10.04.2013 Views

Untitled - Electric Scotland

Untitled - Electric Scotland

Untitled - Electric Scotland

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

i 48 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. v.<br />

occasion, but it is the manner which makes the orator ;<br />

and though afterwards I heard him speak most effectively,<br />

both at Exeter Hall and in the House of Lords, yet he<br />

never came up to the grace and fire and dignity of that last<br />

speech at Rugby. After this nothing remained but on the<br />

following day to take out the horses from his carriage and<br />

draw him to the station. I have a confused memory of<br />

much shouting, one or two short speeches, and shouting<br />

again, and then we turned^ sorrowfully homeward. On the<br />

way back three friends thus discoursed upon the day s<br />

proceedings. One said, After all, wasn t it a queer way<br />

of showing regret to drag him to the station ? It was as if<br />

you were glad to be rid of him. And the second said, I<br />

wonder what he thought of it himself? And the third<br />

answered, Probably he would have said (to use his own<br />

favourite expression) there was a good deal to be said on<br />

both sides. And then one of the others said, * How<br />

shall we ever get on without him ? with which boylike<br />

mixture of jest and earnest, of criticism and affection, we<br />

took leave of our old Head-master.<br />

1

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!