THE BATTALION.
15
over, the wounded crawling. The man
on the cot raised partly up from his
couch only to fall back again. Two
of his comrades, divining his wishes,
crossed hurriedly and picking up the
couch transferred it to the opposite side
of the line. As the custain was drawn
upon this scene the orchestra deleghted
the ears ot the listeners for a few mo
menta.
Mr. Lewis then made his appearance
and again the subject was taken up as
before, and in appropriate language was
■discussed up to iSanta Anna’s capture
and humiliation.
At the close of his speech, as after
the others, another tableau was pre
sented. This represented the scene
when Santa Anna was captured and
brought before Gen. Houston. Imag
ine a weatherworn tent under which a
wounded man lay without hat or coat,
and partially covered with »n old and
anuch used army blanket.
Standing to the left and bowing in
humble submission as though pleading
for protection, a man dressed in the
uniform of a Mexican guard, while sur
rounding him leaning on their rifles
were a squad of Texan soldiers-, evi
dently his captors.
At the close of this scene the orches
tra again favored us with a choice se
lection.
Mr. Law then took up the subject and
in a brilliant manner described the
progress of Texas as a free and inde
pendant nation. His appeal to the
youth of Texas was sublime and those
who heard it could but feel proud that
they were sons of heroes who died for
Texas independence. As he finished
the curtain was again drawn, this time
•on the last tableau, Texas Independ
ence. The scene was indeed beautiful.
Standing on a low stand covered with a
Texas flag was a little barefoot girl of
perhaps ten years of age, holding in
her right hand the staff which support
ed a flag of Texas, while with her left
hand she was reaching forward to re
ceive the sword surrendered by Mexico.
Mexico was represented by a man
kneeling in humble submission and
offering a sword to Texas. On the left
of Texas arranged in successive order
and draped with the flags of Texas and
the United States, were the pictures on
Gen. Houston, Gov. Ross and Stephen
F. Austin. Back of these were flow
ers and rare plants in profusion. As
the curtain was drawn on this scene the
orchestra struck up the familiar strains
of Dixie, amid thunders of applause.
P. P. M .
•Annual Celebration.
On March 23rd was celebrated an
other anniversary meeting of the Cali-
opean society. Success has crowned
her every effort in the past and this
was certainly no exception.
At 8:30 o’clock p. m. the officers of
the society and members of the program
’ marched up the aisle to the rostrum as
the orchestra played a march. Presi
dent Todd called the house to order im
mediately. Minutes of last meeting
were read and adopted after which the
program, which proved interesting in
the extreme, was taken up.
The reader first claimed our attention
with a short biography of the “Kiss.”
The essayist, Mr. Belden read a very in
teresting essaj'- entitled “War.” The
general get up of Mr. Belden’s produc
tion proves to us all beyond doubt that
he is a genius in that line.
Mr. Jordan, the declaimer, next made
his appearance, but ’tis useless to dwell
longer on him, as the very mention of
his name is quite enough to prove that
the declamation was non comparable.
We have always known the honorary
member, Mr. Cushing, to be one of the
very best and most eloquent of debaters,
but this was the first time we ever had
the pleasure of hearing him deliver an
oration. His subject was “Sunday Law”
and he certainly convinced us that a
Sunday law should be enforced every
where.
Miss Jessie Johnson, of Bryan, by re-
qu'st, favored us with a very amusing