Personal Gossip

" Perley," the Washington correspondent of the Boston Journal, in an artiole on the jupreme Court, relates the following anecdote of Henry Clay: "Mr. Glay was Speaker of the House of Representatives when he was retained by the Governor of Kentucky to appear before the Supreme Court and maintain the rightsof that State against the pretensions of Virginia, in a long contested uit growing out of what was termed the ' occupying laws.' When he rose, it was with some slight agitation of manner, but he on recovered his wonted composure, and held his auditors in udmiringattention,while he pronounccd a most beautiful eulogium upon tlie character of the sonsof Kentucky. The judges sat in their black robes of office, sédate and attentive. One of thenif Judge Washington, (a nephew of the Pater Patnee) was an invetérate snuff-taker, and availed himself of a momentaiy pause in the argument, to indulge himself with the titillating restorative. Mr. Clay observing this, ingtead of proceeding, advanced gracelülly to the bench with his thumb and finger extended, and helped himself from Judge Washington's box. As he applied the pinch, he obBerved, ' I perceive that your honor sticks to the Scotch,' and imnaediately resuming his tand, he proceeded in his argument without the least embarrassment. So extraordinary a step over the usual barrier which separates this court and the barristers, excited not a little astonishment and admiration among th spectators, and it was af'terwards aptly reniarked by Judge Story, in relating the circumstance to a friend, that ' he did not bslieve tuero was a man in the United States wlio could have done that but Henry Clay.' " The following story is told of the Arch bishrp (Whatley) of Dublin. " The archblshop had a grent fondness for parables in eonversation. which were oftcn rather bomely ones, and for experiments. One day at a great set dinncr at the Lord Lieutenaiit's, a question arose, how long a man could live with his bead under water. The Kcljbifshop quitted the room, aud presently returned with a great basin full of water, which he set on the table and piunged his head in beforc the whole eompanj'. Ilaving held it there an enormous length of time, he drew it out, crying, ' There ! none of you could have kept your in so long, but I know the method of it.' Another time, also, at a formal party at the Castle, he spokc of t!)O great weígbt a man could support on the calf of his leg, bending it outwards. If your Grace of Cashel, said he ' will stand upon mine, as T strech itout, I can bear the weight without the slighteht difficulty.' But his Graco of Cashel would not have done so odd a thiug in tlvat company for millions." Charles Dickens relates the following of Douglas Jerrold ; "Of his generesity I had a proof within theso two or tlirce yenrs, which it saddens me to think of now. TliPre hyd been an estrangement between us - not on anv person a subject, and not mvolvmg angry words ■ - and a good ra.'iny months had passed without my even secing him in tho stieet, when it feil out that vo dined each with his own separate party, in t.h'e Btranger'a room of the club. Onr chairs wero almost back to back. and I took mine ftftei' he vas íeated and at diuner - I am sorry to remember - and did not look that way. Scforo we had sat so long, he openly wheeled hia chair round, stretclied out both his hands in an engaging nimmer, and said aloud, with a bright and loving; face, that I can see as I w'fita to vou : ' Let u.- hu friendri again ! A life's not long MWUgh for this. ' "