The Ladies’ Magazine.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2185, 14 September 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Ladies’ Magazine.

THE BLUE PLATE

By Mary E. Q. Brush.) The dining-room door swung open. For one brief instant Bedelia caught a glimpse of the long, damask-draped .tables, gleaming with silver. Above them hung misty sprays of wild-plum blossoms; about them were gathered groups of men and j>retty women in shimmering, soft-colored gowns. Through the doorway Heated out the rustle of silk, the ripple of laughter, and the mingled scents of flowers, fruits, and savory food. Bedelia was used to these fascinating transitory glimpses of the fashionable guests of “The Magnolia.” She seldom got closor to them, for it was only a lowly position that tho little colored girl held on tho staff of servitors at tho big summer hotel. Her humble duty was to scrape plates and platters and stack up great piles of crockery for the whirling suds of the dish-washing machine. A hurried rush of this three times a day; between times, Bedelia was at ■tho beck and call of everybody, and, no matter how swiftly her flat little feet sped upstairs and down, indoors and out, she was forced to bear with silent patience the jeering cry of •those who outranked her: “Hey, yo’ lazybones! git a move, on yo’ 1 Yo’ is as slow as turpoutino in a no’theaster 1” On this particular day tho “rush” had subsided; dinner was nearly over, only the dessert and finger bowls remained, and Bedelia, with one little, clawlike hand pressed against her small bodice where her fluttering heart told of recent hurry, leaned leisurely against her table, with big, china-white eyes watching the swinging door. Presently Theodore Lycurgus appeared, holding high His. tray, and Bedelia reached out eager bauds to take it. Then, with a dexterity born of much practice, she scraped off chop-bones and scraps of vegetables into the waiting pail. But when she took up a plate on which lay a solitary slice of bread, she paused; the bread was tossed aside, but the pjite itself was treated to a closer inspection. One dusky forefinger rested for an instant in a tiny triangle of a nick in the gilded rim, and then followed an irregular, almost invisible line down to the centre of the plate, which was a pretty one of fanciful design and bright blue in color. A disappointed, wistful look crept into the small, dark face and a touch of impatience into the soft voice as Bedelia murmured: “I declar’, it seems es if dat plate was bo’n to stand a pow’ful sight o’ handlin’ 1 It's ben cracked ever sence de fust of do season, an’ it ain’t done gone broke itse’f yit 1 I’se been expectin’ it most any day. Seems like it was bewitched, it sho’ly do! Lawsy! it run tro’ de dish washin’-machine time’n agin an’ had de water suzzlih’ an’ splurgin’ up aginst it wid fo’ce enough to done bust a butter ' crock, but it comes out all right; yas, sah! ’Twa’u’t mo’n a fo’tnight ago, de housekeeper, Miss Hunt, was gwine tro’ de kitchen, an’ she say: ■>lo ‘Dat blue plate’s cracked, Bedelia; it’ll break soon, an’ see yo’ don’t cut yo’ fingers, chile 1’ ”

Here.' Bedelia looked lialf-liuinor-ously down on lier lean little bands. “Hoi I wouldn’t care fo’ a cut or two if I could git de pieces once! Yas, git ’em fo’e dat gal Oarliue puts ber brack paws on ’em. Oomph ■ she thinks she’s dretful sma’t, da.t nigger does, des ’cnze Mis’ Kinderhook Van Tassel gits her to rub her back when she take her baf I” The small wizened face wrinkled up with sullen frowns, as Bedelia turned her gaze toward the “fruit table,” where, behind a diminished pile of oranges and Malaga grapes, there beamed a dark, laughing face. “Hat gal Carline” was the belle of “Helps’ Hall.”. There was a sparkle in her large eyes, a coquettish tilt to her small, graceful head, a roguish smile on her animated face that set the heart® of all the dusky swains a-fluttering. -Besides, she could read and write, sing and play a melodeon, .had once worked-“No’th,” and could tie her red ribbon bows like a Frenchwoman. And Caroline’s poise bore witness to. her 1 own consciousness of,- her advantage. / Seeing Bedelia looking. her'way,'" site -called out in a voice d£pp and. mellow : “Say,. Bedelia,' liU.b- gal, dat blue cliauy plate-wid‘do storks an’ roses come apa’t yit? You knows I got my eye on da.t platen so don’ you tote it off-fo’, you’ liTe.isister to play make believe tea-stt: wid,- like somebody said yo’/ 7.1 is "Winter. I wants dat plato— : yas, I'does, sJiuak 1” “Wlia’ fo’ yo’ want dat plate?” was the question tossed sullenly across the pile of fruit. “Wlia’ fo’? Yo’ des about as lackin’ in sense an’ manners as yo’ is in decent clo’es, you Bedelia! However, chile,” condescendingly, “f don’ mind tollin’ yo’. I wants dat blue plate fo’ makin’ a wo’k of art! Ain’t you seen umbrel-stiands what’s made out of a tile? Well, yo’ sticks putty on de tile an’ presses bite of pretty chany in—.all colors, kini.ls, an’ shapes—.it don’ matter. Aurelia Ophelia Powell —she’s lady’s maid up .at Lenox whar’ I was- las’ summer — she done tole me about it. I’se ben savin’ pieces of chany ever sence. But dat blue plate is de prettiest thing an’ I’se des natchelly set my heart on havin’ de pieces when dey come apa’t.” Bedelia give her little woolly head a toss; there was a defiant glea.m in her eyes. “Maybe you’ll git dat plate, Carline—.an’ maybo agin yo’ won’t.!” she muttered under her breath. Now it happened that the bide plato came to grief that very day. The bill of the largest stork was broken in twain and the big rosespray dangling over the gilded pagoda came away hi a- little triangular piece.

The dishwasher—Old Lucy, it was —fished out the bits of broken china -.ind tucked them into an empty to-

rn ato-ean. ■“Bedelia says she wants um and Carline vow she gwine ter have uni. Fust come, fust gits!” Caroline *wjfg the first wlio came. She swept into the serving room, bearing Oil her head a great wicker basket piled high with fruit just brought in from the boat. One of her arms, a bit of rounded bronze ending in a soft palm and tapering fingers, held the basket lightly balanced; the other hind, knuckles turned inward, rested on the graceful

curve of her waist; her spotless white gown and the bright red and yellow of tho fruit made a fine sotting for hor dusky beauty. Burdened though ahe was, she could not refrain from breaking into a dancing step as she saw the tomato-can and its contents

“Olio, it como apa’t at las’ —dat blue platol I’ll como an’ git de pieces, Lucy, dcs ’s soon’s I tote dose away to my tables an’ ’rnngo ’em in ile fruit-baskets. De board polishers are in a mighty hurry.” Caroline, still prancing, moved away toward her own domain. .Old. Lucy, too, loft tho kitchen, in search of more drying towels. Hardly had the laundry door closed behind her broud, fat back when a slim, dirk figure slippod in between table and sink, a thin awn reached forth toward the tomato-can, and with trembling fingers Bedelia emptied its contents into the bib of her gingham apron. Then as noiselessly ,uul as nervously as she had como she glided away again, the palm of one little hand pressed protectiugly across her bulging front. Two minutes later sho was turning back the coarse, gray blanket covering her little cot in a dim corner of “Helps’ H«JI.” “I done got it at las’!” sho exclaimed softly, straightening up with a long breath of satisfaction. “It sems too good to be true. I’se glad it come to pieces honest. Many’s de time”—here unconsciously Bedel’a struck an attitudo of complacent ana. triumphant virtue—“many’s de time I’se des ached to pinch er pull er wriggle de plate des a li’le, so it’d come apa’t, but I des didn’t do it, no, sail! Fo’ I says to myself, ‘Bedelia, yo’ don’ want no plate what yo’ broke a purpose—no, yo’ sho’ly don’ 1’ So I didn’t break it an’ now I’se got it, an’ des let dat gal Carline git it if she kin !” Caroline spared no efforts to obtain what she considered her rights. Like a whirlwind of wrlith sho swooped down upon little Bedelia in one of the lower halls. Her strong fingers were laid with a steel clutch on the lean, dark shoulder.

“You misible, no-account, li’le Florida nigger, what yo’ mean by takin’ my belongin’s? AVJmr’t dat blue cluany plate?” “Let go of me, you big, brack ox I” Bedelia said, sullen defiance in eyes and voice. “Yo’s tearin’ my sleeve an’ I’ll tell de boss 1 Blue chany plate—oomph 1 I ain’t seen it sence this noon when I put kumquats on it fo’ Miss Maria Lewis. If it’s done broke” —with a toss of the head and an air of feigned unconcern — “I ’spect de junkman's toted away de pieces; lie was hero to-day, but I don’ keep no account of his doin’s. Ho! I ’spect de pieces of dat fine plate aro down on the dumpili’gyround by do ribber ’n’ maybe Mis’ Alligator an’ de li’le Oarline Alligators is nosin’ around ’em, plannin’ to make timbrel-stands ! Hull!”

A rousing box on the ear was the response to this saucy speech, and then Caroline said sternly : “Maybe yo’.re bellin’ de truf o an’ then agin maybe yo’ isn’t: If yo’ is lyin’, yo’ Bedelia, yo’ll get punished, sliuah 1 ’Member what de Bajytis’ preacher said last Sunday about de laik of fire an’ brimstun ? I ’spect it’s des as hot —yas, an’ hotter I —dan de turkentine still whar yo’ daddy wo’ks out in de woods beyand Green Cove! Yo’ know how hot pitch looks a-bdlin’, eh? De laik de preacher ’scribed is like dat, only a million times mo’ ! How’d yo’ like to dnap in an’ go round an’ round, ’ithout life-preserves or boat on anything? Dat is how liars is fixed on de jedgment day—shuaih!” All the soft prettiness had disappeared from. Caroline’s face; anger had changed it into something ugly and malign. Bedelia turned and fled, her lean little limbs shaking as she went. Direful misgivings dimmed the glory of her recent triumph. The joy of possessing the blue plate turned to dust and ashes: Moreover, a sudden perplexity seized her and her thin fingers clasped and unclasped convulsively as she whispered to herself with a shiver of dread:

“i ’sp-cis _ Ou;lino'll watch me every minute o’ dis yer day! It’ll be dark fo’ I kin tote de plate out to de place whar I wants to put it—yas —dark and pow’ful lonesome!”

It was midnight at “The Magnolia” and no lights showed through all the big house save the dull red glow at the heads of stairways, and the shaded lamp in the office where the lonely night-clerk drowsed over a novel.

Outside, beyond the great black shadow of the hotel, in the splendor of the Southern moonlight, the trailing Spanish moss that festooned the ancient live-oaks looked like dim, hovering smoko. Beyond the farthermost ranks of the trees, was a narrow, dark, irregular line indicating what had once been a fence but w r as now- nothing iave a few crumbling posts and slanting pickets from which wind and weather had long since erased every vestige of whitewash. The gate still remained —sagging on its hinges—a nere mockery of protection; one night get inside the enclosure in a score of places. Within was a graveyard—a most luihible God’s acre, where lay those >f a race a.nd color “despised of .lien.” Many graves there were, but few tombstones and these painfully insignificant and so discolored by ime and the humid Southern atmosihere~that their inscriptions were carcely legible. For the most part, lie graves were marked by boards, .imil' fashioned into the semblanco if a tombstone, with the name of the lece'ised and the dates of birth and leatli crudely painted on them. A sathetic, desolato placo it was. And now the brooding silence of ho lonely spot was suddenly stirred; ‘hero was the sound of a footfall on -he shell-road and then a little rustle tear the broken gateway wliero a noving shadow lurked. A very small shadow it was indeed, and it flitted waveringly this way and that, and, is the upper breezes brushed at-ido 1 for a moment or two tho sombre •loud-fold across the moon’s pale face die light streaming down revealed the little negro girl—Bedelia.

For a few moments slie crouched near the gate, turning a furtdvo glaiico behind lier at tho winding road, silvered in the moonlight ; then her eyes, their whites conspicuous in tlio gloom, peerod timorously into the shadows of the graveyard. 6ev-

oral times sho started to opon tho gate, then shrank back, shuddering; the harsh rattle of tho rusty latch sent her heart fluttering into her throat like a wild thing; a harmless little garter snake rustling in the dry oak-leaves sot hor trombling violently.

Finally, drawing tho long breath of a desperate swimmer resolved on a fateful plunge, Bedelia hurried through the gateway, and, with small hands pressed close to her panting breast, ran along the grass-grown path of the cemetery until sho reached a lonely grave in the corner. Hero sho stopped and fell upon lior knees.

“Mammy! Oh, mammy 1” sho gasped. Her spare little frame was shaken by mighty sobs, but no tears fell from her eyes. Terror of tho gloom about her —a terror heightened by the inborn superstition oi her race—held her in its spell, and yet, nevertheless, against this there, struggled mightily her love for her dead mother.

With cold, trembling lingers she took the pieces of the blue plate from the bosom of her little frock. It was to place this hardly won treasure on her mother’s grave that she had braved the terrors of that lonely place. On graves all about her were similar tokens of loving devotion. Tho moonlight, sifting down through the tattered banners of the trailing moss, revealed irregular lines and dots whore bits of broken crockery lay scattered on tho graves. Fragments of all kinds of dishes were there —delicate china and common delft. In one place a young cactus thrust its green knob through tho white circle of what had once been a wasli-bowl; in the bottomless ewer belonging to the bowl sprouted a yearling pine-tree. 11l the day-time, with the bold-eyed sun staring down upon the little cemetery, all these efforts at decorating the restingplaces of tho departed might have seemed childish, even ludicrous, to the careless mind; in the solemn night-time the white-outlined graves possessed a solemn dignity.

For some time Bodelia hesitated—the touch and sight of tho bits of cliina aroused within her the questionings and misgivings of the morning. In spite of everything, there persisted the suggestion that she had taken the blue pla.to ill a stealthy, underhand, unhonorable way! Besides, she had lied —yes, lied! For was it not a brazen falsehood that she had flung at Carline? What was it that the preacher had said about ‘liars” and the “lake of fire and brimstone” ? Even in tho darkness and stillness around her Bedelia’s excited imagination could picture flickering flames arising from a smoking, sulphurous mass out of which came the shrieks of the accursed 1

Shivering and swaying, the child crouched beside the grave, her hands clutching tho bits of the plato so tightly that. their sharp edges hurt her little palms.

“Liak o’ flak I” she groaned. “It makes me scart to think of it—um — urn—yas, it 'sho’ly do 1 But de wust of all is what mammy would say ’bout what I’se done, fo’ she uster tell me, ‘Bedelia, chile, nebher lie — no matter wha’ happens.’ And now” —With a wail —“now I’sc gone and done i*l”

Here the floodgates, were let loose and the warm tears ran down the dusky cheeks and dropped on to the bits of china plate. But presently tucking the china pieces into her bodice again, Bedelia rose to her feet, giving the grave a little caress as she did so, and saying mournfully: “I’spects yo’ knows des how it is, mammy! I can’t put dis blue plate on yo’ precious grave—l lies sho’ly can’t 1 I kuows yo’ wouldn’t want it if it come in ah ontrufeful way! So, we s bob got ter wait until somepin else gits broken I No, I can’t leave noffin’ to-night but my love—my truly respectful . love, lioney, mammy deah! Fo’ dis yer plate’s got ter go back to dat gal Carline!”

“Lawsy! ho it ain’t, chile!” exclaimed a voice that wus both brisk and kind. “Yo’ des laay down dem chany bits!” Bedelia uttered a. shriek and tumbled to the ground, a. little heap of sudden terror.

Caroline, stooping over, shook her good-naturedly. “Now don’ yo’ be foolish, honey! I ain’t no ghostis!” she protested. “I’so only Carline —des yo’ look up an’ see! I’se been follerin’ yo’ all de way f’oin de hotel 'an’ kickin’ niyse’f fo’ de foolishness of gwine to secli a skittish place as dis yer! But I ’spected yo’ had de blue plate, an’ I wanted to know wlia’ yo’ was gwine ter do —yas, I slio’ly did. So”— with a wonderfully mellow tenderness in her deep, rioli voice—“so yo’ was gwine to put it on yo’ pore mammy’s grave, eh? Yo’ pore chile!” “But I didn’t do it, Carline! I kuowed I didn’t git de plate fair an’ square—am’—ail’ I wasn’t gwine to leave it!” and Bedelia’s little dusky face shone with triumphant virtue. “Well, yo’ is gwine to leave it now, chile! I resigns all rights in it—yo’ hear? So des lay down des pieces, honey, an’ we-all’ll git out of lieali as quick as we-all kin! Stop yo’ cryiii’ yo’ pore, li’lo pickininuy, yo’!”

It is probable that some Providence that guards infirm and incapable persons from danger in the ordinary walks of life has included tho danceloving girl of tho hour in tho list, for nothing moro foolhardy than walking about in tlio cold, damp winter night air between tho intervals of the dances, without oven a pretence of a wrap about her baro neck and arms can bo imagined. At a suburban ball of tho past week (remarks a Melbourne writer) there were dozens of girls to bo seen walking about in the gardens surrounding the ball with their partners just as unconcernedly as though tho tliormomotcr was registering 90dcg., instead of being down to near freezing point. Added to this, the ground was wet from fho raiu. Itwas noticed that many of the men had silk liaukerchiofs tied round their throats, and in any' case their evening dress is much warmer than that of tho girls, who had probably discarded woollen underwear and warm coats and furs only an hour or so before, and since then had been heated with dancing. In spito of the bitter weather there did not appear fo bo one girl who bad made tho slightest effort to protect the organs most 6usoeptible to bold.

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL

(By Pknei.ope) WELLINGTON, Sept. 9. A GREAT WORK. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, who looks after tho castaways of humanity, is much thought of hero. In her homes sho shelters tilioso whom their own parents will have nothing to do with, imbeciles, oripples, and dorolicts of all kinds and denominations. For, though she is a devout Catholic, hor benevolence .is wide enough to embrace those of any creed or nono. Sho herself is getting old, and tho hard living and anxiety must he infinitely trying, but she is as energetic as ever, and all the sorrow and suffering she has looked on has not robbed her, of her senso of humor. It was to help hor schemes that a concort was given last wook, and tho public flocked in crowds, tilling the Town Hail with ail audience that encored every item. Ail extra sum, and a goodly one, was got by a bevy of girls and men selling home-made swoets. Major Hughes, D. 5.0., was to be seen with his arms full ef boxes, which he, by dint of a wheedling tongue, readily disposed of. All the Government House party had one, if not two. Lady Plunket, in a lovely champagne tinted opera wrap of chiffon, lace and silk, and a scarlet silk frock, appeared to thoroughly enjoy the concert, especially appreciating the charming song, “Terence’s Farewell” —written by Lady Dufferin, her mother—which was given with O ro«it feeling by quite a young girl, Miss Lamocroft. Tho Hon. Kathleen, Miss Chalmers, and Lieut. Lyon accompanied His Excellency. Lady and Miss Ward were both among those helping to swell the funds, and Miss O’Connor was tho head of a bevy of helpers. I hear the good Mother will be handed over £4OO as a result. ABOUT PEOPLE.

Miss Beatrice Atkinson’s marriage with Mr. Tombs takes place next Wednesday. Mrs Plaul Hunter (Hawke’s Bay) is a guest of Airs. Moorhouse. Miss Sise, from Dunedin, is staying with Mrs. Watson. ■Miss Elsio It aw.son lias gone to Napier to stay with Miss Woods. Mr, Mrs, and the Misses Hannah have gone to Sydney for a trip, rind Mrs and the Misses Nathan returned from Australia last week, after a delightful holiday in Sydney. Miss Triggs, Christchurch, is a gnest of Mrs. Grady, and Mrs Beard, of Mastcrton, is with Mrs Mactavish. Miss Dean (Napier) is staying at her aunt’s, Mrs. Palmer. Two engagements have been announced. The eldest daughter of Sir Arthur Douglas, once Under-Secre-tary for Defence, is to be married next month to Mr. H. Bridge, who once owned property in Hawke’s Bay. Sir Arthur and Lady Douglas have lived for some years in London, anil the latter, with her youngest daughter, will carry on the successful business they have established there. Tho bride will have a lovely home at Battle, Sussex. The engagement of Miss Laura Lockie, sixth daughter of Mr. James Loclde, to Mr. Percy Gray, eldest son of the late Secretary for the Post Office, has been announced.

Mr. and Mrs. Costelloffifrom Timaru, are in Wellington, paying a visit to Mrs. Charles Tringham. Miss Byers is a guest of the Misses Hall-Jones.

Mrs. Morrison, sister of Mi's. Finch, is engaged to a Queensland landholder, Mr. A. D. White. •Mrs. Young is staying at present with her mother, Mrs. Howarth. A BRILLIANT BALL.

Naturally, the first function at Government House since Lady Plunket returned was much looked forward to, and iit was carried out most excellently. Very short notice, only five days at longest, was given, but that did not prevent a large number of lovely gowns being worn. Invitations were issued up to the day f the ball, owing to the short period since Her Excellency’s arrival .here has been for names to be written down- Flowers were used freely, and with much taste in the decorations, many being got from Hawke’s Bay, and tlio only blossom used on the supper-tables coming from Sir William Russell’s. Tree lucerne —which grows luxuriantly around the Government House tennis-ground—was much used with wattle in the misse.l arrangements that filled the fireplaces and piled the mantelpieces.

Two of tlie rooms were given ui> to dancing, the third arranged as a drawing room. Here the.flowers were beautiful. A tail palm touched tlio ceiling, its base hidden in blossoming hyacinths. Sheets of color were against the white wall, made by rhododendrons and camellias, and one table was covered with low bowls of primroses, purple and yellow. Lady Plunket and the Hon. Ivatldeen arinnged all the flowers themselves. Ever so many interesting trifles were set about, signed photographs of notabilities, Indian draperies and lovely silver kmckivaeks, while tii-j. wide cushioned chairs afforded delightful rest- and most picturesque views down the vista of shining floor, where the gay couples were dancing. The brilliant little figure of Lady Plunket was naturally the focus of interest. She wore apricot yellow chiffon over satin, the delicate folds at the back falling r rom a large true lover’s knot in heavy gold embroidery, which, trimmed also, in the pattern of roses and foliage, the short bodice. Diamond earrings, necklace, tian.i, and a great butterfly on the corsage, were Lady Plunkct’s ornaments. The butterfly is tlie centre of a line tiara that Her Excellency brought from Homo with her. Exactly similar in stylo was, the frock of tho Hon. Kathleen, only of bright blue radium over white silk, the little short bodice being trimmed with silver bmid. The loveliest frocks, of blush rose silk, were worn by Mrs. Abbott and Mrs. Ken. Duncan, who were Miss Rawsons. Both " are exceptionally good looking. Mrs. Ken’s pretty frock opened over a petticoat and vest of narrow ruffles of lace, and Mrs. Abbott’s was made with deep shoulder folds over an underbodice and sleeves of jewelled lace. Mrs. Chas. Crawford wore a rich white satin, with scarves, arranged fichuwise, of crystal-embroidered net, and she bad oil a very fine diamond necklice. ilrs. David Nathan’s floral olliffoii fell from a quaint, sliortwaisted bodice of black velvet, silver, and lace. Mrs Dymock, nee Miss Eva Fell, was notable in a rose-flow-ered silk.

Two debutantes, Miss Muriel Wylie and Miss Edie Robertson, made their bow to Society. LADY' PLUNKET.

Though almost ethereally slight-,

Lady Plunkot is quito ' well, and though she onjoyeil the little bit of the season she had before sho loft England, she still is delighted to get back to hor two children and Lord Plunket. Tho children at Homo have been sent to .tho same school as their mother was at, anil tho same mistress is there, and nothing is so delightful to them as to hear stories of Lady Plunketts school days. The little ones had a bad time almost di-rect-ly they arrived —measles being one of the ills they caught—but are now very' well. Lady Dufferin is net likely to como to New Zealand, and Lady Plunkot is leaving the children with a lighter heart because their grandmother will generally supervise them. Tho now baby is called Ethua —tin. old Irish naino—Victoria —-a ft or her mother, and Mahinc — Maori signifying ’my fair-haired daughter. Madame Albani, who sings here on Tuesday and Thursday, is to stay at Government House. The new aide, the Hon. Gathorno-Hnrdy, is tall, slight, and delicate-looking.

POLITIOA r, EXCITEMENT. Wo have had rather a thrilling week. It began with Mr. Herries’ amendment to reduce the vote on mining machinery, which, with the aid of some Government men who formerly hail voted, in tho opposite direction, was carried. It was late, and I was the only inmate in the Ladies’ Gallery. Tho Premier, aflame with iiidigivitibn, rose and rounded ii]i his party, upbraiding the breach of faith in good set terms. He reported progress, and the committee rose. ’ Then began the rumors that dissolution was impending. Everything pointed to it, and Sir Joseph—so said the knowing ones—had actually gone to the Governor. The bringing in of the Licensing Polls Bill on the next day was another proof, and the rebels, feeling their re-election, should a dissolution take place, none too certain, began to weaken and think of apologies. Then came the comic scene in the House, profuse apologies all round, compliments ail lib., everyone satisfied and happy, and the Premier anil the recalcitrant members of liis flock walking about the House —metaphorically —with their arms about one another’s necks. The crisis is past, anil the tariff is to he proceeded with on Tuesday.

THE SPEAKER. It is a moot point whether the Speaker should take an active part when the House is in Committee, but it appears pretty certain that his constituents expect him to uphold their interests, anil hence lie cannot keep silent always. Sir Maurice O’Rorke, too, "used to speak in committee. Shorn of his wig and gown and simply as the member for Grey Mr. Guinness is not such an imposing figure on the benches, hut he lias plenty of determination, anil iorce. He was one of the men who formed the unholy pact with tho enemy. Indeed, he was quito vehement about the amendment, and said, triumphantly as lie regained his seat, “We’ve got it!” When the result was read out.. Idr. Greenslade shook Mr. Guinness warmly by the hand. On the Coal Unions Bill, Mr. Guinness was also to the fore, and had many amendments. Olio was not according to the standing orders, and tho Chairman, Mr. Roderick MacKenzie would not allow it. it was suggested by some wag in tho Committee that the ruling of tho Speaker should lie a shod. In such a case Mr. Guinness would be called on to decide as to the rights of his own amendment.