New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20

than the reader probably imagines. 1t is
only, / am told, after long practice that hui
man being can retreat on a straight line.
The gentleman in black silk stockings, who
is q nobleman in rank, glanced from side to
side without turning his head in order to be
as sure as he could, without jeoparding his
dignity that the coast was clear. All Invent well
till he reached the bar. Here, as i'll luck would
have it, a thick-set clumsy Scotch member who
had just come in, and who was ignorant of
what was going on, suddenly took it into his
head to scuttle across the floor apparently to
catch friend by the elbow. In the swing
of his movement his body caught the unhappy
"Black Rod" by the shoulder, and the COLI
sion nearly threw that disguised scion of the
aristocracy on to bis face. From my seat
saw what was coming. 1t was done in sec
ond, but in that space noted that the 'yeo-
man usher" was stepping backwards to his
fate. But how could l warn him? The
crash must come, and pocket-handker-
chief was necessary to cover the laughter
caused by the righteousness of the result.
The thought of the angry look of the official
and the figure of the little Scotchman apollo
giving in q series of fat bows, makes me smile
as write.
The Black Rod through the door, the Speak
errises. Another bit of tomfoolery. The Ser
geant-at-Arms, a brother of Earl Russell, bent
and decrepid, with a sword nearly as long as
himself between his legs, and the heavy mace
of the Speaker bearing down his shoulder
precedes Mr.. Speaker out of the chamber
into the House of Lords. The Speaker is
away about ten minutes, and when he returns
some uninteresting business is taken up. The
front gallery, set apart for illustrious people, is
getting full. Earl Granville has to speak in the
other House at five, and it is now very near
hat p,.r Jio1 oh l,o int
gallery looks over the front to clock which
is there. He wants to hear Mr.. Gladstone
but unless he keeps the peers waiting, there
are only twenty minutes to spare. Earl Gran
ville's pleasant features invariably create a
favorable impression, and his real kindness
of heart, as well as his courtliness of de-
meanor, makes everybody who comes to
know him confess that he is even more of a
gentleman than he seems. The Earl stretches
forward and almost leans over the gallery.
On the front treasury bench he sees several
of his colleagues. There sits Mr.. Gladstone,
stearn-featured and pale. At his side is the
awkward, ungainiy Mr.; Forster; the stiffcom-
mon-place Marquis of Harrington the Jewish
featured Mr.. GOschen the formal Mr.. Card
well the '' intelligent mechanic, " Stansfeld.
On the opposite side Mr.. Disraeli is fanked
by the voluble Mr.. Hardy, the clerkly Sir Stat
ford Northcote, the pert Sir John Darlington,
the unwieldy Mr.. Hunt. Just little stir in
Earl Granville's gallery and We see the King
of the Belgians. He has to squeeze past sew
eral gentleman ere he reaches the row. With
him is dark middle-sized gentleman, the
chief of his cabinet, with whom he is evident
ly on easy terms. On catching sight of Earl
Granville the King leans forward there be-
ing some little space between them-and
warmly profers his hand. The Earl shakes
hands and then bows, as if to thank the King
for the ''honor."