But the Jackdaw still beguiling my soothed fancy into smiling. Straight I wheeled my easy-chair in front of bird, and bust, and door; Then, upon the cushion sinking, I betook myself to linking Memory unto memory, thinking what this slave of parrot-lore-- What this lank, ungainly, yet complacent thrall of parrot-lore Meant by its "Obstructive Bore." This I sat engaged in guessing, strange similitude confessing, 'Twixt this fowl, whose goggle-eyes glared on me from above my door, And a chap with long legs twining, whom I'd often seen reclining On the Treasury Bench's lining, Irish anguish gloating o'er; This same chap with long legs twining Irish anguish chuckling o'er, Tories christened, "Brave BALFOUR." Then methought the air grew denser. I remembered stout Earl SPENCER, And the silly pseudo-Seraph who "obstructed" him of yore; I remembered Maamtrasma, faction, partisan miasma, CHURCHILL--CHURCHILL and his henchman, lank and languorous BALFOUR. "What," I cried, "was ARTHUR, then, or RANDOLPH, in those days of yore?" Quoth the bird, "Obstructive Bore." "Prophet!" said I, "of things evil, prophet callous, cold, uncivil, By your favourite '_Tu quoque_' how can _you_ expect to score? Though your cheek may be undaunted, little memory is wanted, And your conscience _must_ be haunted by bad memories of yore, When you were--ah! well, _what_ were you? Tell me frankly, I implore!" Quoth the bird, "Obstructive Bore." "Prophet," said I, "of all evil! that we're going to the devil All along of that 'Obstruction'--which of old you did adore. Ere you won official Aidenn--is the charge with which is laden Every cackling speech you make--if you _do_ represent BALFOUR, That mature and minxish 'maiden' whom the PATS call 'Miss BALFOUR,'"-- Quoth the bird, "Obstructive Bore!" "Here! 'tis time you were departing, bird or not," I cried, upstarting; "Get you back unto the Carlton, they on parrot-cries set store. Leave no feather as a token of the lies that you have spoken Of the Man, Grand, Old, Unbroken! Quit his bust above my door. Take thy claws from off his crown, and take thy beak from off my door!" Quoth the bird, "Obstructive Bore!" And the Jackdaw, fowl provoking, still is croaking, still is croaking, On the pallid bust of GLADSTONE just above my study door, And his eyes have all the seeming of a small attorney scheming; And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And the shape cut by that shadow which lies floating on the floor, Looks (to me) OBSTRUCTIVE BORE! * * * * * ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.