The Washington herald., 1909-02-28

There was sound Of Tevelry BY night,
and Belgium's capital had gathered then
her beauty and her chivalry. and bright
the lamps shone Ger fair women and
brave men. But hush, bark. A
deep sound strikes Ike a rising kneiR
Did ye not hear 1t? No, Twas but the
WIND. or the car rafting Ger the stony
street
Occasion. q night session Of Congress.
Time. midnight Dramatis persona, guests
At an Official reception. Sergeant-st-arnls'
policemen. cab drivers. chau1eurs. few
populace on the sidewalk.
No. 4 wasn't a car rafting Ger the
stony street; It was an officer OF the
House or Senate bearing a warrant for
the apprehension Of sbsentees. A call Of
The House has indicated the absence Of a
quorum. and the Sergesnt-at-arms Is
rounding up the Tecalcitrants-
The rising kneIl IS the chug. OF the on
cial auto and the revelry by night Is sud
denly bereft Of a coterie Of profane
statesmen They are bundled into the
hohk cart. or Black Nara, and hustled
Up on the Hin, while other Official forag-
Ing parties are invading hotel bedrooms
and other places Of popular resort after
others Of the elect
Nothing under high heaven is more cor
daily dreaded and detested By members
Of the House or Senate than a night ses-
sion. In the mad rush Of the closing
days and nights they sre called upon to
attend in committee from early morn til
noon, and 10 remain in the CHASTITY and
fetid air Of the chamber till dark. BY
that time they are so frazzled in mind
and body that they want % so home and
cut the whole thing.
Many Of them. too. have dinner and
other social engagements 10 which they
have accepted invitations. and-to say
nithing OF wsariness-ther are in no
frame Of mind 20 remain in the rank and
reeking arena for several hours Of the
night Therefore. when q recess for din
ner Is announced they get out and many
Of them forget 10 come back at al.
Along around the hour Of rec0nvening
the few who DO not feel called upon TO
adOrH some glittering social function, OF
who have not gone 70 bed in disgust be
gin 10 drop in by ones and twOs. and
when the forced draft is called 10 order a
third Of the membership may be present
Then the loose end Of legislation is picked
up where II was dropped and the drOn-
ing routine Is resumed. Whether there
are three or thirty present is imulaterial.
unless some vengeful patriot who wishes
10 take fan out Of those who are pre-
sumably posing az some swarry makes
The malicious point Of no quorum
Then ensUes a cyclone in a silk hat i'm
mediate II the trouble is in the Senate,
the electric pash-buttOn is frantically
jabbed twice by Lonnie Stewart and the
double-baTreled cali Of the House jingles
exasperaJinEiy through the corridors and
in every committee room Of the build
ing This is a mere matter Of form. for
the Sergeant-at-arms well knows that the
birds ara rOOSUing out somewhere he
runs over a list of official functions for
the evening and locates his prey in his
mind. Deputies are hurriedly forced into
animate action and every night-hawk
hack and chug-wagon IS pressed into
service and dispatched after the recre-
ants al high-pressure speed
The reception al lord de Liverous'
gorgeous residence i. n fun blast and
regaIia, when a minion from The halls Of
legislation calls al the door without a
card and insists that the select bunch Of
honorabies radiating high-elsss states
manship or the affair return with him
instanter. The officer is mild-voiced. but
talks in italics and means business. It Is
a case OF have 10. and with more or less
bright red thoughts. top-coats and crush
hats are resumed, and the discovered are
lost I'm a cloud OF dust and language
leading CapitOlward.
Yet other rescuing parties tap the the
alters and empty them OF Senators quick
or than an alarm Of fire or an invitation
70 see a man Quiet little games Of dOmi-
noes or something at the club are snuffed
ont 50 suddenly as TO leave the deuces
and treys up in the air. Shores from
weary patriots enshrouded in the privacy
of their bedrooms are hfpped in the bud and
instantaBeOusly converted into what from
q mere private citizen would be regarded
as ribald blasphemy IN the hurry and
anguish Of the moment lingerie IS dOnned
butt end up and inside out, and bunch
of rounded-Up ambassadors from sover-
eign States look Ike a Reuben quartet at
a ten-cent theater
while the city has been secured for alb
Sentees the business OF the body so sadly
IN need OF their presence has been AT q
complete standstil. The presiding officer
reads and dreams IA his chair and the
few Of the faithful present try TO Kill
time with cigars and Renaissance in the
coatrO0ms- On rare occasions other de-
vices have been employed At frequent
intervals a batch Of dereIicts, personally
conducted by deputy. viii file in. some
with pajanlas conspicUOusiy bulging from
fantastically buttOned waistcoats. while
others sport spike-tsils and other in
sigma Of the busted svarry Each de-
serter demands recognition Of the Chair
and answers present" and then retires
To the courtroom to express or otherwise
convey his innermOSt sentiments on the
subject. Finally a working majority
have answered to their names. and bust
ness is resumed.
Many society people whose business
does not call them there drop in during
the night in the prescribed attire OF The
elite. evidently on their way from one
function TO another. Or perhaps they
are summing Squads in brilliant even
ing dress loiter through the corridors OF
survey the scene through a Iorgnetts
from the private galleries fO- a moment
al very much to the edifcatlon Of the
swarms Of mere folks. II is made quite
evident that the full-dress favOrites Of
fortune come expressly 20 be seen OF the
nonelect and TO cheer I'D the rabble with
a sweet but joyous view Of Life with a
small plea cap l. 1t IS very gracious OF
them and their sacrifice is quite appre-
ciated-
With all Difference, however, to the
tuxedo and corsage bouquet contingent. a