SIR HARRY LAUDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1919, Page 12

SIR HARRY LAUDER.

A POPULAR KNIGHTHOOD, HOW A SCOTSMAN TAKES IT. Sydney, May 1. "For services rendered to his country (Hid to the British Army," Harry Lauder baa been knighted. The new knight will wear his honors! well. In private life he is a simple, earnest, dignified, «juiet-living man, with * quaint turn of humor, a Scottish canininess, and a fund of bonhomie. And when he was seen yesterday afternoon there was no excitement in his manner, no excess of pride, just a pardonable pleasure at his recognition by the King. His knighthood is well merited. The serviqes fo his country ,embrace his propaganda work throughout the United States, where his immense popularity and his homely speech proved a valuable factor in disposing tho various sections of the citizens that he addressed to a better feeling towards Great Britain, at a time when such a disposition was vital. His services to the British Army are equally well known, since there eould not be a better tonic to the man in the firing line than a Harry Lauder song sung by Harry himself. HOW THE NEWS CAME. it He had arranged a little lunch at the Australia yesterday for a few of his private friends. When one of his guests, his manager, Mr. J. Tait, entered he greeted the singer with: "How are you, Sir?" Harry said he was "All richt." I He had not even noted the slightly stressed "Sir"; for Mr Tait bore two cable envelopes addressed, "Sir Harry Lauder." As the meal started Mr. Tait casually produced the cables, and passed them to Harry Lauder. Mrs. Lauder's keen eyes caught sight of the address. "That's a little previous, Harry, isn't it?" she laughed, suspecting nothing. Her husband lifted his spectacles and read the first cable, in which knighthood was announced. Quietly he passed it to his wife. "What do you think of that, love?" he said. "And," said Mr. Tait afterwards, "Harry and his wife were the only two of us who weren't excited." "Well, I was a bit excited," confessed the new knight. "I couln't help getting a wee bit excited, watching the excitement of all my friends. You should have seen them!" He had a good lunch; and ho "never turned a hair," said Lady Lauder. "Weel," said her husband drily, "I haven't got much hair to turn!" "I can't explain it," said Lady Lauder. "We've only been in Australia two days, and now this comes. It's the country, I think. You're so fast here. I put it down to the climate!" ''But I bet there'll be some excitement at the Glen to-night!" laughed the Laird of Glen Branter. NO SIR HENRY. Someone asked: "Is it to be Sir Harry or Sir Henry?" The knight looked shocked. "Everybody knows me as Harry! Why, it wouldn't be me if I was Sir Henry. I was christened Henry,' but for the last twenty years in signing contracts T have always signed Harry.' I'll be 'Harry' always, to everybody. Lady Lauder sat by, quietly content. "I suppose you're the most pleased about this?" she was asked. "I am," she quickly replied, "but not for myself, but for my husband, the best husband in the world he has always been to me." And the leant quickly over and kissed him on the bald spot above his forehead. "It's no' much for myself," said Sir Harry; "It's right enough; but I take it as a great honor to my profession." A HAPPY MARRIAGE. Lady Lauder was asked how long she had been married. "Goodness me," the alert, goodhumored little lady replied. "You'll be asking me ray age next!" "Twenty-nine years," said her husband promptly. "Yes," his wife quietly said. "Our boy would have been 27 this year if he had lived." And there was a little Bilence. Sir Harry took out his pipe and started cutting up, with great care, the last remaining corner of a plug of tobacco, Australian style. His wife beamed at him. Somebody laughingly ,asked him if his wife ever bossed him. I Sir Harry sat back proudly. "There's .only one boss in my home!" "And that's me!" his wife chimed in quickly. "But he doesn't know it!" And to prove it she kissed that bald spot onee again. It seemed a habit.