The Chronicles of a Gay GordonGordon, J. M. (Joseph Maria)
History
The Chronicles of a Gay Gordon
Gordon, J. M. (Joseph Maria)
Generals -- England -- Biography; Gordon, J. M. (Joseph Maria), 1856-1929
While busy with my professional duties I found time to amuse myself as
well. My friends at the club had put my name up as a member. I was soon
elected. You will doubtless smile when I tell you what happened the first
time I entered the club as a full member. It had been a very hot day. A
visiting team of polo players from the western district of Victoria had
battled hard in the afternoon against the Adelaide team. The good game of
polo in those days was in its infancy in Australia. A few enthusiasts in
Adelaide and some in the wonderfully rich western district of Victoria,
the De Littles, Manifolds, Blacks and others who owned thousands of acres
of as good country as there is in Australia, kept the game going. An
inter-colonial match was arranged. Lance Stirling, now Sir Lancelot, and
President of the Upper House, Arthur Malcolm, a thorough sportsman with a
keen love for practical jokes, and the two brothers Edmund and Charlie
Bowman, were playing for Adelaide. The old veteran, Dave Palmer, St.
Quintin, Para Hood and one of the Manifolds represented the western
district of Victoria.
It was the custom to celebrate all such occasions as polo matches, big
race days, Hunt Club meetings, by holding dinner parties at the club,
often attended by fifty or sixty of the younger members, with a
sprinkling of the older sports, who thoroughly enjoyed the vivacity and
exuberance of the younger men. These were dinners to be remembered, full
of joyous spirits, where many amusing incidents used to occur. As the
hours of the evening grew late and the early morning approached the fun
was at its height. I happened to choose this very particular night for my
first visit to the club after my election as a full member. I knew what
was going on, and, though I thought it better to avoid going there that
night, an irresistible feeling came over me and I succumbed to it. So, at
about eleven o'clock I made my appearance. It had been a long time, in
fact, not since I had left Melbourne, that I had had a real jolly night.
I had held the bit particularly tight between my teeth during my time in
the police, and I did feel inclined for a jollification. I got it all
right. I was greeted all round with the heartiest welcome.
Congratulations on my appointment were showered on me, and in a few
minutes I was as recklessly enjoying the fun as they were. While the
large dining-room was being prepared for an obstacle race cock-fighting
held sway. An amateur orchestra with improvised instruments,
coal-scuttles, pots and pans, hair-combs and other similar objects was
playing in the back court of the club, in the centre of which there was a
fountain. Some enterprising member had offered a prize to anyone who
hopped twice round the narrow parapet, surrounding its basin, without
falling in, while keeping time to the music. It certainly was difficult
to follow the strains of that band. From a very slow and dignified
movement the music suddenly broke into the quickest time that ever any
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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