BY THE WAY.

Evening Star, Issue 9721, 1 June 1895, Page 1

BY THE WAY.

—Let your sense be clear, Nor with a weight of words fatigue the ear. -.;••'.•••■ -" - Horace. I might easily take it for granted that everya? C S? 8 / ? ad the terrible story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde v But since'the" day 1 discovered a very, clever, well-educated man of fifty who had never read 'King Lear' (though he was hugely delighted with the first taste of it', I never do take anything of the kind for granted. I»ray, therefore, be patient if I say that Stevenson's temble book—for .really that is the only adjective One can- apply to it-illustrates the universally-known fact that every man haß in him two natures, a good and a bad—the one a bundle of the higher and the other of the lower elements. Jhe ordinary man, as we know him, represents iu face and figure, in speech, action, and demeanor the intmate and inseparable blend of the two, the higher, happily for us (though of course it may be low enough at its best) always predominating. Dr Jekyll, the scientific professor, the rich doctor, the man of good presence, good conduct, and good standing in society represents the blend. Here let him speak for himself : Enough then that I not only recoguisc my natural body for the mere aura and effulgence or certain ot the powers that made up mv spirit, but managed to compound a drug by which these powers should be dethroned from their supremacy, and a second form and countenance substituted, none the less natural to me because they wore the expression, and bore the stamp, of lower elements in my soul. These lower elements separated and embodied by the drug took the form (Dr Jtkyll vanishing for the time) of Mr Hyde, a loathsome creature from whom all men instinctively shrank. What a merciful thing to be sure that there is no such drug-in actuality, that is; Morally there is one, and awful icdeed is the fate of those who have to quaff the potion. That is what Oscar Wilde had to do during tie recent case. Before it he was Oscar Wilde, far from a lofty specimen of humanity, it u true, but still to the outward eye the usual blend of good and ii Wllen tlle oase was over and the potion swallowed he was led away on the chain a fourfooted thing to his prison den. What a doom ! The two years' sentence is nothing. The mortal punishment is the recognition by one's self and the world of a deadly transformation. Even the fate of Ulysses's men und<r the wand of Circe was not. so bad:— Instant her circling wand the goddess waves, lo hogs trausfonns them, and the stvereceives. I\o more was seen.the human form 'divine, Head, face, and members bristle into swine. ■ •*•<.« . In seconding the nomination of Mr Gully as Speaker of the House of Commons, Mr Birrell (admirable as an essayist, whatever he may be as a parliamentarian) spoke eloquently about the spokesman of our rights, the guardian of our liberties, and the preserver from day to day in our midst of wha" shoull be dearer to us than all cur rights, more precious by far than any of our privileges-our order, our honor, and our dignity." AVhy do I quote this specimen of full-bodied oratory ? Because a certain correspondent of mine has a misgiving that the .Commons House of Parliament is more concerned about its privileges than about its order and dignity, and I am anxious to reassure him. Nothing could-be- more edifying, more strictly proper, tLau the attitude of the representative s ot th-.j people when saj ing good-bye to their old Speaker and welcoming the new. "You've come to the right shop for morals," observed Mr Squ ers, in delicate allusion to hi* own qualifications as an educator of youth ; and if Mr Birrell hj to be b.-litved, the House of Commons lias succeeded to the business. But lain forgetting my correspondent, who, as aforesaid, has his doubts. He has baen busying himself with the refreshment bills of the House—burrowing into the archives of the Imperial Bellamy'*, or, rather, the 'Pall Mall Gazette' has been doing this for him, and he hands the treasure-trove on to me. As a matter of fact, however, he and the'P.M G.'have discovered something like a mare's nest, and I hardly needed to bother about Mr Birrell's testimonial. Here is the indictment, such as it is : Its (the House's) Kitchen Committee have hist rendered account of the last year's food and drink tu 11 of our representative English, Scotch, Welsh and Irishmen. They drank through £2,093 of wines and'spmts, beer and "minerals," and solids of sorts cost £B(S less. Their " cheese etc " is entered atthe j quaint figure of i7Bß;'aiidoi!e marks the etc.' The wages and management came to £3,2f0, and there is £313 of unexplained expenses. On the whole twelve mouths that c ? d December 31, 18U4, there was a net loss of £4o 12s 2d (shame on the extra glass of bitter) • and this though there.is a subsidy of £1,750 from the .treasury. Since a total of £H,(iC9 «s 3d was paid for our faithful Commons' creature comforts one might wish for a more explicit explanation of details.

Now, there are only seventy-four members in the New Zealand House of Representatives (and too many at that); but my correspondent, or at least the ' Pall Mai),' ought to know that the House of Commons numbers 670. Bearing this fact in mind, it seems to me that the House has reason to stand aghast at its own moderation. Hir .Majesty's faithful Commons may surely have contciences void of offence in respect; of meat and drink; but has not Her Majesty cause for misgiving? Or rather—in deference to lhe democratic spirit of the a°-e—----ought not the elect >rs of the United Kingdom to feel suspicious? You know what Cra-ar thought upon the subject; did he not tay something like this to Antony ? Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights 1 hese Commons have a lean and hungry look • ihey think too much ; such men are dangerous. The Commons do not sleep o' nights—they talk too much; thinking is another matter. And the total bill for their creature comforts only comes to £l7 odd per annum apiece. Maik that, correspondent m'ne ! Moreover, their liquor costs a trifle over £4 per annum a man, and their choose (tell it not to the 'P.M.G.') far less than a penny a day. I share my grieved surprisr but for entirely opposite reasons. I sav with Caisar "Wou'd they were fatter," and I murmur with the dying P'itt " O my country !" Surely our New Zealand representatives make a better show at their victuals ! Yet I notice with some alarm that Mr Camera ss doesn't care twopence whether Bellamy's is retained or not. Not twopence—think of it! Evidently those prayers which I mentionid last week will not be supeifluous. Not twopence!

" Like Cromwell, who held a far higher position than mine, I happen to own a few racehorses, and I am glad if one of them happens to be a good one." These were the words'(to the best of my recollection) with which Lord Rosebery nonplussed his puritanic critics when Ladas won the blue riband of the turf twelve months ago. _ And now the Prime Minister has pulled the big race off again, and we may expect to have evidence of further searchings of heart. The ".Nonconformist conscience " will again Le up in arms, unless the dread of the Cromwellian reference gives it pause. I trust, however, that our own Social Keform Association will not count mo as little better than one of the lost if I venture to express my gratification at the fine sporting statesman's triumph. The Prime Minister is not in the best of health, and think what the shock might bs if the goodwill of "Nemo" were wanting! AVhat physician would answer for the consequences ? Seriously, too, it is surely no ill thing for the turf to be dominated by honest and distinguished men, unless you take up the position that racing is bad per sc. lam satisfied that Lord Rosebery is not bad per ic, and he knows a good deal more about the turf than I do—or you, for the matter of that, my prim and excellent censor, just ready to lift up your hanis in holy horror. It is not an unprecedented thing, by the way, for an owner to win the Derby twice in succession ; for instance, the Duke of Portland got home in 1888 and 1889 with Ayrshire and Donovan. And what about the General Elect'on ?. Will it follow the lines of the Derby ? May we back Rosebery as a winner? Ah! There's is a good deal in a long-drawn " Ah !"

I daren't write another cricket Note ; I should have the editor and the public jumping on me. But I must be allowed just a line to chuckle over AV.G.'s further performance. Even while I was writing about the 288 last week was piling up the 267. Prodigi thank you, Dominie. By the way, the England v. Surrey match, which was played on the first three days of th:s we<;k, was "W. W. Bead's benefit—no ! I beg \V. "W.'s T&rion~h\scoMpUmen,tari/:ma.t(ih. Professionals receive benefits-; W. "\V; is jn amateur, so he receives the proceeds of a complimentary match. See? He gets theire just the same. No doubt the—but lam writing the Note I promised not to write, Nemo.