anid it was winter again by ght was hung with national flags, was passed, it was seen that a careful effort had been made to give a specially English character to the decorations. The shields of the Kings of England up to the Stuarts, and before the Scottish Lion und the Irish Harp had been added to the Royal Arms, were hung round the walls of the ante-room and the all-room, which was farther decorated with flage'and trails of ivy, and bri lighted with electric glow-lights. Flowers and greenery were everywhere. The enclosed front verandah was decorated with flags, and prominent among the adornments of the anteroom were two very large circular carved and gilded plaques, copied from the observe and reverse of the dragon sovereign. The portrait of the Queen the one was little too forbidding to by a pleasing likeness, but the George and Dragon were certainly a credit to the native voulptor. The dancing floor was in capital order, and the Band, under Chev. Velu's invaluable direction, surpassed itevif.
About four hundred people, of whom probably one-third were ladies, attended the ball, and the rooms were never incon: veniently crowded. A mere glimpse of the dancers showed that the prophets were out of it who had said that the ladies would not come to ball so Into in the season, as they would have exhausted their party frocks. The programme, which was og follows was danced through with spirit and conscientiousness, four Indies remaining for No, 20:—
1, Waltz—LoveStar.......c40. Roeder Lancers—Yeomen of the Guard Sullivan Waltz—Ever and ever mine... Coote 4, Polka—Bataille de Confetti... Cellam 5, Waltz—Un Premier Bouquet. Waldteufel 6, Waltz—Grenadiers 7. Caledonians—Original 8, Waltz—La Toscana Bucalossi 9. Waltz—Santingo... Corbin.
Mazurka—Souvenirs clu Tyrol, Wittmann Waltz—Nid d'Amour Waldteufel Waltz—Love's Dreamland... Roeder March—Roost Beef of Old England, Waltz (Extra)—Pluic door... Waldteufel INW Galop—Prestissimo.
Caledonians Arranged by M. Vela Waltz—Toreador Sir Roger de Coverley 18, Waltz—Shadowland 19, Schottische—Fuir Muidof Perth. Fritbling 20. Waltz—Réverie aldteufel God save the Queen Pomuiery and Greno, of which 269 quarts were consumed, flowed in profusion throughout the evening, and the supper, which was better than usual, was distinguished by including a Baron of the Roast Beef of old Bugland, weighing 165 Ibs., which was s0 much appreciated that only bones were" left on Friday worning, The usual second supper, enlivened by songs and toasts, two place when the dancing was over, and the roll was signed by the survivors of the struggle at 4.45 a.m. on Friday. The exertions of the headset the sub-committees, and special mention must be made of Mosars. Gratton, Bowring, and Cheetham, were crowned with the success they merited, and it remains only to put on record the names of the officials of the ball, Committee:—L. S. Little (President) F. M. Gratton (Vice-President), Bowring, H. W.- Daniel, H. R. Hearn, R. W. Eitele, G. W. Noel, H. J. H. Tripp, R. Twentyman, R. &; Wainewright, J. Caldbeck (Hon. Treasurer), J. F. Cheetham (Hon. Secretary).
Stewards:—A. Burman, A. J. Bury, R. G. Gibb, H.. Kopsch, W.: H. Short; Walter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.