Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-21
TALES OF THE TIMES.
Budget of Stories About Men of Whom
 You Have Heard.

You Have Heard.
 Ouickness and delicacy of compliment are much rarer and finer gifts than bril- liancy in repartee or keenness of sarcasm. Those who know Joseph II. Choate only as a suave but merciless cross examiner or the adroit and yigilant advocate may bo surprised at this story:
 MT. and Mrs. Choate were at dinner party one evening, and the conversation turned on great men. In tho course of the talk one of tho guests asked
 "Now, Mr Choate if you could not be yourself, who else in all the world would you rather boz
 Tho distinguished lawyer hcstatcd a moment, his mind apparently running over catalogue of great names, and then, his eyes falling upon his wife, who was looking at him across the table, quiet hu- nor and curiosity in her face he said gen tly:
 eff could not be myself, I would like to be Mrs. Choato's second husband.
 Lord Salisbury, the new British premier, is conspicuous instance of energy, talent and indomitable industry overcoming the disadvantage of birth, for it Is q great dis advantage in English politics now to in herit rccrage. The short lived ministry of Lord Roscbcry is a striking illustration of tho slender hold that even tho most pro gressivc and popular of peers has upon the political forces of the country.
 When Salisbury (then Lord Robert CeciD inherited tho narquisite, one of the most ancient and illustrious in English history, it is related that his wife, the constant in spirer and colaborer of his political ambi- tion, burst into tears.
 "They have sent Bob to the lords. Hc will never be heard of again, sobbed the involuntary marchioness.
 Even she did not appreciate the power of intellect, the firmness of will and tho force of character which wero to mako her hus- band first, the most notable and trusted lieutenant of the great Disracli and final ly the acknowledged chief, through many vicissitudcs of fortune, of the great Tory party.
 Bismarcks nerve and determination never failed him. One evening at social function Baron Prokesch, the Austrian minister, who was Something of a bully, took vigorous exceptions to Bismarck $ criticism of a certain eyasiye and equivocal Austrian protocol. Becoming angry, tho baron cxclaimed:
 ''1f that were not true, then l, in the name of my imperial master, should have been guilty of lyingp'
 Quietly returning his gaze, the chancel- Tor replied, with polite but cold bow:
 ''Precisely so, your excellency."
 Tho group surrounding tine two states men were struck dumb. Prokcsch moved 7 away, but later, at the supper table, ho came over to Bismarck with Q glass of champagne and said:
 'Well, let us make peace.
 "Assuredly," said Bismarck, "but tho protocol must be altered.
 And it was.
 Besides being one of the greatest of liv- ing Hellenists and master of all classical lore, Gladstone has an idiomatic knowl- edge of a number of modern languages. He has made several after dinner speeches in French, which have been praised by tho Parisian press as models of eloquence and wit. Several years ago he happened to be staying at country house in Wales, where he met tho Italian ambassador. The two took long walk together over the estate, and on their return the diplomat expressed privately to his host his amazement and admiration at Gladstones marvellous knowledge of Italian.
 "For three hours, ho said, i've have been discussing the most intricate subjects In heaven and on earth-subjects bristling with technical tcrms-and never once has Mir. Gladstone been at a loss for word, nor has he used single word that did not express his meaning with perfect clear ness.
 W. w. Story was lawyer before he was a sculptor. The following story is told il- illustrative of his quickness and ingenuity:
 Story was counsel for the prosecution in the case of a woman accused upon circum- stantial evidence of murdering her hus- band. Counsel for the defense adduced, as a fact tending to show his clients inno- cence, that at her husbands deathbed she exclaimed, with much feeling;
 "Goodby, Georgel"
 Story at once interrupted with the re- mark that attendant circumstances point ed to the assumption that what the woman really said was:
 "Good, by Georgep'-Chicago Post.