In and Around the Supreme Court. best you want to catch the marshal at some leisure moment and go with him from spot to spot as he reviews the scenes which have happened there. The room, in its present state, is very comfortable and interesting, with its wellpreserved old furniture, and the warm tone of its judicial red carpets and hangings. The main entrance doors, directly opposite the bench, enclose small panes of glass, which the hurrying sight-seer used to utilize for his brief glimpse of the interior. As one can easily imagine, the constant succes sion of strange faces peering through these panes so disconcerted a former chief justice that he had a screen placed so that the openings were hidden from the judges, and whoever would see the court room now must take time to enter and be seated by the ushers, as no visitor is allowed to stand while the court is in session. Directly in front of this screen is the old-fashioned ma hogany sofa upon which John Quincy Adams was laid to die — not a comfortable deathbed, as you instantly perceive, but very august and impressive as a relic. The most interesting part of the room is screened off by the red drapery just behind the bench. At the ends are great fireplaces in which wood is burned. These are mod ern and mainly for the sake of ventilation. Between the large windows, however, are the beautiful old marble mantels, around which the early senators must have vainly tried to keep warm. Happily the conserva tism of the place has spared these, though they are no longer necessary. The interest ing carving on the old mantels illustrates the fable of the fagots, which, though easily broken when unbound, can successfully re sist force when their strength is united. This space back of the screen is used by the judges as a breathing-place, or even as a buffet for a frugal luncheon, since a judge may retire to this convenient nook, and still be legally assisting in the constitution of a quorum.
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A visit to the robing room across the hall is a very disquieting experience for the lover of furniture of the colonial period, for here Marshal Wright has collected a number of carefully restored treasures, which to see is to want forever afterward. Out of a set of fine old mahogany chairs, ruthlessly cast away in a lumber-room during that period of aesthetic darkness from which the country is just emerging, there were found enough perfect pieces to entirely rebuild two. A box-like tête-à-tête — torture to sit upon, but a rapture to behold — has also been re stored, and occupies a conspicuous place at the fireside. The mantel here, too, is an tique and of charming design, and there was still another of these downstairs in the con ference room; but in the period of darkness before alluded to, it was voted to replace this old mantel with a modern one of Ten nessee marble. The old one was offered for sale, and was promptly purchased for a song by Justice Gray — proving that that gentleman's astuteness is artistic as well as legal. If a justice is fastidious enough to want a last look at himself in his gown, be fore going into court, he takes it in a de lightful old gilt-framed mirror, so excellent in design, and so admirable in its well-pre served age, that the least vain person in the world might covet it. The furniture is not the only interesting feature of the robing room. Over the fire place is a large portrait of Chief-Justice Jay — the first to hold his exalted office. He is dressed in a brilliant red gown trimmed with ermine, the earliest attempt at judicial costuming in this country. It was decided that the Supreme Court must have some sort of official robe, but as the cut and ma terial were not yet chosen, the first ChiefJustice trimmed his Dublin University gown with ermine, to bridge over the emergency. This was probably thought too fine for a republic, so the material of the judicial robes was changed to heavy black silk. If you are fortunate enough to gain admission
