“In Europe, and especially in France, people have the greatest
regard for any one who has received a medal or other decoration
of honor,” said Dr. Helms, of Buffalo, in the course of a sermon
on “France and the French.” And to prove this he related a
little anecdote. “A friend of mine,” said Dr. Helms, “visiting
a popular summer resort in southern France, became annoyed at
the manner in which he was neglected in the dining-room. Men
who came in long after he did would be served, while he sat
unnoticed. Finally he became curious to know the reason for
this, and slipping a coin into the hand of a friendly-looking
waiter, he asked him why it was.
“‘Because,’ replied the waiter, ‘Mr. So-and-So belongs to the
Legion of Honor, and Mr. Blank has received the Order of St.
Michael, and Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones and all the others have
some decoration.’
“My friend was equal to the occasion,” added Mr. Helms. “In his
trunk up-stairs was the badge he had worn at the Republican
convention which nominated President Taft, and he wore it
prominently displaced on his coat lapel when he came down to
dine again. Thereafter he had no occasion to complain about
the service and nothing in the dining-room was too good for
him.”--Buffalo _Evening News_.
(2610)
=Rapidity in Nature=--See GROWTH IN NATURE.