Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-09-18
STATRSMEN'S WIVES.
How They watch Their Lords from tn

galleries.
1t was in order to limit the spac,
which loafers of a most obiectiopabl,
character used daily to fill in tn,
House gallery several years ago tina
the House OF Representatives decided Il
set apart certain portions of the CALLER,
to be reserved for those who had card,
OF admission thereto, given them b,
the members. One gallery is exclus
lively for the families of Representa
tlves or those whom they and theil
wives regard as such.
One Representative said at the time
~ was decided to reserve this gallery
that 1t was done so the members could
know exactly in which part of the
gallery their wives were likely TO be.
so they would know which way TO dodge
II they wiohed to avoid their gaze.
When Lent comes, as they have more
leisure from social duties, ladies of the
families of the members of both Houses
OF Congress have more time to spend
IN the galleries of the House or Senate.
and wives are often interested specta.
tors OF scenes upon the floor of either
chamber. Some of them become much
absorbed in watching the fate of the
bills ia which their husbands take
special interest, and their faces show
their ckagrin or their triumph in the
course Of the debate. One of them,
whose husband had been suffering Sc
verely with bronchitis when he was
forced to go to the House to look after
a bill of great Importance to his district,
used to go there daily few weeks ago
while there was a prospect for the b;lI
coming mp, and carried with her a box
OF qulnine pills, and regularly sent
from her seat in the members gallery"
an a1ectlonate note and a dose of the
medicine to her husband on the floor
OF the House when the time arrived for
HIM to take it. Thus She stroye to
brace him up for the contest in the
same spirit as Spartan wives equipped
their husbands for battle. The day his
bill was voted down She had waited for
several hours with satchel containing
the pill-boX in hand, aud as soon as lie
vote was ANNOUNCED, which was against
her husband, she rose Indignantly,
packed up the medicine, and went home
with lcssencd faith in It's bracing
effects
The wives, of course, 10 not fail to
watch from the gallery the dcmcanor
OF their respective husbands ia their
seats below, especially when card, are
brought in to the latter. One lady will
say to a1othrs: There gors . card to
your husband; wonder if it is Il lady or
q gentlemen TIA. waits to see him.
There he goe out; lets see how long
lie stays, and then wen know whether
1t was man or a woman. There he
comes in ag IN, SO it must have been Il
man who was waiting for him: ho'd
have staid longer if it had been a WON
an certainly"
While some Of The incidents in this
gallery are highly amusing, others are
often very ANNOYING. For instance,
lately, loving wife, VINO was listening
intently to her husbands speech, heard
lady behind, who was evidently I'M
aware Of her presence say; Is that
Smith spo king again, now? 1t seems
to me he is always talking, and vet
never has any tn: & TO say.
An all-night session Of tho United
States House o. Representatives,
especially when it is o.casioned by a
discussion which re ur either politi-
cal party to muster it, full strength,
and causes call or the House" to be
ordered, and the Sergcant-at- Arms to
be instructed to hing in all absentccs,
always has some ludicgous q tturas on
side the hall, as well rs some FRO luct-
i've of annoyance to the families of
members OF the House rs much rs to
themselves. Darn sUca 1 night sas-
sion, not ong ago, the e. of one of
the colored hcpreScu, tv"s was left
alone IN the members gallery until
late hour, all other 0cclt ants of that
gallery having left M the "a I, part Of
the night. She coall not 50 home
alone, and her lus band, W o vas on the
floor OF the House, Was locked ia, so he
could not leave to take her home. 1t
rs the custom rs soon as call of the
House is ordered to lock all doors of
exit or entrance TO the legislative Hall,
not only to prevent those members who
are within FROM going away without
permission Of III House, but also to
prevent those absent without leave get
ting IN except in the custody of the
Scrgeaut-at Arms, who has been or
dered to arrest them and bring them to
make their excuses Mt the bar of the
House. 1t was not until the colored
Representative could succeed in obtain
ing the formal leave Of the House to
go home with his wife land he promised
to return as soon as he had done sol that
he could join her in the gallery and
accompany her to their residence
Washington letter.