he
parts most relished, he abandoned the role of lecturer for that of
entertainer with "The Humours of Parliament." As soon as he had crushed
the idea that it was a lecture, people flocked to hear his anecdotes and
to watch his acting, the result of his first short tour resulting in a
clear profit of over L2,000.

[Illustration: DRAWING FROM "AN ARTISTIC JOKE."]

So it came about that young Frank closed his foreign stamp book, and
"Buzzy" settled down in a corner by her mother's side and looked the
little model she is. "Bogie" lay on the hearth-rug. Suddenly--we were
all in "The House." We heard the young member make his maiden speech; we
watched the mournful procession of the Speaker. Mr. Gladstone appeared
upon the scene--he walked the room, and in a merry sort of way played
with "Buzzy's" long curls--and took an intense interest in Frank's
collection of foreign stamps. "Bogie" was evidently inclined to break
out in a loud bark of presumable applause when the Irish member rose to
his legs--the member for Ballyhooly--who had a question to ask the Chief
Secretary for Ireland regarding an assassinated scarecrow! The reply did
not satisfy him, and the Ballyhooly M.P. poured forth such a torrent of
abuse upon the Chief Secretary's head that "Bogie's" bark came forth in
boisterous tones just as the Speaker called the Irish representative to
order!

"What a hissing there was at one of my entertainments at Leicester,"
said the humorist-caricaturist looking across at me with twinkling eyes.
"A terrible hissing! I showed Mr. Gladstone on the sheet. Immediately it
burst forth like a suddenly alarmed steam-engine. The audience rose in
indignation--they tried to outdo it with frantic applause, but in spite
of their lusty efforts it continued for several minutes.

"'Turn him out--turn him out!' they cried. But we couldn't find the
party who was acting so rudely.

"Imagine my feelings next morning when I saw in the papers leading
articles speaking in strong terms of this occurrence, which, one of
them stated in bold type--'was a disgrace to the people of Leicester.'"

"Bogie" rose from the hearth-rug, wagged his tail, and made his exit.

"Good night, Buz."

"Good night, Frank."

"And did they ever discover this very unseemly person?" I asked Mr.
Furniss when we were alone.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you," he said, "that it was the hissing of the
lime in my magic lantern!"

HARRY HOW.

[Illustration: Telegraphic Address,