Who, not content that former worth stand fast,
Looks forward, persevering to the last,

From well to better, daily self surpast.

Who, whether praise of him must walk the earth
Forever, and to noble deeds give birth,

Or he must fall to sleep without his fame,
And leave a dead, unprofitable name-
Finds comfort in himself and in his cause,
And, while the mortal mist is gathering, draws
His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause.
This is the happy warrior; this is he

That every man in arms should wish to be!

WORDSWORTH Wrote these words ten years before GEORGE H. THOMAS was born. They are so apposite to that ideal soldier of the Army of the Cumberland that the poet seems in them to have voiced his prophetic prevision of that noble man. And I am sure that each one of you who has heard these lines has been filled with gratitude that it was his happy fortune to have served in an army that had for its commander one to whom such words apply; and, to some degree, to have been himself swayed by the same motives, supported by the same confidence, and capable of the same service.

THE BANQUET.

THE Seventeenth annual banquet of the Army of the Cumberland was held the evening of September 17th, at Luce's hall. The walls of that spacious auditorium were entirely concealed by breadths of red, white, and blue cloth, the blue breadths being dotted with white stars. Tricolored shields and festoons were tastefully arranged at intervals. From the edges of the gallery hung blue, gold-bordered flags, bearing the name of each State and Territory in the Union, while above them, on the face of the gallery, hung festoons of old and new flags and shields. At the middle of the gallery, in fresh immortelles, surrounded by evergreens, was the single name, "GRANT." On the west side was a portrait of LINCOLN, also surrounded by evergreens, and on the right a portrait of GENERAL SHERMAN.

Above the platform, in front, was stretched a broad banner, on which "Welcome to the Army of the Cumberland" appeared in large letters. At either corner above and at the center below was the badge of the Fourteenth Army Corps (the acorn).

On either side stood the semblance of a bugler in full uniform. At the back of the stage, the center piece of a large collection of battle flags was a portrait of the army's favorite commander, GENERAL THOMAS, and above this the single word "Union."

On the stage were two tables running parallel with the front of the hall. At the front table sat the President of the Society, GENERAL PHIL. SHERIDAN. On his right sat GENERAL J. D. MORGAN of Illinois, GENERAL CIST of Cincinnati, and

GENERAL J. W. KEIFER of Ohio, and on his left, GOVERNOR ALGER, U. S. SENATOR PALMER, COLONEL A. T. McREYNOLDS, GENERAL J. S. FULLERTON of St. Louis, and COLONEL GREGORY of GENERAL SHERIDAN's staff. At either end sat REVEREND WASHINGTON GARDNER of Lansing, and COLONEL P. V. Fox, the efficient Chairman of the Local Executive Committee. In front of this table was a small forest of flowers and foliage plants, in the center of which was an excellent portrait of GENERAL GRANT. At the second table sat the staff of GovERNOR ALGER.

In the body of the hall stood six rows of tables, reaching from the stage to the street, at which sat over three hundred veterans and guests, the total number of plates laid being three hundred and thirty-seven. The only lady present was MRS. MCCANN. The tables were neatly decorated by potted plants, bouquets, elaborate fruit baskets and pyramids, and elegantly arranged viands of every sort. In the gallaries were seated about two hundred ladies. The hall was lighted by three arc electric lights, and the stage by the gas lights between the flies and tapers upon the tables.

Shortly after half past eight, GENERAL PHIL. SHERIDAN, as presiding officer, tapped on the table in military style, and remarking in conversational tone that the exercise of the evening would probably be long, called the meeting to order and asked all to pay immediate attention to the banquet spread before them. After REVEREND WASHINGTON GARDNER had offered prayer, this was done with a hearty will. Considerable merriment was caused from time to time by strings let down from the gallery, to which a menu or a slice of tongue or some other tidbit from the table was tied, and then solemuly hoisted to the regions above, where they seemed to be hugely enjoyed.

The menu card was a neat device in the shape of a tent,

tied at the upper corners with colored ribbons. On one end of this miniature tent was the badge of the Army of the Cumberland, and on the other the words, "Seventeenth Annual Banquet of the Army of the Cumberland, Thursday, September 17, 1885, Grand Rapids, Mich." On one side was a list of the toasts and respondents, and on the other side the following

Cold Roast Beef. Cold Glaced Ham. Cold Boiled Tongue.

The banquet was served by an efficient corps of colored waiters, under the management of H. LEO SCHMITZ, representing KINSLEY, the Chicago caterer.

The orchestra programme, MR. F. M. LAWSON, conductor, was as follows:

1. Grand March Militaire....

2. Overture, Niagara........

3. Operatic Selections.......

4. Waltzer L'Estudiantina..................

5. Galop de Concert.......

6. Overture...........

Heinsdorf.

....Boettger. ..Jos. Clander.

...Waltenfel.

........Grill.

. Conradi.

At the close of the collation, GENERAL SHERIDAN, while the cigars were being passed around, again called to order, and said:

Ladies and Gentlemen:-The time has now come to begin the toasts of the evening. As the hall is large, it will be necessary to preserve as much silence as possible. The first toast is to our distinguished fellow citizen, "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES," and will be responded to by GENERAL J. WARREN KEIFER, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives.

GENERAL KEIFER:

My Comrades and Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen:

There was some little conversation between your President and myself as to the propriety of limiting the time of the speeches that are to be made here to-night. I suggested that they ought to be very short, and in that he heartily concurs. I was a little modest about announcing this view of his in the beginning; but he suggested that I put the idea in practice, and set a good example for the others that are to follow.

In responding to the toast, "The President of the United States," I assume that the sentiment is to be taken to relate more to the high office of President of the United States, than to the individual who is at the present time the President of the United States.

The office of President of the United States is one that every American citizen has a deep interest in. It is the birthright of every native-born male American citizen, of proper age, to aspire to be President of the United States. You will observe, however, that it is largely in the seeking; for an approximate estimate would show that,