English Officers And Wine

English Officers and Wine.

Certain Amount Given Them with Which to Drink Queen's Health.

This is, strictly speaking, an allowance of after-dinner wine, or rather the money to buy it, whereby those officers who cannot otherwise afford it may be enabled to drink the queen's health, says Chambers' Journal. It appears that the "First Gentleman of Europe" was dining one evening with some regiment, and, after dinner, noticed that some of the offices did not drink the king's health. In reply to his inquiry he was informed that no disloyalty was meant thereby, but that these officers could not afford to drink wine every night. The regent thereupon instituted the allowance which bears his name to this day. In most regiments the sum thus received is paid into the general mess fund. In the marines, however, each dining member can either drink one glass of wine every night or else can be credited therefor in his mess bill. A curious anachronism arose during the Crimean war in connection with this custom. In those days the allowance, however much it might be, was divided among the dining members at the mess; and, owing to the absence on active service of the large majority of officers, of the few that remained behind each derived such a large share of the allowance in cash that they were virtually being paid a fixed sum per night to dine at mess.