CAUSES OF FAILURE. 3 



murmurs, " Oh, how lovely ! " over Marechal NIel. There 

 a Cabinet Minister stands tiptoe to catch a glimpse of his 

 brother senator, Vaisse, and wishes he had a neck as long 

 as Cicero's. Obstructing his view with her ample form and 

 bountiful bonnet, our old friend Mrs Brown, who has just 

 had ** one drop of the least as is," informs the public that 

 she "knows for facts that Mr Turner of Slough has a dead 

 horse under every Rose-tree, and Pauls & Sons has hundreds 

 of young men with gig umbrellas standing over their Roses 

 when it rains heavy." Mrs Brown is delighted, like all 

 around, and ^' means to tell Brown, as soon as ever she sets 

 down in her own parlour, that Marshal Need all over the 

 house, and Sulphur Terry round the back door, grow she 

 must and will. But, goodness me ! " she suddenly exclaims, 

 *' what a mess o' them reporters ! " No, my dear madam, 

 they are not reporters, only spectators, putting down in 

 their note-books the names of Roses, with an expression of 

 eager interest which says, I must have that flower or die. 



Every year this enthusiasm increases. It is not easy to 

 collect reliable statistics ; some who might furnish them, if 

 they would, shut their mouths closely ; some open them so 

 widely as to justify the amusing sarcasm of a reverend and 

 roseate brother, '* When they count their trees, they include 



