FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



secretary was not due to any lack of cordiality 

 between himself and that official, for their relations 

 throughout had been most harmonious, but was 

 owing entirely to physical reasons. 



As is customary on such occasions, the Mayor 

 was presented by the president with a bound 

 copy of the Show Catalogue, specially prepared 

 for him by the secretary, and the president 

 accompanied it by a kindly-expressed intimation 

 that he would take the Mayor round the show 

 in order to point out to him the leading features 

 and generally enlighten him with regard to the 

 Society ! 



In justice to all concerned I cannot omit the 

 concluding item of the ceremony. The Mayor, 

 having formally declared the exhibition open, 

 was about to absent himself in order to exchange 

 the mayoral cocked-hat for the secretarial 

 ;< topper," when he suddenly found himself trans- 

 formed in all but outward habiliments, into the 

 secretary, and receiving at the hands of the 

 president, on behalf of the Society's Council, a 

 memento of the occasion in the shape of a silver 

 salver as the medium of conveying a message of 

 congratulation and affectionate regard. 



The secret of what was intended was, contrary 

 to custom, so well kept that the issue of it took 

 me quite unawares, so that, in making my acknow- 

 ledgments, I could not forbear reminding his 

 lordship that it was the first time in all these 

 long years that those whom I served had refrained 

 from taking me into their confidence beforehand 

 in all matters connected with the Society. To 

 me, the inestimable value of such a memento lay 



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