The Right Stuff: Some Episodes in the Career of a North Briton

the most responsible and lucrative posts on the face of the earth, Scotsmen are a class with w

ted my speeches. He even prepared some of my impromptus. Indeed, my-or rather his-description of a certain member of the other side, a lesser light of the last Government, a worthy man, always put up to explain matters when his leader had decided that hon

l Robin came into my house it had never occurred to me to ask myself why I was a Conservative: I had been bo

Socialists, Nonconformists, and criminal lunatics as much the same class of person. The only difference between myself and my forebears is that I am much too pacific (or lazy) to cherish any animosity against people w

big posts to keep you quiet. Do you know what the Premier said about you the other night at dinner, to Lady Bindle? (She told Dicky Lever, and

ea what his political views were-it was just like me not to have asked him, Kitty s

ompany with John Champion (member for a big northern constituency, and regarded by many, notwithstanding

nal rite which, whether it owes its existence to economy or politeness, in

met Robin before, but obviously liked him, "that in

Robin, with n

on, with a sigh. "'They think too much'-yo

n no

at this flagrant tribute

ion l

war-horse, Adrian. I envy you

and say that you are a Radi

't it rot, the

hole bu

e. He will tell you.

bin?" I asked. "

en who are mainly honest and patriotic. They are not necessarily men of genius, but they are all men of undoubted ability, and they are genuinely anxious to do their duty by the country. Now observe." (As a matter of fact he said "obsairrve.") "How is this energy an

f State," said Champion,

shipmates. That is what I mean when I say the thing is pitiful. What should we think of the sanity of an ordinary ship's company, if

of a healthy public opinion is no bad thing. Besides, your Cabinet sti

forward by the Government as a sop to the extreme wing of their own party. It doesn't matter which side is in power. If they are Liberals, they have to propose a few socialistic and iconoclastic measures, secretly thanking God for the House of Lords all the w

ed automatically to absolutely essential ro

t," struck in Champion, "is de

llowed their tongues to wag over freely in the presence of a monitor. It was a curious tribute to the po

ce and I croak too much. Still, you will find a grain

to be smoothed

assed the port, "there is practically no diffe

again. Does it make any difference to our position in the world which party is in office nowadays? Not a scrap. The difference between the two sides is immaterial. There is often a far deeper line of cleavage between two sections of the same party than between party and party. We make faces at each other, it is true; and one side plumes itself on the moral support of Royalty and the aristocracy, while the o

of wine. The boy brought up the wrong kind, so the visitor sent for the landlord and pointed out the mistake, adducing the label on the bottle as evidence. 'I'm very sorry, s

ng my settled convictions tampered with. They are not elastic, and this makes them brittle, and I a

stitution," I remarked tartly, "what do you

oman replied when asked for a character

as stil

d sound line of action and stick to it, and to choose a good sound pa

aid Champion. "It's a wearing business for us,

?" sugges

t's

d be a better w

pped me on t

inion. But when war is declared and it comes to a fight, the ranks close up. There is no room for detachment, and there are no neutrals. When occasion calls, you'll find all

ear!" sa

all of us lived to see John