THE MILITARY BALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 30 June 1902, Page 2

THE MILITARY BALL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Ti ere is much fcroa in what yair correspondent " Oons's'ant [.oyalisfc " says ; and if tir.ra were any persons at the baU who understand tbe w.r.l " loyal y " as " Ootsistent Loyalist " does, they were very wrong to behwe s and " Consistent Loyalist" is very right to be crjss with them. But lo j me, as one of the merry-makers, put in a p'ea f<r myself. My loyalty is to tbe Empir l , atd not to a mm who happsLg by virtue of a parliamentary titlj to be its nominal executive heid. Of course I and others, whose opition I voio3, know .that wa ought to feel sympathy and sorrow for any fellowman wbo i) suffering, and I think we do bp, V'U*~. if we dou't happeu to know the sufferer personally, it is hard to prosfi ve the appearance of sorrow we th<:o«eticilly feel; especially when we remember that thousands of 'others are dxily sbritking with agony of whom nobody takes any no'ice except these immediately around them. As to prayers, it seems to me just pqssib'.e that God has be n abia to spare a little time from watching wicked foreigners and the pauper criminals of London to glance at the King of England duiiog his life, and wc.uld probably know how much considerati <u the latter deserves without needing the advice of ignorant mortals who can only see the fair exterior, and can only know from report bow well a man derervrs ac the hands of his Maker, Moreover, we were aesurtd by the attendants of the King (liara sppirently) tbat his Majesty was not in danger that he was progressing favourably. Tue following day we get an idea how serious the illness i?, acd we know (hit even now the danger is not p tet, yet a crowd of merry-makers assemble at, the <heitre. Will not consistent loyalists ndraiitis l or a rebuke ttr them also ? Jfrur-etrete* ipondent speaks abont" I "'lndies " (?) I should like to change the subject. L.arn bis opinion as to what "lady" means. Had we lived a hundred years ago we could no' the question ; but tempom mutantur "t nos(icoos'stent loyalist) cum illis mutaviur. There if one more nutter touched hy your correspondent—our South Africaii unteer?, Do they or any of them really go to war out of love for the King? I hive known many of them. One who wanted to go, but wes not accepted, was actuated by love of It's British nationality and loyalty to the Empira, The others were confessedly actuated by desire of adventure or of gain. None eaid anything about love for the King. They are and were rational young men, and acted rationally in dancing on Thursday tight. .1 venture to say that were Mr Saddon in danger of his life, or even seriousiy ill, the ball would not have been held ; and for the good reason that we all know him, and know that he has served bis country well, sven if -we admit that it has paid him to do so.—l am, etc., Peccavi. New Piyjaouth, 26th June.