the goose-quill of any ponderous or lively daily paper
that may advocate "Liberalism," and support the elect of Greenwich
through thick and thin, do you think he gives you his candid opinion
anent "the people's William" then in power, or respecting that
bamboozling Alabama business?

Not he!

Why, he knows, as well as you do, of the tergiversation that has
distinguished the entire political career of the Risque-tout Prime
Minister; and yet, he has to speak of him as if he were the greatest
statesman England has ever seen--hanging on his words as silver, when
knowing them all the while to be but clap-trap Dutch metal! Convinced,
as he must be, that the Washington Treaty is one of the trashiest pieces
of diplomacy that has ever disgraced a government, and that the whole
community has been dissatisfied at having to make the Americans a nice
little present of three millions of money--in settlement of a claim for
which neither the law of nations nor moral opinion held us responsible--
he is obliged to argue that it is "a splendid triumph for the ministry,"
and that the "public is overjoyed" to grease Uncle Sam's outstretched
palm!

You know, the deeds of "our William" _must be_ bolstered up; lest
"waverers" should waver off to the ranks of the "Constitutionalists,"
and the "great Liberal party" come to grief at the next general
election!

So, how can a journalist have a conscience? You see I'm right, and that
I had some excuse for my foreign correspondence of American origin.

I lay the whole blame of the transaction, however, on the narrow
shoulders of my lanky "down-east" proprietor:--_he_ is the man to blame
in the matter, not I!

After a time, I got tired of this work. I then left the journal on
which I had been first engaged--with no hard feelings on either side,
let it be mentioned--to join the literary staff of the _Aurora
Borealis_, an organ of quite a different complexion, and of considerable
notoriety in the empire city, as it was famed for its bizarre sensations
and teeming news.

Here my labours became much more extended--my experiences and knowledge
of all shades of American life and character the more varied and
complete in consequence.

Years before, when at school in England, I had made some acquaintance
with shorthand, in order to save me trouble in noting down lectures--for
the purpose of afterwards writing themes thereon, as we had to do at
Queen's College, under "old Jack's" rule; and, havi