The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-05-09

Thy heart with sorrow9 Somewhere, It must be
Thy pure, high Hopes touch Gods Desires for thee
The spectator. john HoaBRs.
A Galley view OF the House ON an OF
Dsy.
IFrom "Elisc's" Washington Letter In New YOrl
Commercial Advertser.l
Down below II is not much better. The
big menagerie is rather tame to-day indeed
many of the cages are empty. Where on a
field day one looks down upon a sea Of bald
spots, to-day is waste Of empty chairs
strongly suggestive Of experimenting. Some
body is speaking, though apparently h,
might Just as we'll save himself the trouble
and the strangers in the gallery laboriously
might save themselves tue trouble, too, fol
Just as likely as not he is In some ones else
place, but ticket him complaoently with som,
one elss's name, and are perfectly satisfied
You know he is speaking, just as You know
the baby Is awaks-by seeing his arms wav
ing wildly over his head but his voice Is
quite drowned In the roar Of general CONVEX
sation. Gay, social little groups of members
are scattered over the floor, engaged In ami
mated conversation. One fat member is la
boriously addressing, in a painstaking, slow
hand, vast piles Of his speeches to be sowr
broadcast through his district. II is to bt
hoped his constituents will appreciate the at
tention and read the speech for the sake o.
the sender. II the fat gentleman's appear
ance is any indication Of his mental calibrt
they will not read it for Its intrinsic bril-
liancy. One comfortable old gentleman, who
has had an armchair and cigar by the open
fire, has gradually dozed of aud is now fast
asleep.
MIR. Reed, of Maine, who looks very like
the late Mr.. Shakespeare, of Stratford, grown
little older and great deal fatter, has
been writing letters. When he gets through
he olaps his hands as noisily as possible fol
a page, who runs up with as much clatter
as he can conveniently make. The men i'm
mediately in front of the orator are buried
in large newspapers, which from time ia
time they unfurl with loud rustling. One
member has Inadvertently listened for a few
minutes. but, lest tho speaker should be
battered by too much attention, he stro,lls
up to take book from the desk under his
very hose, and sits peacefully down to read
it. A member, who has been ont TO lunch
saunters in, still chewing, and, though you
object to his finishing his lunch so publicly,
you are sorry when ha is done, for then he
proceeds to lie back in his chair, festooning
his legs picturesqualy over the arms of an
adj acent one, and laboriously and conscien.
tiously picks every tooth in his head, exca.
waiting them in the most thorough and com
prehensivs manner. Beside him stands q
Texas member, noticeably decorated with
about eight feet of heavy gold watch chain,
which is wound round his neck, and elabo
rately looped up over his broad vest.
The speaker still seems TO be used as the
Ill. ,o1- rNsu
conversation, for he rambles on, piteously
trying to catch some ones eye. There are
several little groups telling stories and
the speakers chair. Among them ia Mr..
Bland, looking very fresh and buoyan and
not at all as ii he had on his conscience the
weight of all those big dollars that have
bothered us 80 long. One tall and powerful
member Il think his name is Reagan) has q
long string, and In sheer idleness is APP
psrently playing cats cradle. Mr.. Randall
rambles in, looking as meek and pious as a
preacher. He saunters around, greeting
one and another here and there and pausine
for little cheerful conversation, quite az Il
he were at an afternoon tea. When he seats
himself and buries his grizzled head in his
mail, apparently he is entirely absorbed in
it, AMI doesn't know any one is speaking,
but suddenly he rises and says few words
in quiet voice. Instantly there is hush
aud for moment every one listens. Only
for moment, though, for when he sits
down the hubbub begins again.
The question Is, as near as one can gather
from an occasional word that pierces through
the din to the gallery, whether we are to
or to have little peace of our lives with
nj NOR nuaa nnt n ia In vain III at tho Nra tOv
warns up to his subject and shrieks at the
Speaker, addressing him in broad southern
accent az "Mr. Cheerman." In vain he In
quirss, in a voice broken with emotion
"Why do the national banks war on silver ~
In vain he whacks his desk with rssoundine
blows of his list, the effect Of which Is some
what marred by his frat carefully looking
where 10 whack, in order TO be- sure not "a
strike the inkstand or any sharp substance
In vain hs shakes his finger wildly, despair
ing of any other listeners, at the reporters
The man who was playing cats cradle does
indeed listen awhile, but It Ia only because
he has broken his string, and can't possibly
find anything else to do. His attention Is
easily diverted to two pretty little girls In
Normandy bonnets, who give domestic
air TO the scene by organizing an informal
little picnic ON ons Of the desks, and enjoy.
ing th6ir oranges anu cAhuy WIN Mucn
childish chatter. The old gentleman sitting
next you in the gallery, who has donnsd
his embroidered smoki ,gcap with the evi
dent intention Of making day of 1t, and
who has for hours laboriously followed the
debate with his good car and more or less
profanity, turns to glare oatentatiously upon
the young woman behind him, who is fiirt.
ing noisily with her companion, to whom
she has just conadsd that "Wh-n she seer
him there the other night with Carris she
thought he was real mean"
As q last resort to attract attention the
orator sends up by a page some extract Il
the Clerk to read, and he proceeds to do so II
loud, blaring tones, utterly devoid of thu
faintest shadow Of expression. You CONT
away, attracting much mora attention When
you rise than the orator on the floor, and
make your way down stairs and through thu
lobbiss, where mob Of statesmen are spit
ting and swearing and engaging In Other
statssmanliks amussments. You are greatly
disappointed not to see q swarm of profess
sionsl female lobbyists, with bleached hail
and attire Of more than SOlomonian glory, a,
portrayed by generations of Washington
novels. The few ordinary and commonplace
women Won meat ara neither striking MOI