 especially gracious at this season. Was not Parliament about
to be dissolved, and were not the folks at Newcome Park particularly civil at
that interesting period? So Barnes Newcome mounts his pulpit, bows round to the
crowded assembly in acknowledgment of their buzz of applause or recognition,
passes his lily-white pocket-handkerchief across his thin lips, and dashes off
into his lecture about Mrs. Hemans, and the poetry of the affections. A public
man, a commercial man as we well know, yet his heart is in his home, and his joy
in his affections. The presence of this immense assembly here this evening - of
the industrious capitalists, of the intelligent middle class, of the pride and
mainstay of England, the operatives of Newcome - these, surrounded by their
wives and their children (a graceful bow to the bonnets to the right of the
platform), show that they too have hearts to feel, and homes to cherish - that
they too feel the love of women, the innocence of children, the love of song!
Our lecturer then makes a distinction between man's poetry and woman's poetry,
charging considerably in favour of the latter. We show that to appeal to the
affections is after all the true office of the bard; to decorate the homely
threshold, to wreathe flowers round the domestic hearth, the delightful duty of
the Christian singer. We glance at Mrs. Hemans's biography, and state where she
was born, and under what circumstances she must have at first, etc., etc. Is
this a correct account of Sir Barnes Newcome's lecture? I was not present, and
did not read the report. Very likely the above may be a reminiscence of that
mock lecture which Warrington delivered in anticipation of the Baronet's
oration.
    After he had read for about five minutes, it was remarked the Baronet
suddenly stopped, and became exceedingly confused over his manuscript; betaking
himself to his auxiliary glass of water before he resumed his discourse, which
for a long time was languid, low, and disturbed in tone. This period of
disturbance, no doubt, must have occurred when Sir Barnes saw before him F.
Bayham and Warrington seated in the amphitheatre, and, by the side of those
fierce scornful countenances, Clive Newcome's pale face.
    Clive Newcome was not looking at Barnes. His eyes were fixed upon the lady
seated not far from the lecturer - upon Ethel, with her arm round her little
niece's shoulder, and her thick black ringlets drooping down over a face paler
than Clive's own.
    Of
