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IWHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY…

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WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY BACK. [8PEC!AL TO "EVENING EXPRESS."]! With all match responsibilities -remo-vel through the action of the cold snap which iron-bormd the 'Varaity ground, the Newport I-eam found themaelves with the remainder of the day at their disposal for a walk round. Joyda. (correct pronunciation) Hodges re- membered that he had forgotten to call upon his medical friends. Be was particularly 9,nxiooa to cultivate the acquaintance of M.B/a, M.D.'s. or M-any things on the off- thance of srettin? a. non-gla.ndicnla,r protnber- a.nce—that ia, a- conunon srarden boil—removed on the Theap from the skin of his neck. Joydsb kept aaking everybody to feel this lump on his neck. This being done with the gravity worthy of a better cauae, Joyda. would ask for opinionN aa to what it waH. One said it was heart diaeaee, another swelled head, and a third solemnly diagnosed it aa a bone in the throat. yor my own part, I put it down to pocketi- cular gatheration of matter brought about by drinking Julienne clear soup with too great regularity. When Joyda heard that Mike Roben, the Watsonian half, was a rally Cedged doctor, he followed him about like a new man Friday after a new Cruaoe. He begged him not to leave without spearing the said lump. He implored him not to hot offended at his continuous solicitation for atabe, but that he could not forget his lump amiction, inasmuch as it rubbed against his collar. To all of which the doctor replied.— "Not at at)," and promised to attend to his case early in the morning. Whereat Joyda was pacined. and we all Milled forth to look for Griff. Griff is a distinguished 'Varsity man with hundreds of medals for domg things in doc- tory. Welsh to the backbone, and even tem- pered at that, he succeeds in making Welsh visitors feel at home. Nothing is too mu&h trouble for him. "Semper idem." which Tom Williams Bays means Always the sajno," i3 wtucl: on his cap, and he acte up to it. He introduced us to Sport Scott. Dr. Turner. &t)0 to the Pheasant and the Fairy G<xl- mother. Now. to prevent any misconception. I must teJl you at once that the Fairy Godmother M a man. He is, further, a medical man. His title of Godmother waa conferred npon him for his largeheartedness. He tthareth his substantial substance among his fellows. The medical is not always a rich man. Incidental expenses often lead to a depleted treasury. When finances are low the Fairy Godaiotber come forward and wa-vea hia wand. Then there is the Pheasant. What a good pheasant it was; plumage beautiful to be- hold. He waa christened the Pheasant by us, because it did one good to behold him. He was a feast for the) eyes. ? And Sport Scott, whom Joyda. would insist Wpoa 40alling Scott Snort. Whereat we !auched I MaMy timee. Sport has won his title beca.uae he is a. really good sport. He came round as a forward with the &rst 'Varsity team that played in Wales. He remembered & certain referee called D. H. Bowen &wa.rding a try to Swamaea.. which he, Sport Scott, thought was not a. try. And he told th&t &-tid referee the story of how he had clasped the 'try getting to prevent the try, and had prevented the try. But the referee gave it. But as a. aport he had bowed to hia decision. He told me this taJe a.bont 45 times. And he called me "Bone" each time. Dear old Sport. Many happy honra were spent with Griff.. the Fairy Godmother, the Pheasa-nt, a.n<t Sport Scott. We sat in a. windowed niche until the stars were plainly seen on or through the window panes. The Godmother told ua fairy tales. Li--tom little librettos. And all the while Joyda.'s neck adornment restled his collar. What a. pdty it is that Friends must cart! I Why cooldn't we all sit ta that windowed niche for ever, with the same companions and the aame stars? Was it worth the meet- ing bat to Jmow the pangs of p<artin&? Ah, y. 'Tia better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. So, the morning coming, we wished them a tend good-night. We went to bed. And now we come to the last day. Saj'apa. told as that the card contained nine more hit-uma. Item the nTat, Breakfast, nine o'clock sharp, waa carefully lone through. It didn t aCect us much. Item the aecond was, Farewella !tt the station and "Antd Lang Syne.* Now. there is no more Voice destroying preparation I than "Auld Lang Syne.* I ha.ve known strong men start & banquet with a. supply of cleaz resonant tones and nnish up quite huaky by singing "Auld Lang Syne." There were Kelts in plenty to see the team &wa.y, and the fareweUa were mind ctTishera. To rousing cheers the train stea-med out of the station at 10.15 a..m., and the item cor- responding thereto, as well as the next, were faithfully observed. Here they aj-e, aa per programme:— 10.15 ajm.—Leave Edinborgh. Taought too deep for words until- 1.0 p.m.—Luncheon. After luncheon ft very interesting ceremony waa performed: the whole of the team and frienda foregathered in that particular por- tion of the saloon where Harry Packer was groanmg. I He who held the reins looked for the joke. When he was properly encased, so that there could be no escape, (:reorge Boots spoke out. He said that the trip the nrst Welsh Rugby club had made to Scotland had been so enjoyable, and that it had been made so largely by the delicacy of the handltng of the reina by the chief whip. that the players, ajid friends had secretly combined to present him (Mr. Packer) with a slight token of esteem in the shape of a pocket- book. with a suitable engraving on the frontis- p'ece. And. added George, all dished him long life and prosperity. He then handed the token over, a splendid pocket-book, bearing the inscription aome- <thiog as follows— Presented to Mr. Harry Packer by the Newport players on the occasion of the First Welsh Club tour to Scotland, Nov., 1903. Barry Packer's face was a study while all thus was going on. He waa so dumbfounded that he even forgot to twirl hia mou&- tache. an oversight which showed, more than <mything else, his mind collapse. He handled the pocket-book only indifferently we'I for <M)me time, as though he doubted ita reality. When called upon by the captain to say "a few words," he woke as from -a reverie. He said he waa quite at a ioas to know what to say. He also aaid that it would have been impossible for him to have given aa-tisfaction unices all ha<i co-operated with him in the way they had. He would treasure this pttoket-bcok as long as he lived. And to the ceremony end<'d. His last word htmc in my memory. I was eo glad that an umbrella (which was on the tapis) had not Men chosen aa ths present, for then Harry) could not have said h& would Treasure it as tong as he Hved. One can't treasure an umbrella.. Some other treasurer sneaks it. At two p.m. Wally Jones was due for a lecturette on Sweet Perfumed Remem- branoea." But Wally is ever a. disappoint- ment. He had been commiti.ing this to memory for days. and now at the hour of oction he could only exclaim: "Excuse me tnuCHnx. boys' I'm tired of ueing my hand- tt.eirctnef." a.t which Mr. Frost and Willie Llewellin amiled aweetty. Doth tb<:ee have Mt eye for beauty-that is, bea,aty of rema-rk. The, train thudded on. Te& a.t 4.30 p.m., with 40 winks at five p.m., were fairly observed, and then the final feast of dinner at 6.15 arrived all too eoon. At Pontypool Road the Sret disintegrating movement took place. Beddoe Thooias (who ca.n sing one v'erse of 'ihs Anchor's Weighed" better than anybody bar the other Thomas) atact CliS' Pritchard left us. Here it was that Adama anxiously inquired of Wetter whethef there were any ahops Ejea.r. Adams had for- gotten to buy presents at Edinburgh, and waa ajixioaa to buy Scotch presenta anywhere. Bat he failed here. Noah'a Ark woie his next change. Preparations to disband were now ?oing ou. B&ta, coats, and bags were apportioned. The iMt item was, 7.34 p.m.—Arrive .Newport. TFinia. "Ah!" said the Thomas who had kept na <U roaring. We'll have several helpings of Finis. Conc!us!on. I If amy of the tonriats can say that. their cap of enjoyment was anything than fttll to the brim then I say their joys are not of thM world. Two outstanding features of the trip were the wiedom and wit. The wiadom of the manasement, which showed forethought and ttfter thought; the wit of the pia.yera, which I eent the whole tour along at a merry rattle. Enjoyment to the hf!t. Enough a-nd not too tMtch. N?ed more be a?Mi?

JREHERBERT V. ABERAVOM. I

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I FOOTBALL SKETCHES

I A PEMBROKE MAN'S PERIL J

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ASSOOADON CODE

HtNTS AND CRmCtSMS. ___I

MR. P. G. GALE, NEWPORT.I

BLAtNA. t

! I .ABERDARE.

!BARRY.

I pCAERLEON i

I .HAFOD.

LLANRADACH. I

MERTHYR VALE.I

PONTLOTTYN. I

PENARTH. TiI

PORTHI

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