The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-07-09
run uor,r or COMMONS.
rFwa The p4uau, Nsst a,a .

lAAAAlkEf hA ttfM AAhha'- Nt h"t'ttttaiH'ht= t'.'
permission 60 wilucss a session.
received O prompt answer requesting
me to be In waiting la So s,cphen's lobby
at g O'Clock that afternoon where the
writer wouM meet me and "pat me
through. He didn't uso that phrase cN-
aetIy, but that was the substance Of bis
note. knowing it would not do 10 trilc
with the time of a member of SO iIlustri-
ous a body, was on band promptly to
the hour, Ia the central hall-so called
where two policemen guarded the hall-
way to the House. explained my erraud
to one OF the officers, aud was told !
would have to wait there until the NOM
Der came out, us the House was already
In session,
| found others in waiting, and new
faces constantly arriving, Some effected
an immediate entrance, others were in.
terviewed briefly 10y members with whom
they had made engagements, and the rest
wandered around, rs did and, tclt ofthc
mouldings.
Sir Charles Dixie, the member to whose
courtesy am indebted for the view Of
the House in session, would be, when he
got around, the first Knight had seen.
| am not much used to uoblemen, my
knowledge of them being obtained Gu
tirely through prints.
With the Imagination thus lett to itself,
and being blessed with an Imagination
that never knew days sickness, ! very
naturally constructed noblcman worth
seeing.
Common sense teaches us all that
member OF the nobility is but a lump Of
human clay fashioned on models common
to our seeing; but, unconsciously ignor-
ing the teachings aforesaid, we find our
mind imbued with being who shows
traces Of nobility in his very step and
bearing, whom no density Of human
crowd could hide from our vision.
Am exaggerating this mental weak
ness? Let us see. Can you conceive of
bow-legged duke? Or is it possible for
you to locate n pimple on the nose Of a
viscsunt? And no one, however diseased
his Imagination, ever pictured a baron
with an liberated leg, or conceived Of
such a monstrous impossibility as q cross
eyed dutchess.
No, my dear reader, the impericctions
of the masses have never been associated
with the nobility, and however radically
practical are the teachings of common
sense, tie ignorant fervor Of the imagina-
ton has made the deepest impression.
And so was very soon to see a knight.
| had seen Baron and French Count;
we have them at our table Before know.
ing who they were had determined that
the former was the proprietor of hard
ware store, and the latter suporanuated
clerk in the post office.
When learned their true position in
this world was very much shocked, or,
as our people so cXquisitely express it
regularly kerflummoxed.
| was pencilling my name and address
with other information on the calf of
George the thirds leg, when one of tho
policemen shouted the name Of Sir
Charles Dixie. Now, thought /, he will
come when he hears that. The policeman
shouted again. looked at him very at
tentively, wondering where he thought
Sir Charles was--on the roof or in the
crypt. Again he screamed. Then his
eyes suddenly lighted on me, and an im-
mediate change came upon his face.
o, there you are, arc your he enquircd
with some disgust, Why didn't you
answer when / shouted
My name amt Dixie, Indignantly
protested. Ny name is
But was cut short by well built gen
tloman Of apparently 30 years with a
pleasant expression Of countenance, who
advanced, and made himself known, and
asked me to follow him.
And followed him by the policeman,
aud along tho hall. This was Sir Charles
a bona tide Knight, and ! examined his
appearance with engrossing interest.
lie was a well built man, as have said,
but ordinary appearing. lie might have
been rural lawyer or school teacher
But he was Knight, and all the while
he was going ahead and all the while
was following after tried to clothe him
with lauce and shield aud helmet, aud
fell back from the task exhausted.
From the hall we went into an cxten.
sive lobby filed with men whom ! sub.
sequently learned TO be members Of the
House, and people "seeing' them; with
several exceptions they were in animated
discussions upon dreary topics Of legis,
lation.
Sir Charles lett me here, but returned
in moment with slip of paper IN hi,
hand, which he gave to watchman al
the foot Of stairway. aud bidding mt
good bye be went into the House, and
climbed up the stairs and came ont into
the galleries OF the House, and took Iny
first look at the llouse Of Commons IN
session.
It was not, to first appearance, largt
apartment. There were galleries az IA,
side, aud one a. each end. That over %,
speakers chair was devoted to shaggy
headed aud baIdheadcd men called report
err. The opposite end gallery was de
voted to the quiet and patient sight-scers
The drsi glance showed the that lhc en
lire place was Of polished OAK, whicI
gave 1t a sombre appearance Then