River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-08-22

call him IL he got an opportunity, I'LL
that space and shut him out? IL he did
well, at all events, he would have a
decent excuse to give Lady Helen for
not speaking. IL he did not-Cheese-
man went out and had another brandy
and soda and came back and listened
with feverish interest to the speech.
Probably no mar followed it SO closely
as he, or understood less of il. This
minister had a weakness for perora-
tions, one did not satisfy him. The
first was fired off soon after eleven,
and Cheeseman clutched his notes and
prepared himself for the dreadful or
deal of catching the speakers eye.
After the fourth peroration he ceased
to regard them with any interest, and
when the right honorable gentleman
sat down quite suddenly, having ex-
hausted his notes. without any final
peroration at all, Cheeseman came
within ar ace of missing his opportun-
ity, for the speaker had already risen
to put the question before he struggled
to his feet.
The mechanical cheering that fol-
lowed the conclu sion of the ministers
speech from one side of the house
changed to angry cries of divide"
from both. Here Cheeseman's mother
pluck, and perhaps the brandies and
sodas came to his aid, and he stood
his ground. Lady Helen was looking
down from the grille. / daresay she
felt a little pity, perhaps a little adj
miration for him then, IL she never had
before. 1t was, of course, utterly pre-
postcrous. Here was the whole weary
debate finished, according to all rule
and reason, and there was a chance of
taking the division comfortably before
midnight, when a man whom nobody
knew and nobody wanted to hear ac-
tually proposed to make a speech. The
cries of divide" redoubled, and still
Cheeseman stood, Offering up prayer
that they might go on till midnight
Then, quite suddenly. a whisper went
round that this was a new member
who wanted to make a maiden speech,
and there was sudden. almost a ludi-
crous, hush Nearly every member,
you see, has made a maiden speech in
his time, and the memory of il never
fades from him. This breeds sympathy
The silence came SO suddenly that
Cheeseman, who had been trying his
voice at intervals by murmuring "Mr.
Speaker" and had come by nice grada-
tions near to shouting il, without be-
ing in the least heard, found his last
attempt returning in an echo from the
roof when the noise ceased. He will
never speak of that time now, not even
to his most intimate friends, tho. yh he
always expresses a strong opinion
upon the impossibility OF hair being
turned white suddenly through a men
tai shock-his own locks are perfectly
black yet. The Times had IN its re-
port next day: "Mr. Cheeseman, in a
maiden speech, said that, speaking in
the name of the vast majority of his
constituents, he could tell the house
that the bill which the government
were seeking to carry into law would
fulfill their dearest aspirations"
don't know whether he said that:
Cheeseman doesn't know. On the
whole think it is improbable. Cheese
man, however. told me at the time thar
when he sat down friend informed
him that he had been on his legs
exactly two minutes and had spoken
just ten words. none of which had anv
connection with the others. Cheese
man believed it was nearer two hours.
which, of course, is absurd. He said
he didn't remember much until next
morning when, very early, note came
from Lady Helen asking him to call.
They were married a month after
wards. Cheesenan is still in parlia-
ment, and Lady Helen haunts the
house and the terrace. Cheeseman
spends a great deal of money on the
party, and it is notorious that his wife
made him buy yacht so that he might
take a prominent member of the cabi-
net on u cruise. daresay he will ex-
change the green benches for the red
before he dies. - London Black and
White