ting it right he takes out the verisimilitude and substitutes the other thing. He was present when Mr Browning told the story to Mr Gladstone, and remembers all about it. It was not Mr Gladstone that spoke wicked words, but the poet himself: "greatest liar living,' he said of Mr Disraeli. It "was Browning who was exceedingly indignant, and Mr Gladstone who was greatly amused" at such toying with veracity. "We all laughed except Browning-none Mr Gladstone," 66 who was greatly tickled by Browning's vehemence." more than How strange! How strange that the author of "The Ring and the Book" should go about to fasten a particular weakness of his own upon one of his friends, as an illustration of character! Printed by William Blackwood and Sons. He, too, was here, the Giant Child, Tender, magniloquent, and wild, Whose lure lay light on lochs and streams; O'er moor and tarn and benn and burn ; VOL. CLXV.-NO. M. M Whose Crutch fell heavier than he knew The mighty Christopher: beside him, He that "fules feared" whene'er they spied him, The Scorpion of the loyal heart, Who saw youth, love, and friends depart, With them The Shepherd: never plaid Who turns all peasant glories dim. And taught how dreadfully he died, These were our Fathers: truly we A. LANG. Noctes Ambrosianæ. No. LXXII. ΧΡΗ ΔΕΝ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΩ ΚΥΛΙΚΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΝΙΣΣΟΜΕΝΑΩΝ Σ. PHOC. ap. Ath. [This is a distich by wise old Phocylides, An ancient who wrote crabbed Greek in no silly days; C. N. ap. Ambr. Scene-The Blue Parlour, Gabriel's Road, Elysium. Time-Eight o'clock. Tea, coffee, and "the materials" on the table. NORTH. THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD. TICKLER. SHEPHERD. I'll thank ye, Mr North, to rax us ower the Scotsman whenever ye're dune wi' it. Take it, James; take it. NORTH. You'll not find much news in it to "The Crisis in the But have the London papers not day. "Tuberculosis and Milk," h'm, h'm. Whisky Trade," h'm, h'm. come in yet? SHEPHERD (politely). Alloo me, sir, if ye please. [Jumps up and pulls bell vigorously. Enter TAPPYTOORY with a large bundle of newspapers which he deposits on the table, and exit. NORTH. Here they are at last. Well, well, James, they may talk of the improvements of civilisation and the progress of the age, but I gravely doubt if Charon, Limited, be half as punctual as the old boy used to be before his conversion-into a company. Of all the infernal SHEPHERD. Hooly an' fairly, Mr North, hooly an' fairly. Ye suldna use sic awfu' language. NORTH (rising solemnly and shaking his crutch for five minutes by the clock at the SHEPHERD). If I thought, James, that the pun was intentional, your pow and this stick would soon become better acquainted. SHEPHERD (with an air of innocence). Me mak' a pun, Mr North? H'ard onybody iver the like o’ that! NORTH (resuming seat). Take warning, O presumptuous Shepherd, and let me continue. Where was I? Ah! those infernal companies. Since the promotion of the Glenmutchkin Railway there has been no such fever of speculation as in the last few years; though I question if there is much which your modern promoter could have taught to Bob M'Corkindale and Augustus Reginald Dunshunner. They knew most of the moves on the board half a century ago; for people forgot then as they forget now that, after all, what counts in a business is the personal element. Personal energy and personal interest are half the battle. Thank heaven, Picardy still keeps his tavern in his own hands. Confound your "managing directors," say I. Give me mine host, and let him strive by strict attention to business to merit a continuance of that esteemed patronage which SHEPHERD. A noble sentiment, sir, beautifully expressed. There's no' twa ways aboot it. As for me, I didna mak' verra muckle o' the fairming up-bye thonder, but gif I had been working no' for my ain gudewife an' bairns, but for a wheen ither fouk wha caredna twa straes aboot hillside or headrigg, plough or pasture, an' were aye jist wantin' "oot" theirsels at a primmium an' to lat in some ither buddy in their place-think ye, Mr North, I wad hae wrocht my hardest? Think ye I wad hae risen airly an' lain doon late for the likes o' thon? Na, na, sir; deil the fears o't. NORTH. Conceive, James, of Maga as a company, limited! SHEPHERD. Wi' Maister Weel'um "to jine the brodd after allotment"! Haw! haw! haw! Ha ha ha! ha! NORTH. SHEPHERD. Ay, an' aiblins sell'n a number owre the coonter for a bawbee doon an' a promise to pay nine-an-fifty mair instalments per mensem! Ho! ho! NORTH. Not forgetting, James, a handsome bookcase, made of the same wood as this crutch, to hold the priceless treasure. Ha! ha! ha! SHEPHERD. But there maun be a speecial byuck - case, a' studded wi' di'monds an' ither sorts o' jew'llery, to dae justice to the thoosan'th number. Ye'll no hae forgotten, sir, that it'll be oot in Feb'rwary? |