ouse thirty-three years ago, when Lord Palmerston was Premier, Mr.
Gladstone was Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir George Cornewall Lewis
was at the Home Office, and Lord John Russell looked after Foreign
Affairs.

The House of Commons was a different place in those days, the heritage
of the classes, a closed door against any son of the masses. Sir Walter
was born a country gentleman, his natural prejudices not being smoothed
down by a term of service in the Dragoon Guards. He was not a brilliant
man, nor, beyond the level attainments of a county magistrate, an able
one. But he was thoroughly honest; suspected himself of ingrained
prejudice, and always fought against it. He suffered and learnt much
during his long Parliamentary life.

One of the earliest shocks dealt him was the appearance in the House of
Mr. Chamberlain, newly elected for Birmingham. It is difficult at this
time of day to realize the attitude in which the gentlemen of England
sixteen years ago stood towards the statesman who is now proudly
numbered in their ranks. When he presented himself to be sworn in, it
was one of the jokes of the day that Sir Walter Barttelot expected he
would approach the Table making "a cart-wheel" down the floor, as ragged
little boys disport themselves along the pavement when a drag or omnibus
passes. Sir Walter was genuinely surprised to find in the fearsome
Birmingham Radical a quietly-dressed, well-mannered, almost
boyish-looking man, who spoke in a clear, admirably pitched voice, and
opposed the Prisons Bill, then under discussion, on the very lines from
which Sir Walter had himself attacked it when it was brought in during
the previous Session.

[Illustration: "ANTICIPATION."]

It was characteristic of this fine old English gentleman that, having
done a man an injustice by unconsciously forming a wrong opinion about
him, he hastened forthwith to make amends.

[Illustration: "REALITY."]

"If," he said, when Mr. Chamberlain had resumed his seat, "the hon.
member for Birmingham will always address the House with the same
quietness, and with the same intelligence displayed on this occasion, I
can assure him the House of Commons will always be ready to listen to
him."

This is delicious, looking back over the years, watching Mr.
Chamberlain's soaring flight, and thinking of the good county member
thus loftily patronizing him. But it was a bold thing to be said at that
time of Mr. Chamberlain by Sir Walter Barttelot, a