A toast to Thanksgiving,
A Pæan of Praise,
A health to our forefathers brave;
May we honor the deeds
They have done in the past,
Hold sacred all that they gave.
—Estelle Foreman.
An Englishman's Frank Toast.
In cosmopolitan Los Angeles there are five gentlemen companions, each representing a different nationality, who from frequent association have become intimate friends. One is a Russian, one a Turk, one a Frenchman, one an American and one an Englishman. These five frequently assemble together and tell of the comparative merits of the respective countries they represented and thus their companionship is a source of instruction as well as entertainment. Recently they gave a champagne supper to which a few friends were invited. During the course of this dinner it was proposed that each of the five give a toast to his native country, the one giving the best toast to be at no expense for the feast. The result was these toasts:
The Russian—"Here's to the stars and bars of Russia, that were never pulled down."
The Turk—"Here's to the moons of Turkey whose wings were never clipped."
The Frenchman—"Here's to the cock of France, whose feathers were never picked."
The American—"Here's to the Stars and Stripes of America, never trailed in defeat."
The Englishman—"Here's to the rampin' roarin' lion of Great Britain, that tore down the stars and bars of Russia, clipped the wings of Turkey, picked the feathers off the cock of France, and ran like h—l from the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America."
The Englishman was at no expense for the feast.