when as a slave boy I ate my
syrup from a tin plate.

"I think I got through the dinner pretty well by following
my usual custom, namely, of watching other people to see
just what they did and what they did not do. There was one
place, however, where I confess I made a failure. It is
customary at the King's table, as is true at other functions
in many portions of Europe, I understand, to drink a silent
toast to the King. This was so new and strange to me that I
decided that, since I did not understand the custom, the
best thing was to frankly confess my ignorance. I reassured
myself with the reflection that people will easier pardon
ignorance than pretense.

"At a certain point during the dinner each guest is
expected, it seems, to get the eye of the King and then rise
and drink to the health of the King. When he rises he makes
a bow to the King and the King returns the bow. Nothing is
said by either the King or the guest. I think practically
all the invited guests except myself went through this
performance. It seemed to me a very fitting way of
expressing respect for the King, as the head of a nation and
as a man, and now that I know something about it, I think if
I had another chance I could do myself credit in that
regard.

"During the dinner I had the privilege of meeting a very
interesting old gentleman, now some eighty years of age, the
uncle of the King, Prince ----, who spoke good English. I
had a very interesting conversation with him, and since
returning to America I have had some correspondence with
him.

"As I have already said, the Queen Mother of England was at
this time in Copenhagen, and as I afterward learned, her
sister, the Queen Mother of Russia, was also there. As both
of these were in mourning on account of the recent death of
King Edward, they did not appear at this dinner. I was
reminded of their presence, however, when as I was leaving
the King's palace after my interview in the morning, one of
the marshals presented me with two autograph books, with the
request that I inscribe my name in them. One of the books,
as I afterward learned, belonged to the Queen Mother of
England; the other belonged to the Queen Mother of Russia."

A mere catalogue of the principal organizations which Booker T