SPEECH AT THE SCOTTISH BANQUET IN LONDON.
AT the anniversary festival of the Scottish Corporation of London on Monday evening, in response to the toast of "The Ladies," Mark Twain replied. The following is the speech as reported in the London Observer:
"I am proud, indeed, of the distinction of being chosen to respond to this especial toast, to 'The Ladies,' or to women if you please, for that is the preferable term, perhaps; it is certainly the older, and therefore the more entitled to reverence. (Laughter.) I have noticed that the Bible, with that plain, blunt honesty which is such a conspicuous characteristic of the Scriptures, is always particular to never refer to even the illustrious mother of all mankind herself as a 'lady,' but speaks of her as a woman. (Laughter.) It is odd, but you will find it is so. I am peculiarly proud of this honour, because I think that the toast to women is one which, by right and by every rule of gallantry, should take precedence of all others—of the army, of the navy, of even royalty itself—perhaps, though the latter is not necessary in this day and in this land, for the reason that, tacitly, you do drink a broad general health to all good women when you drink the health of the Queen of England and the Princess of Wales. (Loud cheers.) I have in mind a poem just now which is familiar to you all, familiar to everybody. And what an inspiration that was (and how instantly the present toast recalls the verses to all our minds) when the most noble, the most gracious, the purest, and sweetest of all poets says:—
(Laughter) However, you remember the lines; and you remember how feelingly, how daintily, how almost imperceptibly, the verses raise up before you, feature by feature, the ideal of a true and perfect woman; and how, as
"'Woman! O woman!—er—
Wom——'
