9. "I'm precious glad to get away from that maddening set of chuckle-headed bores for a few weeks!" said Clubber, as Mrs. C. unpacked him.
LORD ROSEBERY IN THE NORTH.
The Prime Minister has been having a high old time of it lately in the North, and has become the "youngest burgess" of goodness knows how many ancient boroughs. But it has been left to a reporter to note with an eagle eye the really interesting performance which Lord Rosebery has put to his credit. "Immediately on leaving Dornoch," says this gentleman (the reporter, not the Premier), "Lord Rosebery and the Duke of Sutherland drove to the Meikle Ferry, a distance of four miles, crossed the ferry, and again drove to Tain, four miles farther on. Crossing the ferry they both took a turn at the oars, and generally discussed the sport of seal shooting!" This suggests quite a fresh phase of the New Journalism. We shall soon read such paragraphs as the following:—
"Sir William Harcourt left town for Malwood on Tuesday. Going down in the train the right hon. gentleman played marbles with a fellow-passenger, and discussed generally the virtues of resignation."
"Mr. H. H. Fowler transacted important business at the India Office yesterday. He and his private secretary played a game of trundling hoops, and had an animated talk on the subject of whist."
"Mr. A. J. Balfour played at golf with a gentleman, with whom he had a very interesting conversation on the sport of chute shooting."
The moral of which would seem to be that, since even conversation is now reported, silence is more golden than ever; though Mr. Punch notices that the Prime Minister showed rare diplomacy in his choice of a subject. Not even a reporter could extract any political meaning out of the sport of seal shooting!