the power to secure. The young petitioner,
first going to his hotel and making himself presentable, sallied forth on
his errand. He reached the noble mansion of the person to whom his
letter of introduction was addressed, was ushered into an ante-room, and
there awaited, with mingled hope and fear, the all-important interview.
After a few minutes the door opened and, horrible to relate! he who
entered was the young man's travelling opponent, and thus the opponents
of an hour since stood face to face. The confusion and humiliation on
the one side, and the hauteur and coldness on the other, may be readily
imagined. Sir Edward C--, however--for such he was--although he
instantly recognized his recent antagonist, was too well-bred to make any
allusion to the transaction. He took the letter of introduction in
silence, read it, folded it up, and returned it to the presenter with a
bitter smile and the following speech: "Sir, I am infinitely obliged to
my friend, Mr. --, for recommending to my notice a gentleman whom he
conceives to be so well fitted for the vacant post as yourself; but
permit me to say that, inasmuch as the office you are desirous to fill
exists upon a purely Conservative tenure, and can only be appropriately
administered by a person of Conservative tendency, I could not think of
doing such violence to your well-known political principles as to
recommend you for the post in question." With these words and another
smile more grim than before, Sir Edward C-- bowed the chapfallen
petitioner out, and he quickly took his way to the railway station,
secretly vowing never again to enter into political argument with an
unknown railway traveller.

--_The Railway Traveller's Handy Book_.

DOG TICKET.

Shortly after telegraphs were laid alongside of railways, a principal
officer of a railway company got into a compartment of a stopping train
at an intermediate station. The train had hardly left, when an elderly
gentleman, in terms of endearment, invited what turned out to be a little
Skye terrier to come out of its concealment under the seat. The dog came
out, jumped up, and appeared to enjoy his journey until the speed of the
train slackened previous to stopping at a station, the dog then
instinctively retreated to its hiding place, and came out again in due
course after the train had started. The officer of the company left the
train at a station or two afterwards