The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-09 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

THE SERVANT THAT WAS " SUCH A TREA-

SURE," AND THE CHERRY BRANDY

(From " ' The Greatest Plague of Life,' or, the Adven-
_ tures of a Lady in Search of a Good Servant.")

I don't suppose I. could have finished a quarter of an
hour before the first double-knock came at the door, and
that slut Mary not down stairs to answer it. So I rushed
up tco her room and bundled her down as quick as I could;
though she had been at her old tricks again, I could see,
and wasn't really in a fit state to be trusted to go to the
door; but what could Ido ? They had knocked again,
and I had only just time to sit myself down, and take up
one of the books off the drawing-room table, when -the
street door was opened. And then, to my great horror, I
heard Mary talking, at the top of her voice, to the visisors
in the passage ; and demanding to shake hands with them,
and calling them a set of stuck-up things, because they
wouldn't. So I ran down as fast as my legs would carry
me, and looking at her as if I could have eaten her, told
her to go down stairs directly, and remember who she
was, and what she was, and where she came from.
I found it was poor Mrs. B—yl—s and her lovely girls
that Mary had been insulting in this dreadful manner, and
who were quite flurried at her strange goings-on. Luckily,
Edward was up-stairs dressing, or there's no knowing
what he wouldn't have done. And I declare, there was
not a single person that came into the house that day that
she didn't insult, in some way or other ; and twice I had
to go down to her; for she would go, singing and dancing
about, like a downright maniac, and it was only by pro-
mising her some warm spirits and water in the evening,
that I could in any way get her to keep her tongue to herself.
I was so upset, that instead of my friends congratulat-
ing me on my improved appearance, they did nothing but

tell rne that they could perceive Mary was worrying me
dreadfully, and that they had never seen me look so bad
And they kindly advised me to get the jade out
as soon as possible, saying, that if she were a
hmild p,,,prt to be burned alive in

before.
of the hot

their beds, for that drunken people were always so care-
less with their candles. While dear mamma (who is na-
turally, a long-headed woman,) said, that every morning
she co'hfidently expected to find the place destroyed by
fire, ,find that her dear children had perished in the flames.
All which took such a hold on my mind, that I couldn't
get a wink of sleep for a week afterwards, and was always

\ _ _
fancying I could hear the boards crackling, and kept get-
ting up and going over the house, shivering, in my night
dress, to satisfy myself that all was safe. _ _

We were, atj one time, as many as fourteen in the draw-

m mamma

. .
who is so proud of her cherry brand}
friends to take some—
take it !) I

—it it was

•ould persuade our

,
my a glassful. So (bother
tnd trot downstairs for her

;tnpid c

brandy—

want of, for there was plenty of red and white wine on the
table •, and that was good enough for any one any day I
should think. Besides, .I had set my mind upon keeping
the cherry brandy quietly to myself, as there were only
two bottles of it, and Edward had just laid in several dozen
of port and sherry. However, I returned with one of the
bottles and an agreeable smile on my countenance to the
drawing-room, little thinking that I was about to present
some of my best friends with a glass of that horrible wash
that that tipsy, thieving Mary had filled up the bottle
with. Then giving it to mamma, I told her pleasantly
that she should fill the glasses, and have all the credit of
it to herself. So, the good, dear old lady did as I said,
and handing them round, observed to Mrs. L--ck---y,
(who is the wife of Edward's best client, and of highly
genteel connexions,) that she should like her to try that ;
for she flattered herself that she would find it very fine,
and not to be got everywhere, as she had made it herself,
after her own peculiar way • and that she felt convinced
that any pastry cook would give her twenty guin-
eas for the receipt any morning ; and that she always
made a point of using none but the very best cognac that
could be got for money, together with the finest Morella
cherries that were to be picked up in Covent-garden mar-
ket. When they had all got their glasses, dear, uncon-
scious mamma sat down with a self-contented smile, wait-
ing for the approbation and eulogiums which she confi-
dently expected they would overwhelm her with. As soon
as Mrs. L—ckl--y had taken one cherry and a spoonful of
the wash, all the rest followed her example. Dear mamma
observing that Mrs. L—ckl—y made a wry face after it as
well the poor thing might,) said, " I'm afraid the brandy
is too strong for you, Mrs. L—ckl---y ; but you needn't
be afraid of it my dear

hurt you, I can a- ssur

lank you c

Mrs. 1,-

THE TORY PARTY AND SIR ROBERT PEEL.—And now
one word in reference to the position of the gentlemen
who occupy what is called the opposition side of the house,
and who, in point of numbers, as far exceed the strength
of the ministerial party as, through their own misfortune
or the faults of their leaders, they come short of it in moral
power. Is the breach which has severed Lord George
Bentinck from Sir Robert Peel quite irreconcilable ? We
verily believe that it is. We do not think that any con-
tingency can occur, that any pressure from without, any
movement from within, can arise which shall be of suffi-
cient force to bring these gentlemen cordially together.
The Protectionists will never forgive the man who has
twice betrayed them. Sir Robert Peel can neither forgive
nor forget the many personal attacks to which he has, by
the ProteCtionists, been subjected. Benjamin Disraeli is
a thorn in his side. It would be very ridiculous to affect
ignorance of these truths, and worse than absurd to un-
derrate their importance. They -have broken the Tory
party to pieces,—at least for the present. They have cru-
elly, wantonly, and most wickedly dissolved a political
alliance, more influential than any which has existed in
this country since the era of the Revolution. Moreover,
look at the thing as we may, we can discover no adequate
reason for it. The country was at peace, the revenue was
flourishing, trade was brisk, public feeling was quiescent,
when all at once, without any previous warning given, Sir
Robert Peel thought fit to declare himself friendly to the
abolition of the corn-laws. He pleaded, as an excuse for
so complete a change of opinion, his fear of a coming fa-
mine. His predictions were ridiculed, his statements dis-
puted and denied ; yet let us not forget, that the very
men who thus scouted the minister's reasoning went far
before him in the measure which they proposed as the
best wherewith to combat an impending calamity. It was
the Protectionists who first suggested the propriety of
suspending the operation of the corn-laws ; it was Sir
Robert Peel, the newly converted enemy to their existence,
who rejected the proposal, and for the time actually ren-
dered them more stringent. Neither party can forget
this. The Protectionists have some right to affirm that
other motives than those which he avowed must have
swayed their then leader in his decisions. Sir Robert
must feel that by resisting their proposal he has made
himself, in some. sort, the cause of the distress which is
desolating Ireland at this moment. And what is the con-
sequence ? As regards. Peel, beyond all question that he
has lost his status in the political world. He may affect,
for a while, to play the part of Mentor, and advise both
sides as calmly as if he took no personal interest in their
discussions. But the leader of a great political party he

can never again be, it

would distrust, were he openly to join them. Neither is
it of the smallest use to speculate on the healing effect of
time in such a case. There are wounds which time can-

not heal, and this is one of them. Had Peel acted with
a little more of courtesy and candour ; had he reasoned
with the members of the Conservative party in private ;
had he given to their chiefs his confidence, and made out
something like a case, we venture to say that there is
hcrdly any measure towards the accomplishment of which
he would have failed to command their cooperation ;
none, at least, short of that which drove him out of office ;
and which, seeing the results to which it would surely
lead, he ought, at all hazards, to have abandoned. For
it is a grievous error to suppose that the accomplishment
of any particular purpose, however important in itself, can
make amends for the dislocation of a loyal and high-
minded party. Such a party cannot fall without opening
the doors of office and influence to men of a far laxer code
of political morals( And we shall be exceedingly glad to
find that the Whigs of 1847 do not make use of the op-
portunity, which seems to have been created to their
hands, for the purpose of inserting the small end of the
wedge, during the driving home of which, changes more
important than have yet been witnessed shall, in some
sort, be rendered inevitable. In such circumstances, and
amid such an acerbation of feeling, it must be apparent
to himself, and to the most devoted of his followers, that
Sir Robert Peel's continued presence in the House of
Commons can accomplish little good to any one. He can
scarcely expect to be received by his late party as their
chief any more. It is impossible that he should be con-
tent to play a secondary part under the new leaders, who-
ever they may be, to whom the Tories (for we have no
fancy for the word Conservative) shall give in theii adhe-
sion. Neither is it in the nature of things that he should
pass over to the ranks of the Whigs ; or that, passing
over, he should be by them received in a manner worthy

sis acknowledged talents and undoubted.ha
The Whigs are not in want of leaders. They

have Lord John himself a host ; and, failing him, many-
more aspiring youths than can be boasted of by the op-
posite party. And happy as they will always be to take
advantage of Peel's assistance, and to profit by his speeches
and his votes, when he shall be pleased to speak and vote
in their favour, they will never push aside one of their
own set to make way for him, or admit him, to the end of
his days, into their confidence. What, then, can he do
in the House of Commons ? Sit apart, and watch for his
country's welfare, like some oracle, created to advise, but
having no power to compel the adoption of his recom-
mendations ? Surely such a position will prove very irk-
some to himself—undoubtedly it will be the source of
flinch inconvenience to others. For influence he will have
none, except with some dozen or two of ancient colleagues ;
who, being moved by memories of a happier sort, may
shrink from deserting him in his downfall. The rest of
the hour 1-ct

aey called by what name they may, will
neglect him, and yet not altogether so ; his powers of
speech must tell in any popular assembly, his intimate
acquaintance with parliamentary law and usage will give
him a thousand opportunities of damaging, if he cannot
throw down, his rivals in the leaders' places. it is a pity
that he should expose himself to the almo,st irresistible
temptation of causing this damage. Let him retire into
private life, or accept the peerage which his sovereign is

ready to confer upon him. It will be t
which he has ever performed since he first cros
threshold of the House of Commons ; for between the
younger members of the late cabinet and the heads of the
Protectionist party there is no feud which a little explan-
ation on both sides could not speedily end.—Fraser.

he noblest act