(Hear,
hear!) He personally hoped never to be seen either in a pith helmet or
a Tam-o'-shanter, but if the whim took him to wear either--or indeed
both--he claimed the right to do so. (Loud cheers.) Meanwhile he should
adhere to his soft hat.
Mr. MASKELYNE, who followed, urged upon the company the desirability
of the silk-hat mode. If tall hats, he said, went out of fashion, what
would become of conjurers? Rabbits could be satisfactorily extracted
only from tall hats. (Prolonged cheering.) An omelette made in a
sombrero was unthinkable. (Renewed cheering.)
Mr. ARNOLD BENNETT said that all this talk about toppers was pernicious
nonsense. The topper had become obsolete and should not be disinterred.
The only honest form of hat for an honest straightforward man was a
white bowler. A white bowler and a blue serge suit made as stylish and
effective a garb as anyone needed. Soft hats no doubt were comfortable,
but they were also slovenly. Moreover they were not practical. At a
horse sale, for example, you could not rattle them. As for the plea that
tall hats were of value to conjurers, he had no use for such arguments.
Conjurers dealt in illusion and all illusion was retrograde. (Oh! Oh!).
The Bishop of LINCOLN said that he felt bound to dissociate himself
from his, partner's remarks.
Pages:
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51