Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
SEEN AT THE CAPITOL

echoes of the sleepy old chamber, and
caused more than one reprovng face to
be turned up from the floor below. The
kilt-skirted small boy who was the cause
of the disturbance leaned away over the
gallery coping, thus breaking another rule
of the House of Lords,' and, pointing
with his small forefinger at Senator Stew
art, who was talking silver some more.
said reprovingly:
There he is mamma. You said that I
couldn't see Santa Claus only in my
dreams, and can see him right now, with
both my eyes wide open. Say, mamma. l
am awake, amt 1? Oh, but won't sister
be mad when I tell her that I saw Santa
Claus and she didn't" And the only way
on earth to stop the child's clatter was to
take him out of the gallery.
'Ain't much reverence in the House. in
my opinion" remarked one man to another,
as they looked down on the members from
the visitors gallery. why don't some of
them young cubs give up their good seats
to old wheel horses like Hit of Illinois
and Payne of New York and Cannon, who
were fighting the battles of the party be-
fore they were born, like as not. 1t rifles
me to see kid come here and try to make
believe that because he belongs to the
young crowd, and has a highfalutin idea
of his own importance, he has a right to
shove men who have grown gray in the
service to the wall There is some sort of
courtesy due gray hairs, if a man amt so
brainy back Of them, but when a man Is
leader. and a fellow knows it, the proper
thing to do is to give him the best in the
business. and sit at his feet till the country
sees fit to lift him because of his own ac-
knowledged ability
1t is very funny to see the people who go
up to try the Speakers chair. Sometimes
1t is woman. She looks all around to see
if anybody is looking at her, and then
sneaks ro by degrees. from reporters desk
to clerks, and finally she lands on the
Speakers platform, and plants herself in
the capacious chair. One would like to
know what thoughts are amblng through
her brain at such a time. Whether she is
cogitating over what women will do when
they reach that height of greatness, or
how she will tell her friends of her feat
when she gets back home. where it will be
talked of at the tea tables for a month.
Women are not the only ones who try Mr..
Reeds chair, though. Some of the mem.
bers are fond of making a preteXt of sit
ting in 1t for few moments before the
session opens or after adjournment. Some
of them roll back contentedly, and one
rather looks to see them put their feet
on the desk, as they do much to Mr.
Others lean over and thoughtfully tap the
desk with pencil or key. no doubt play
ing that 1t Is gavel. and thinking how
they would bring order out of chaos, If
they had the power, when the House gets
too turbulent. 1t Is quite harmless an
amusement, and entertains two parties
those who are looking on and those who
are trying the chair
=: = :: 4
This is young Congress- Most of the
men look well kept. and scarcely a member
of the House presents "back-woodsy"
appearance. All seem to have pride In
their personal appearance. while a large
number approach dudshneSs. So far, no
"posers'' have developed. and the lounges
In the lobby have been sirgularly free of
even the older members who used to
be fond Of stretching out there for the
great American public to gaze upon.
There is a member of the House who is
lover of violets. He has sent to him
every morning a small bunch of them, a
dozen or two, perhaps, and lets them lie on
his desk all day. This member has a
wife. and she is mortally jealous of her
spouse She came up to the House for the
first time this. session last Monday, and,
taking a seat in the gallery, leaned over
to see her husband in his seat below. The
moment was unlucky. page appeared on
the scene with the bunch of volets just
sent up and a card, and the member took
them and held them to his lips, evidently to
tnhale their delicious odor which rose
even to the gallery and his wfe's nose.
She colored up, shut her gloved hand in
manner that forboded ill if those small
fingers Wee to close on her unsuspicious
husbands curly locks; then she sailed up
to the door and ordered a page to come I'M
The doorkeeper hustled away, and soon
had a page running eSsly down the
steps to where the irate wife was nursing
her wrath
go down and get me those flowers off
my husbands desk" she said to him. land
be sure you bring the card that came with
them. Wait till Mr.. - leaves his seat
before you take Them she added. catch
ing the pages coat: land I have quarter
for you if you don't say anything about
it," then she let him go. He went, with
grin on his face, and soon caught up the
flowers and a misunderstanding card, both
of which he deposited in her lap, got his
quarter and sped away All there was on
the card was written cOarsely in pencil:
"Mr. -: The violets are not good to-
day. III have better supply tomorrow.
The surprised wife didn't know that a
Star reporter picked up the card, which
she carelessly let fall; but this will tell her
= x X
Out in that corner of Statuary Hall
which might be called the chamber of hor-
rors. because of the dreadful stories of
that are told there, a different kind of
story was being told Tuesday. There was
a woman and a man. 1t was a member of
the lower house of Congress, and the wo-
man was the wife of a government en-
ploye. Both the member and the employee
are of a convivial turn, and 1t seems that
on some recent date the two of them have
been doing the artistic in red, where nose
paint and painted women are Of the free
and easy variety.
mo, indeedy, Mr.. Blank" said the irate
little woman, you needn't think I'm going
to put up with this nonsense just for the
sake of being able to say that my husband
is hand in glove with a member of Con-
gress. I'd rather he wouldn't be. He was
a nice, respectable sort of a man till you
got hold of him. Out last night till 2, the
night before till l, and the night before
that till 8! Isn't that simply disgraceful?"
Now, see here, Mrs. c." said the men,
Der, somewhat confused by the sudden
ness Of the attack. s'See here, If you won't
say anything more about this so that it
will get to the ears of my wife. I'll make
you the handsomest pres
blazed! Don't you dare to finish that
sentence!' she almost screamed. Il didn't
come here to be insulted by you. Now,
just listen to me. If my husband is out to-
night after 10 o'clock, will take a police
man and hunt him up. Then 1 will have
1t put in the papers where I found him,