Two gentlemen sitting opposite each other in a railway carriage got into
a political argument; one was elderly and a staunch Conservative, the
other was young and an ultra-Radical. It may be readily conceived that,
as the argument went on, the abuse became fast and furious; all sorts of
unpleasant phrases and epithets were bandied about, personalities were
freely indulged in, and the other passengers were absolutely compelled to
interfere to prevent a _fracas_. At the end of the journey the
disputants parted in mutual disgust, and looking unutterable things. It
so happened that the young man had a letter of introduction to an
influential person in the neighbourhood respecting a legal appointment
which was then vacant, which the young man desired to obtain, and which
the elderly gentleman had the power to secure. The young petitioner,
first going to his hotel and making himself presentable, sallied forth on
his errand. He reached the noble mansion of the person to whom his
letter of introduction was addressed, was ushered into an ante-room, and
there awaited, with mingled hope and fear, the all-important interview.
After a few minutes the door opened and, horrible to relate! he who
entered was the young man’s travelling opponent, and thus the opponents
of an hour since stood face to face. The confusion and humiliation on
the one side, and the hauteur and coldness on the other, may be readily
imagined. Sir Edward C—, however—for such he was—although he instantly
recognized his recent antagonist, was too well-bred to make any allusion
to the transaction. He took the letter of introduction in silence, read
it, folded it up, and returned it to the presenter with a bitter smile
and the following speech: “Sir, I am infinitely obliged to my friend, Mr.
—, for recommending to my notice a gentleman whom he conceives to be so
well fitted for the vacant post as yourself; but permit me to say that,
inasmuch as the office you are desirous to fill exists upon a purely
Conservative tenure, and can only be appropriately administered by a
person of Conservative tendency, I could not think of doing such violence
to your well-known political principles as to recommend you for the post
in question.” With these words and another smile more grim than before,
Sir Edward C— bowed the chapfallen petitioner out, and he quickly took
his way to the railway station, secretly vowing never again to enter into
political argument with an unknown railway traveller.
—_The Railway Traveller’s Handy Book_.