his time in copying out the thoughts of others. Dickens
was a reporter for the _Morning Chronicle_, but he, though his talent in
that way was great, though he could perform almost unparalleled feats as
a reporter, soon left the gallery. At one time Angus Reach was in the
gallery; there, till recently, might have been seen that accomplished
critic and delightful novelist Shirley Brooks. For a literary man
reporting is a capital crutch: he is well paid, and it often leads to
something else. The _Times_' reporters are divided into three classes,
none of whom get less than seven guineas a week. The other papers do not
pay quite so well; but a literary man, if he be in earnest, can live on
less than that till the day comes when the world owns him and he becomes
great; and if his dream of fancied greatness be but a dream--if hope
never realise the flattering tale she at one time told, still he has a
means of respectable livelihood, and may rise from a reporter into an
editor. Mr. James Grant, editor of the _Morning Advertiser_, was at one
time reporter for that paper. In some cases the ambition of the reporter
does not end quite so successfully. Only recently a reporter for one of
the morning papers contested an Irish borough. Unfortunately, instead of
being returned, the ambitious youth was thrown into gaol for an
insignificant tavern bill of merely 250 pounds for eleven days. What
cruelty! What talent, what hope, what failure, have there not been in
the Reporters' Gallery! And those who know it, if they wanted, could
find abundance of material there with which

"To point a moral or adorn a tale."

Perhaps, after all, in nothing is the astonishing improvement made in
these latter times so conspicuous as in our system of parliamentary
reporting. The House was in terror when reporters first found their way
into it. "Why, sir," said Mr. Winnington, addressing the Speaker, "you
will have every word that is spoken here misrepresented by fellows who
thrust themselves into our gallery. You will have the speeches of this
House printed every day during your session, and we shall be looked upon
as the most contemptible assembly on the face of the earth." In
consequence of such attacks as these, the reporters became frightened,
and gave the debates with the speakers disguised under Roman names,
though nothing could be more wearisome than the small type of the
political club, where Publicola talked against turnpike-g