ROYAL VISITORS
St. Dunstan's was frequently visited by British aristocracy, but, by all
odds, the most interesting visitors were members of the Royal Family.
His Majesty, King George, dropped in on more than one occasion, just
like an ordinary citizen, without the usual frills and pageantry that
accompany Royalty. In his visit to St. Dunstan's he went through the
place without even an equerry in attendance. He showed a deep and
sincere interest in the training and work of the men. He seemed to be a
little sceptical about our ability as poultry-raisers. On one occasion,
when visiting the poultry-house while a class was being instructed, he
signified that he would like a practical test of the power of the blind
to distinguish different breeds of fowls. The attendant caught a bird
and handed it to one of the students, an Imperial officer, by the way,
and scarcely had he touched it before he correctly pronounced it a
Plymouth Rock. The King was still sceptical, and a second and third bird
were handed the demonstrator, and the birds were properly named. This
convinced His Majesty that, though blind, the men could "carry on" in
what seemed to him an incredibly difficult occupation for the sightless.
[Illustration: Mat Weaving]
Her Majesty, Queen Mary, took an equally active interest in our hostel.
I met her under peculiar circumstances at the Bungalow. I had just
entered the Lounge from the Shorthand Room, when I heard the "Skipper"
calling me. I went up to him through an opening between a line of
chairs. When I reached Captain McMahon, he said: "Her Majesty, Queen
Mary, wishes to meet you, Rawlinson." And to the Queen he remarked:
"This is Rawlinson, who is learning to be a stenographer." Her Majesty
showed genuine interest in me, as she did in all the boys, and asked me
many questions about my wound, the circumstances under which I received
it, and what part of the line I was operating in when I was struck. She
then questioned me about the progress I was making with my work, and
about my life in the Bungalow. She finally complimented me on my ability
in finding my way about despite my handicap. It is not every day that a
private has the privilege of chatting familiarly with a queen, and in my
vanity I answered: "I know my surroundings at St. Dunstan's as well as I
do the palm of my hand." After a moment's silence, I asked Captain Mac
if that was all he wanted of me. He said that would do, and I turned to
depart. But while talking to the Queen I must have turned slightly
without knowing it, and I had lost my bearings. I stepped out boldly,
and tumbled clean over one of the chairs, and that after boasting to Her
Majesty that I knew the place "as well as I do the palm of my hand." It
was truly literally a case of pride going before a fall.
About half an hour later, I was going down the garden walk leading to
the Outer Circle, when I heard women's voices farther down the path. I
honk-honked--the usual signal of the boys when wishing the right of way.
Among the party in front of me was the Matron of the House, who said to
me: "Come on, Rawlinson, the way is all clear."
"Is that you, Matron," I replied; then, in a simulated injured tone, I
remarked that I had been talking to Queen Mary that afternoon, and:
"Would you believe it, Matron, she had not the good manners to shake
hands with a guy."
The Matron answered me in a somewhat flurried tone: "Her Majesty is
here, Rawlinson."
Needless to say, I was somewhat abashed. Canada had gone far beyond his
objective, as usual, but Canada was unfamiliar with retreat, and I
determined to stand by my guns.
"Well," said I, "will she shake hands now?"
"I surely will," replied the Queen. She did it with a firm pressure that
showed genuine feeling. She then asked me if I were out for a walk.
"No," I replied, "I'm going to meet another queen. Two queens in one
afternoon is not bad going for an old Canuck, is it?" "It certainly is
not," she replied. "And I do hope," she added with a merry laugh, "that
the other queen will not forget to shake hands when she meets you."
As I went away I heard her remark that that is "a very cheerful boy;
his blindness does not seem to trouble him much." She was right. It did
not by this time. I had so far progressed with my work that the future
was assured; work and happiness I could still find in this old world.
While at St. Dunstan's I had still another meeting with Royalty. One day
I was walking up the Lounge, along the strip sacred to the sightless,
when bump I went against someone who was stooping over while questioning
another student. I had collided with a woman, who immediately turned and
apologized most profusely for being in my way. She was most sorry that
she "did not see me coming." I was in an irritated mood; the sightless
always are under such circumstances. A collision of this sort always
reminds them of their handicap, a thing they delight to ignore.
Impatiently, I replied: "That's all right, ma'am. But if you people with
eyes, when you visit us, would only remember that there are some men
here that cannot see just as well as they once did, it would make it
easier for us." Again she apologized, and took my hand, giving it such
a hearty, sympathetic pressure that I felt somewhat ashamed of myself
for my hasty words. As I renewed my walk up the Lounge, one of the
V.A.D.'s overtook me, and asked what had happened. I told her, and she
almost took my breath away by telling me that I had been "saucing" Her
Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Alexandra. I quite expected to be "on the
carpet" before the chief for my words, for Sir Arthur was standing by,
and must have heard them. But Sir Arthur had a way of avoiding causing
his boys the slightest pain, and he no doubt knew that when I realized
to whom I had spoken so hastily, my chagrin would be sufficient
punishment. I hope the good Queen has forgiven my lack of courtesy, and
forgotten the incident--a thing I am not likely to do.