The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-05-14

Ou0 60AAOly tAOAl WIVES WcEe likely W
be, so they would know which way
to dodge # they wished to avoid their
gaze. When Lent comes, as they
have more leisure from social duties.
ladies of the families of members of
both houses of Congress have more
time to spend in tue galleries of the
House or Senate, and wives are often
interested spectators of the scenes on
the floor of either chamber. Some of
them become much absorbed while
watching the fate of the bills in which
their husbands take special interest.
and their faces show their chagrln or
triumph in the course of the debate.
One OF them, whose husband had
been suffering severely with bronchi-
tvs when lie was forced to 20 to the
House to look after a bill of great
Importance in his district, used to 20
there daily q few weeks ago while
there was a prospect for the bill COM
ing up, and carried with her a box of
qu1nine pills, and regularly sent
from her seat in the members gal
lery" an affectionate note ana a dose
of the medicine to her husband on
the floor of the House when the time
came for him to take it. Thus she
strove to brace him up for the contest
in the same spirit as Spartan wives
equipped their husbands for battle.
Tue day his bill was voted down she
had waited for several hours with
sachel containing the pill box in
hand, and as soon as the vote was
announced, which was against her
husband, she rose Indignantly.
packed up the medicine, and went
home with lessened faith in its brac-
ing effects.
The wives, of course, do not fail to
watch from the gallery the demeanor
of their respective husbands in their
seats below, especially when a card is
brought in to the latter. One saws
to another; "There goes a card to
your husband; wonder if it is a lady
or gentleman wants to see him.
There he goes out; let's see how long
ne stays, and then we will know
whether 1t was q man or u woman.
There he comes in again, so it must /
nave been a man who was waiting |
for him; he'd have staid longer if it
had been q woman, certainly"
While some of the incidents In
this gallery are highly amusing,
others are often very annoying. For
instance, lately q loving wife, who
was listening intently to her hus-
bands speech, heard a lady behind,
who was evidently unaware of her
presence, say; els that Smith speak
ing again, now? It seems to me he
ia 0lwava f01hin~ onl -. -
anything to say"
An all-night session of the United
States House of Representatives, es-
oeclally when it is occasioned by a
discussion which requires either po-
ltlcaI party to muster its full force.
causes a "caJl of the house" to be
'rdered, and the sergeant-at-arms
Instructed to bring in absentees, al
ways has some ludicrous features
the hall, as we'll as some pro-
l9ct've OF annoyance to the families
members of the House as much "A
o themselves. During such q night
ession, not long ago, the wife of one
I tne coi0red representatives was
e1t alone i'm the members gallery
ntii q late hour, all other occupants
mat gallery having left in the 1
arly part of the night. She could {
OF go home alone and her husband. 8
was on the floor of the House,
as ocked in, 50 he could not leave Z
take her home. 1t is the custom.
soon as . call of the House has '
cen ordered, to lock all the doors of /
Ky or: entrance to the legislative 4
all, not only to prevent memhars a
om leaving but also to prevent T
absent without leave getting in G
kcept in the custody of the sergeant n
arms, who has been instructed to f
rest them and bring them before Il
le bar of the House to make their n
<cuses. 1t was not until the colored o
preventative could succeed in OBJ a
lining the formal leave of the a.
ouse to go home with his wife (and lie
} promised to return as soon az he
.d)that he could join her in the
'iiery and accompany her to their