Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-27
FRANCES BULLY.

the bull lose his temper. He comes
into the arena with resolution to
take things quietly-I speak of
those sell-restrained animals whose
behavior yields the most fun-and
he reSists the first provocation like
a philosopher determined to have
the best Of a scolding wife. At the
second he begins to intimate by a
gentle paving of the earth that a
time may come when he will have
had enough of it. Presently he
Snorts out a warning 10 his tormen-
tors to be wise in time. In another
moment he is in full tear for them,
taking his sides as he goes with the
foam Of his own rage.
There was sport of this kiud in
the chamber on Friday. Paul de
Cassagnac undertook to drive the
majority mad ; the majority under
took to foil him by disdainful calm.
| am sorry to say Paul won. 1t
was an exciting match. The con-
ditions were perfectly well under
stood on both sides, and all who
were in the secret of parliamentary
doings had the tip the night before /:
"You must come down to Ver-
Sailles tomorrow. There. will be a
scene" People went down accord
ingly. There was not a vacant
place in the galleries. Paul was to
speak on the elections in the de-
partment of Vaucluse. His subject,
however, was the merest peg for an
indictment; anything would do.
He was ready, and this came in the
way; that is all. The committee
on elections had reported against
the return Of certain Conservatives
on the old ground administrative
pressure in their favor. Paul spoke
against the report, The majority
opened the game badly by ostenta-
tious indifference, instead Of quiet
attention. He began with an in
suit; they returned the move by
keeping up a loud bubbub of pri-
yate talk to make believe that they
were not aware Of his presence in
the tribune. 1t was a piece of act
ing-that might not have mattered,
but it was bad acting. His next
move was mastery. $50 you are
talking me down." he said, "and
this you call freedom Of debate.
Wait till one of you tries to speak;
we shall know what to do p This
compelled them to listen, and gave
the adversary point. If they
could but have listened quietly, or
yawned by common consent in de-
tachments, or as not to drown his
voice-but they could not. He be-
came more deliberately imperti-
nent; they more noisily Indifferent.
They laughed outright when
a smile would have served their
purpose, and at last began
a scattered fire of verbal inter
ruptions, which, alas! soon swelled
into a vOlley. Paul had won; he
had done his little best to discredit
parliamentary Institutions, and he
had mounted the tribune to no
other end. His opportunity came
with the noisy laughter, and he cut
in with the most exemplary promp-
titude and made the most of it.
One more blatant insult and some
body would be sure to break out, SO
he forthwith undertook to show whow
he would have put down Gambetta
after the 10th Of May. "When he
talked of submission or dismissal ,
| would have answered with two
gendarmes." Gambetta and all the
other old hands, of course, took not
the slightest notice; but one of the
new hands, a M. Thomson, could
stand it no longer, and he burst
out with a passionate cit is gro.
tesque." Paul made a dead stop.
"That is an impertinence, mon
sieur; l return it by telling you
that you are insolent," Thereafter
the game, in so far as Paul was col-
cerned, went on wheels.
Foolish NJ. Thomson verdaut NJ.
Thomson but he was yet to sound
a lower depth in boyish simplicity.
viii it be believed that, at the end
of the sitting, he sent seconds to
Cassagnac and that he found grave
men, men of standing in the assem-
bly,, to take his message? 0, these
French ! 1t is a Philistine cry, II
you like it, but can one help it?
" Would NJ. de Oassagnac take back
his words I" Paul declared that be
was the ingulted party. Would
NJ. Thomson take back his words "
f." Never p said NJ. Thomson. They
met next morning at Veslnet just
outside Paris, with swords. They
we're match, even TO tho skin, q
couple Of swarthy giants. 1t was
Paul's fifteenth fight, Thomson's
second, Thomson fell on him like
a lion, and Paul, to give him time
to tire himself, got out of the way.
The other, as green in fight Us in