it was turned over folio by folio. It was a great occasion for him;
his first visit to the Chamber which still echoed with the tones of his
father's uncle, JOHN BRIGHT. He kept gallantly awake as quarter-hour
sped after quarter-hour, and then, reminiscent of a nursery story
somewhere told, his too audible whisper broke in upon the slumbering
gallery.

"Papa, hasn't the Gentleman brought his Amen with him?"

It came at last. Perhaps none so grateful as OLD MORALITY. Curious to
note how, when beholding the welcome last folio of his discourse, OLD
MORALITY, uplifting his voice, said, "And now to----", there was a
sudden movement in the crowd, a shuffling of feet, a rustling of
garments, a motion as if the congregation were about to rise to receive
the benediction. But OLD MORALITY was only about to observe, "And now to
bring these imperfect remarks to a conclusion, I would entreat the House
to consider the great interests at stake, to vindicate the reputation of
this House, and to do their duty to their Queen and Country."

After peace, the storm. GLADSTONE ruffled prevalent calm with a tornado
of virile eloquence. Grand Old Man in fine form. If he had had the
arrangement of course of events, nothing could have been more
successfully designed than the contrast. For OLD MORALITY'S gentle
commonplaces, his pallid platitudes, his copy-book headings strung
together in timid flight after the Good and the True, here rushed a
flood of burning eloquence, carrying with it the whole audience;
jubilant the Opposition, faintly resisting the Ministerialists.
GLADSTONE had no copy-book before him, only the merest skeleton of
notes. These, with what seemed to the intently-listening audience the
fewest, simplest touches, he informed and inflamed with flesh and blood.
Spoke for an hour and forty minutes--a marvellous feat for any man, a
miracle of mental and physical force for an octogenarian.

HICKS-BEACH followed; but spell broken; the listening throng, filling
the chamber from floor to topmost range of gallery, swiftly melted away.
Thus it came to pass there were few to see HARCOURT as presently he went
forth whimpering. He, the champion slogger, accustomed to rampage round
the tents of the enemy, and bring his shillelagh down on any head
accidentally protruding, had been himself attacked. HICKS-BEACH girded
at him to-night in comparatively gentle fashion. HARCOURT tossed about
on bench and pettishly protested; claimed SPEAKER'S pro