His appearance was greeted by cheers, which, however, he immediately extinguished.
"I think," said he, quietly, "as this is quite a private meeting, you will all see cheering is hardly the thing.

Suppose we do without it.
It is very good of you fellows to come here in such numbers, and I only hope you'll not hesitate to say what you think about the proposal I am going to make--for the question is one which the whole school ought to decide, and not any one particular clique or set among us.

(Hear, hear.) You, all of you, know I believe, what the object of the meeting is.

Up till quite recently we had a Club in Templeton which rejoiced in the name of the 'Select Sociables.' (Laughter.) It wasn't a public Club--( laughter)--but most of the school, I fancy, had heard of its existence.

(Laughter.) Gentlemen laugh, but I assure them I am telling the truth, and have good reason to know what I am talking about, as I happened to be the president of the 'Select Sociables.' (Hear, hear.) We found the Club wasn't altogether flourishing.