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At one period of its reverses, the House fell into the occupation of a Showman. He was found registered as its occupier, on the parish books of the time when he rented the House, and there was therefore no need of any clue to his name. But, he himself was less easy to be found; for, he had led a wandering life, and settled people had lost sight of him, and people who plumed themselves on being respectable were shy of admitting that they had ever known anything of him. At last, among the marsh lands near the river's level, that lie about Deptford and the neighbouring market-gardens, a Grizzled Personage in velveteen, with a face so cut up by varieties of weather that he looked as if he had been tattooed, was found smoking a pipe at the door of a wooden house on wheels. The wooden house was laid up in ordinary for the winter, near the mouth of a muddy creek; and everything near it, the foggy river, the misty marshes, and the steaming market-gardens, smoked in company with the grizzled man. In the midst of this smoking party, the funnel-chimney of the wooden house on wheels was not remiss, but took its pipe with the rest in a companionable manner.
On being asked if it were he who had once rented the House to Let, Grizzled Velveteen looked surprised, and said yes. Then his name was Magsman? That was it, Toby Magsman—which lawfully christened Robert; but called in the line, from a infant, Toby. There was nothing agin Toby Magsman, he believed? If there was suspicion of such—mention it!
There was no suspicion of such, he might rest assured. But, some inquiries were making about that House, and would he object to say why he left it?
Not at all; why should he? He left it, along of a Dwarf.
Along of a Dwarf?
Mr. Magsman repeated, deliberately and emphatically, Along of a Dwarf.
Might it be compatible with Mr. Magsman's inclination and convenience to enter, as a favour, into a few particulars?
Mr. Magsman entered into the following particulars.
It was a long time ago, to begin with;—afore lotteries and a deal more was done away with. Mr. Magsman was looking about for a good pitch, and he see that house, and he says to himself, "I'll have you, if you're to be had. If money'll get you, I'll have you."
The neighbours cut up rough, and made complaints; but Mr. Magsman don't know what they WOULD have had. It was a lovely thing. First of all, there was the canvass, representin the picter of the Giant, in Spanish trunks and a ruff, who was himself half the heighth of the house, and was run up with a line and pulley to a pole on the roof, so that his Ed was coeval with the parapet. Then, there was the canvass, representin the picter of the Albina lady, showing her white air to the Army and Navy in correct uniform. Then, there was the canvass, representin the picter of the Wild Indian a scalpin a member of some foreign nation. Then, there was the canvass, representin the picter of a child of a British Planter, seized by two Boa Constrictors—not that WE never had no child, nor no Constrictors neither. Similarly, there was the canvass, representin the picter of the Wild Ass of the Prairies—not that WE never had no wild asses, nor wouldn't have had 'em at a gift. Last, there was the canvass, representin the picter of the Dwarf, and like him too (considerin), with George the Fourth in such a state of astonishment at him as His Majesty couldn't with his utmost politeness and stoutness express. The front of the House was so covered with canvasses, that there wasn't a spark of daylight ever visible on that side. "MAGSMAN'S AMUSEMENTS," fifteen foot long by two foot high, ran over the front door and parlour winders. The passage was a Arbour of green baize and gardenstuff. A barrel-organ performed there unceasing. And as to respectability,—if threepence ain't respectable, what is?
But, the Dwarf is the principal article at present, and he was worth the money. He was wrote up as MAJOR TPSCHOFFKI, OF THE IMPERIAL BULGRADERIAN BRIGADE. Nobody couldn't pronounce the name, and it never was intended anybody should. The public always turned it, as a regular rule, into Chopski. In the line he was called Chops; partly on that account, and partly because his real name, if he ever had any real name (which was very dubious), was Stakes.
He was a un-common small man, he really was. Certainly not so small as he was made out to be, but where IS your Dwarf as is? He was a most uncommon small man, with a most uncommon large Ed; and what he had inside that Ed, nobody ever knowed but himself: even supposin himself to have ever took stock of it, which it would have been a stiff job for even him to do.
The kindest little man as never growed! Spirited, but not proud. When he travelled with the Spotted Baby—though he knowed himself to be a nat'ral Dwarf, and knowed the Baby's spots to be put upon him artificial, he nursed that Baby like a mother. You never heerd him give a ill-name to a Giant. He DID allow himself to break out into strong language respectin the Fat Lady from Norfolk; but that was an affair of the 'art; and when a man's 'art has been trifled with by a lady, and the preference giv to a Indian, he ain't master of his actions.
He was always in love, of course; every human nat'ral phenomenon is. And he was always in love with a large woman; I never knowed the Dwarf as could be got to love a small one. Which helps to keep 'em the Curiosities they are.
One sing'ler idea he had in that Ed of his, which must have meant something, or it wouldn't have been there. It was always his opinion that he was entitled to property. He never would put his name to anything. He had been taught to write, by the young man without arms, who got his living with his toes (quite a writing master HE was, and taught scores in the line), but Chops would have starved to death, afore he'd have gained a bit of bread by putting his hand to a paper. This is the more curious to bear in mind, because HE had no property, nor hope of property, except his house and a sarser. When I say his house, I mean the box, painted and got up outside like a reg'lar six-roomer, that he used to creep into, with a diamond ring (or quite as good to look at) on his forefinger, and ring a little bell out of what the Public believed to be the Drawing-room winder. And when I say a sarser, I mean a Chaney sarser in which he made a collection for himself at the end of every Entertainment. His cue for that, he took from me: "Ladies and gentlemen, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain." When he said anything important, in private life, he mostly wound it up with this form of words, and they was generally the last thing he said to me at night afore he went to bed.
He had what I consider a fine mind—a poetic mind. His ideas respectin his property never come upon him so strong as when he sat upon a barrel-organ and had the handle turned. Arter the wibration had run through him a little time, he would screech out, "Toby, I feel my property coming—grind away! I'm counting my guineas by thousands, Toby—grind away! Toby, I shall be a man of fortun! I feel the Mint a jingling in me, Toby, and I'm swelling out into the Bank of England!" Such is the influence of music on a poetic mind. Not that he was partial to any other music but a barrel-organ; on the contrary, hated it.
He had a kind of a everlasting grudge agin the Public: which is a thing you may notice in many phenomenons that get their living out of it. What riled him most in the nater of his occupation was, that it kep him out of Society. He was continiwally saying, "Toby, my ambition is, to go into Society. The curse of my position towards the Public is, that it keeps me hout of Society. This don't signify to a low beast of a Indian; he an't formed for Society. This don't signify to a Spotted Baby; HE an't formed for Society.—I am."
Nobody never could make out what Chops done with his money. He had a good salary, down on the drum every Saturday as the day came round, besides having the run of his teeth—and he was a Woodpecker to eat—but all Dwarfs are. The sarser was a little income, bringing him in so many halfpence that he'd carry 'em for a week together, tied up in a pocket-handkercher. And yet he never had money. And it couldn't be the Fat Lady from Norfolk, as was once supposed; because it stands to reason that when you have a animosity towards a Indian, which makes you grind your teeth at him to his face, and which can hardly hold you from Goosing him audible when he's going through his War-Dance—it stands to reason you wouldn't under them circumstances deprive yourself, to support that Indian in the lap of luxury.
Most unexpected, the mystery come out one day at Egham Races. The Public was shy of bein pulled in, and Chops was ringin his little bell out of his drawing-room winder, and was snarlin to me over his shoulder as he kneeled down with his legs out at the back-door—for he couldn't be shoved into his house without kneeling down, and the premises wouldn't accommodate his legs—was snarlin, "Here's a precious Public for you; why the Devil don't they tumble up?" when a man in the crowd holds up a carrier-pigeon, and cries out, "If there's any person here as has got a ticket, the Lottery's just drawed, and the number as has come up for the great prize is three, seven, forty-two! Three, seven, forty-two!" I was givin the man to the Furies myself, for calling off the Public's attention—for the Public will turn away, at any time, to look at anything in preference to the thing showed 'em; and if you doubt it, get 'em together for any indiwidual purpose on the face of the earth, and send only two people in late, and see if the whole company an't far more interested in takin particular notice of them two than of you— I say, I wasn't best pleased with the man for callin out, and wasn't blessin him in my own mind, when I see Chops's little bell fly out of winder at a old lady, and he gets up and kicks his box over, exposin the whole secret, and he catches hold of the calves of my legs and he says to me, "Carry me into the wan, Toby, and throw a pail of water over me or I'm a dead man, for I've come into my property!"
Twelve thousand odd hundred pound, was Chops's winnins. He had bought a half-ticket for the twenty-five thousand prize, and it had come up. The first use he made of his property, was, to offer to fight the Wild Indian for five hundred pound a side, him with a poisoned darnin-needle and the Indian with a club; but the Indian being in want of backers to that amount, it went no further.
Arter he had been mad for a week—in a state of mind, in short, in which, if I had let him sit on the organ for only two minutes, I believe he would have bust—but we kep the organ from him—Mr. Chops come round, and behaved liberal and beautiful to all. He then sent for a young man he knowed, as had a wery genteel appearance and was a Bonnet at a gaming-booth (most respectable brought up, father havin been imminent in the livery stable line but unfort'nate in a commercial crisis, through paintin a old gray, ginger-bay, and sellin him with a Pedigree), and Mr. Chops said to this Bonnet, who said his name was Normandy, which it wasn't:
"Normandy, I'm a goin into Society. Will you go with me?"
Says Normandy: "Do I understand you, Mr. Chops, to hintimate that the 'ole of the expenses of that move will be borne by yourself?"
"Correct," says Mr. Chops. "And you shall have a Princely allowance too."
The Bonnet lifted Mr. Chops upon a chair, to shake hands with him, and replied in poetry, with his eyes seemingly full of tears:
"My boat is on the shore, And my bark is on the sea, And I do not ask for more, But I'll Go:- along with thee."
They went into Society, in a chay and four grays with silk jackets. They took lodgings in Pall Mall, London, and they blazed away.
In consequence of a note that was brought to Bartlemy Fair in the autumn of next year by a servant, most wonderful got up in milkwhite cords and tops, I cleaned myself and went to Pall Mall, one evening appinted. The gentlemen was at their wine arter dinner, and Mr. Chops's eyes was more fixed in that Ed of his than I thought good for him. There was three of 'em (in company, I mean), and I knowed the third well. When last met, he had on a white Roman shirt, and a bishop's mitre covered with leopard-skin, and played the clarionet all wrong, in a band at a Wild Beast Show.
This gent took on not to know me, and Mr. Chops said: "Gentlemen, this is a old friend of former days:" and Normandy looked at me through a eye-glass, and said, "Magsman, glad to see you!"—which I'll take my oath he wasn't. Mr. Chops, to git him convenient to the table, had his chair on a throne (much of the form of George the Fourth's in the canvass), but he hardly appeared to me to be King there in any other pint of view, for his two gentlemen ordered about like Emperors. They was all dressed like May-Day—gorgeous!—And as to Wine, they swam in all sorts.
I made the round of the bottles, first separate (to say I had done it), and then mixed 'em all together (to say I had done it), and then tried two of 'em as half-and-half, and then t'other two. Altogether, I passed a pleasin evenin, but with a tendency to feel muddled, until I considered it good manners to get up and say, "Mr. Chops, the best of friends must part, I thank you for the wariety of foreign drains you have stood so 'ansome, I looks towards you in red wine, and I takes my leave." Mr. Chops replied, "If you'll just hitch me out of this over your right arm, Magsman, and carry me down-stairs, I'll see you out." I said I couldn't think of such a thing, but he would have it, so I lifted him off his throne. He smelt strong of Maideary, and I couldn't help thinking as I carried him down that it was like carrying a large bottle full of wine, with a rayther ugly stopper, a good deal out of proportion.
When I set him on the door-mat in the hall, he kep me close to him by holding on to my coat-collar, and he whispers:
"I ain't 'appy, Magsman."
"What's on your mind, Mr. Chops?"
"They don't use me well. They an't grateful to me. They puts me on the mantel-piece when I won't have in more Champagne-wine, and they locks me in the sideboard when I won't give up my property."
"Get rid of 'em, Mr. Chops."
"I can't. We're in Society together, and what would Society say?"
"Come out of Society!" says I.
"I can't. You don't know what you're talking about. When you have once gone into Society, you mustn't come out of it."
"Then if you'll excuse the freedom, Mr. Chops," were my remark, shaking my head grave, "I think it's a pity you ever went in."
Mr. Chops shook that deep Ed of his, to a surprisin extent, and slapped it half a dozen times with his hand, and with more Wice than I thought were in him. Then, he says, "You're a good fellow, but you don't understand. Good-night, go along. Magsman, the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain." The last I see of him on that occasion was his tryin, on the extremest werge of insensibility, to climb up the stairs, one by one, with his hands and knees. They'd have been much too steep for him, if he had been sober; but he wouldn't be helped.
It warn't long after that, that I read in the newspaper of Mr. Chops's being presented at court. It was printed, "It will be recollected"—and I've noticed in my life, that it is sure to be printed that it WILL be recollected, whenever it won't—"that Mr. Chops is the individual of small stature, whose brilliant success in the last State Lottery attracted so much attention." Well, I says to myself, Such is Life! He has been and done it in earnest at last. He has astonished George the Fourth!
(On account of which, I had that canvass new-painted, him with a bag of money in his hand, a presentin it to George the Fourth, and a lady in Ostrich Feathers fallin in love with him in a bag-wig, sword, and buckles correct.)
I took the House as is the subject of present inquiries—though not the honour of bein acquainted—and I run Magsman's Amusements in it thirteen months—sometimes one thing, sometimes another, sometimes nothin particular, but always all the canvasses outside. One night, when we had played the last company out, which was a shy company, through its raining Heavens hard, I was takin a pipe in the one pair back along with the young man with the toes, which I had taken on for a month (though he never drawed—except on paper), and I heard a kickin at the street door. "Halloa!" I says to the young man, "what's up!" He rubs his eyebrows with his toes, and he says, "I can't imagine, Mr. Magsman"—which he never could imagine nothin, and was monotonous company.
The noise not leavin off, I laid down my pipe, and I took up a candle, and I went down and opened the door. I looked out into the street; but nothin could I see, and nothin was I aware of, until I turned round quick, because some creetur run between my legs into the passage. There was Mr. Chops!
"Magsman," he says, "take me, on the old terms, and you've got me; if it's done, say done!"
I was all of a maze, but I said, "Done, sir."
"Done to your done, and double done!" says he. "Have you got a bit of supper in the house?"
Bearin in mind them sparklin warieties of foreign drains as we'd guzzled away at in Pall Mall, I was ashamed to offer him cold sassages and gin-and-water; but he took 'em both and took 'em free; havin a chair for his table, and sittin down at it on a stool, like hold times. I, all of a maze all the while.
It was arter he had made a clean sweep of the sassages (beef, and to the best of my calculations two pound and a quarter), that the wisdom as was in that little man began to come out of him like prespiration.
"Magsman," he says, "look upon me! You see afore you, One as has both gone into Society and come out."
"O! You ARE out of it, Mr. Chops? How did you get out, sir?"
"SOLD OUT!" says he. You never saw the like of the wisdom as his Ed expressed, when he made use of them two words.
"My friend Magsman, I'll impart to you a discovery I've made. It's wallable; it's cost twelve thousand five hundred pound; it may do you good in life—The secret of this matter is, that it ain't so much that a person goes into Society, as that Society goes into a person."
Not exactly keepin up with his meanin, I shook my head, put on a deep look, and said, "You're right there, Mr. Chops."
"Magsman," he says, twitchin me by the leg, "Society has gone into me, to the tune of every penny of my property."
I felt that I went pale, and though nat'rally a bold speaker, I couldn't hardly say, "Where's Normandy?"
"Bolted. With the plate," said Mr. Chops.
"And t'other one?" meaning him as formerly wore the bishop's mitre.
"Bolted. With the jewels," said Mr. Chops.
I sat down and looked at him, and he stood up and looked at me.
"Magsman," he says, and he seemed to myself to get wiser as he got hoarser; "Society, taken in the lump, is all dwarfs. At the court of St. James's, they was all a doing my old business—all a goin three times round the Cairawan, in the hold court-suits and properties. Elsewheres, they was most of 'em ringin their little bells out of make-believes. Everywheres, the sarser was a goin round. Magsman, the sarser is the uniwersal Institution!"
I perceived, you understand, that he was soured by his misfortunes, and I felt for Mr. Chops.
"As to Fat Ladies," he says, giving his head a tremendious one agin the wall, "there's lots of THEM in Society, and worse than the original. HERS was a outrage upon Taste—simply a outrage upon Taste—awakenin contempt—carryin its own punishment in the form of a Indian." Here he giv himself another tremendious one. "But THEIRS, Magsman, THEIRS is mercenary outrages. Lay in Cashmeer shawls, buy bracelets, strew 'em and a lot of 'andsome fans and things about your rooms, let it be known that you give away like water to all as come to admire, and the Fat Ladies that don't exhibit for so much down upon the drum, will come from all the pints of the compass to flock about you, whatever you are. They'll drill holes in your 'art, Magsman, like a Cullender. And when you've no more left to give, they'll laugh at you to your face, and leave you to have your bones picked dry by Wulturs, like the dead Wild Ass of the Prairies that you deserve to be!" Here he giv himself the most tremendious one of all, and dropped.
I thought he was gone. His Ed was so heavy, and he knocked it so hard, and he fell so stoney, and the sassagerial disturbance in him must have been so immense, that I thought he was gone. But, he soon come round with care, and he sat up on the floor, and he said to me, with wisdom comin out of his eyes, if ever it come:
"Magsman! The most material difference between the two states of existence through which your unhappy friend has passed;" he reached out his poor little hand, and his tears dropped down on the moustachio which it was a credit to him to have done his best to grow, but it is not in mortals to command success,—"the difference this. When I was out of Society, I was paid light for being seen. When I went into Society, I paid heavy for being seen. I prefer the former, even if I wasn't forced upon it. Give me out through the trumpet, in the hold way, to-morrow."
Arter that, he slid into the line again as easy as if he had been iled all over. But the organ was kep from him, and no allusions was ever made, when a company was in, to his property. He got wiser every day; his views of Society and the Public was luminous, bewilderin, awful; and his Ed got bigger and bigger as his Wisdom expanded it.
He took well, and pulled 'em in most excellent for nine weeks. At the expiration of that period, when his Ed was a sight, he expressed one evenin, the last Company havin been turned out, and the door shut, a wish to have a little music.
"Mr. Chops," I said (I never dropped the "Mr." with him; the world might do it, but not me); "Mr. Chops, are you sure as you are in a state of mind and body to sit upon the organ?"
His answer was this: "Toby, when next met with on the tramp, I forgive her and the Indian. And I am."
It was with fear and trembling that I began to turn the handle; but he sat like a lamb. I will be my belief to my dying day, that I see his Ed expand as he sat; you may therefore judge how great his thoughts was. He sat out all the changes, and then he come off.
"Toby," he says, with a quiet smile, "the little man will now walk three times round the Cairawan, and retire behind the curtain."
When we called him in the morning, we found him gone into a much better Society than mine or Pall Mall's. I giv Mr. Chops as comfortable a funeral as lay in my power, followed myself as Chief, and had the George the Fourth canvass carried first, in the form of a banner. But, the House was so dismal arterwards, that I giv it up, and took to the Wan again.
"I don't triumph," said Jarber, folding up the second manuscript, and looking hard at Trottle. "I don't triumph over this worthy creature. I merely ask him if he is satisfied now?"
"How can he be anything else?" I said, answering for Trottle, who sat obstinately silent. "This time, Jarber, you have not only read us a delightfully amusing story, but you have also answered the question about the House. Of course it stands empty now. Who would think of taking it after it had been turned into a caravan?" I looked at Trottle, as I said those last words, and Jarber waved his hand indulgently in the same direction.
"Let this excellent person speak," said Jarber. "You were about to say, my good man?" -
"I only wished to ask, sir," said Trottle doggedly, "if you could kindly oblige me with a date or two in connection with that last story?"
"A date!" repeated Jarber. "What does the man want with dates!"
"I should be glad to know, with great respect," persisted Trottle, "if the person named Magsman was the last tenant who lived in the House. It's my opinion—if I may be excused for giving it—that he most decidedly was not."
With those words, Trottle made a low bow, and quietly left the room.
There is no denying that Jarber, when we were left together, looked sadly discomposed. He had evidently forgotten to inquire about dates; and, in spite of his magnificent talk about his series of discoveries, it was quite as plain that the two stories he had just read, had really and truly exhausted his present stock. I thought myself bound, in common gratitude, to help him out of his embarrassment by a timely suggestion. So I proposed that he should come to tea again, on the next Monday evening, the thirteenth, and should make such inquiries in the meantime, as might enable him to dispose triumphantly of Trottle's objection.
He gallantly kissed my hand, made a neat little speech of acknowledgment, and took his leave. For the rest of the week I would not encourage Trottle by allowing him to refer to the House at all. I suspected he was making his own inquiries about dates, but I put no questions to him.
On Monday evening, the thirteenth, that dear unfortunate Jarber came, punctual to the appointed time. He looked so terribly harassed, that he was really quite a spectacle of feebleness and fatigue. I saw, at a glance, that the question of dates had gone against him, that Mr. Magsman had not been the last tenant of the House, and that the reason of its emptiness was still to seek.
"What I have gone through," said Jarber, "words are not eloquent enough to tell. O Sophonisba, I have begun another series of discoveries! Accept the last two as stories laid on your shrine; and wait to blame me for leaving your curiosity unappeased, until you have heard Number Three."
Number Three looked like a very short manuscript, and I said as much. Jarber explained to me that we were to have some poetry this time. In the course of his investigations he had stepped into the Circulating Library, to seek for information on the one important subject. All the Library-people knew about the House was, that a female relative of the last tenant, as they believed, had, just after that tenant left, sent a little manuscript poem to them which she described as referring to events that had actually passed in the House; and which she wanted the proprietor of the Library to publish. She had written no address on her letter; and the proprietor had kept the manuscript ready to be given back to her (the publishing of poems not being in his line) when she might call for it. She had never called for it; and the poem had been lent to Jarber, at his express request, to read to me.
Before he began, I rang the bell for Trottle; being determined to have him present at the new reading, as a wholesome check on his obstinacy. To my surprise Peggy answered the bell, and told me, that Trottle had stepped out without saying where. I instantly felt the strongest possible conviction that he was at his old tricks: and that his stepping out in the evening, without leave, meant— Philandering.
Controlling myself on my visitor's account, I dismissed Peggy, stifled my indignation, and prepared, as politely as might be, to listen to Jarber.
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Chicago: Various, "Going Into Society," A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, ed. Hawthorne, Julian, 1846-1934 and trans. Stevens, Bertram, 1872 - in A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words (Boston: John W. Luce and Company, 1911), Original Sources, accessed July 21, 2024, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=4B359SX2WMPL325.
MLA: Various. "Going Into Society." A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, edited by Hawthorne, Julian, 1846-1934, and translated by Stevens, Bertram, 1872 -, in A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, Boston, John W. Luce and Company, 1911, Original Sources. 21 Jul. 2024. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=4B359SX2WMPL325.
Harvard: Various, 'Going Into Society' in A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, ed. and trans. . cited in 1911, A House to Let Being the Extra Christmas Number of Household Words, John W. Luce and Company, Boston. Original Sources, retrieved 21 July 2024, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=4B359SX2WMPL325.


text:
As President Trump's impeachment trial approaches, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is under close scrutiny from Democrats and her fellow Republicans ahead of a vote that could once again test her reputation for centrism and independence.
The spotlight on Collins has come a bit earlier than expected.
In the narrowly divided Senate, just four Republicans could force Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to reconsider his vow for a speedy acquittal and "total coordination" with the Trump White House.
Collins is among the potential swing votes, and she already faces a difficult reelection in a state deeply divided over the president. Hillary Clinton won Maine in 2016, but Donald Trump made history by snagging an electoral vote despite losing statewide by winning big in the state's vast and rural 2nd Congressional District.
Since August, Republican and Democratic groups have been running ads designed to influence Collins' reelection, although she didn't announce her bid until mid-December — the same day the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump.
It was curious timing. Collins had already seen her once sky-high favorability drop because of controversial votes she has taken during the Trump presidency.
Collins, who is seeking a fifth term, has generally said little about impeachment, citing her role as a juror, a position her Democratic challengers say is a cop-out.
Now, Trump's opponents want her to use her leverage to ensure a fair and thorough trial. The group Republicans for the Rule of Law has joined the Democrats' pressure campaign to get Collins to push for documents and witnesses whom the White House has so far blocked from testifying. Collins has been characteristically quiet about what she'll do, but in an interview with Maine Public Radio, she said there should be bipartisan agreement on how the trial goes, just as there was during President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999.
There are senators on both sides of the aisle who, to me, are not giving the appearance of — and the reality of — judging this in an impartial way.
At the same time, Collins acknowledged that this kind of agreement seems unlikely today.
"One hundred to zero," said Collins, referencing the 1999 Senate vote outlining the framework of the impeachment trial. "I can't imagine anything like that happening today, regrettably."
She also echoed recent criticism from her friend and close ally Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who told a local TV station in Anchorage that she was "disturbed" by McConnell's vow to coordinate with the White House.
Collins called McConnell's declaration inappropriate but also chastised Democrats like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren for saying she's ready to convict the president.
"There are senators on both sides of the aisle who, to me, are not giving the appearance of — and the reality of — judging this in an impartial way," she told Maine Public Radio this week.
Like Murkowski, Collins made headlines for her criticism of McConnell. But both were critical of Democrats in the House, saying they rushed the impeachment vote and did not ask the courts to compel Trump aides to testify.
Collins also said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate instead of holding on to them.
"So it seems an odd way to operate," Collins said.
Unlike many Senate Republicans, Collins says that she's open to witnesses in the Senate trial but also that it's too early to say which ones. That drew a rebuke from the Maine Democratic Party for not using her clout to ensure key witness testimony and documents.
"Senator Collins often touts her position of power within the Republican caucus and clearly has a close relationship with Mitch McConnell, and if a fair and impartial impeachment trial is really her priority, it's time for her to act to ensure that is what takes place," Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts said in a statement released Thursday.
In her Maine Public Radio interview, Collins stopped short of saying she'll publicly lead the charge to call for witnesses and testimony. She said she has discussed the matter, as well as her desire for a bipartisan agreement, with McConnell.
Her critics have noted that she was more forceful about her desire for more information during the Clinton impeachment.
"I need more evidence. I need witnesses and further evidence to guide me to the right destination, to get to the truth," Collins said at the time.
The president's supporters are also keeping a close eye on Collins, who declared in 2016 that Trump was unfit for office.
If she breaks ranks on impeachment, Collins could draw a primary challenge. The deadline for the primary is in mid-March. The Maine Republican Party has said it's united behind Collins.
Nevertheless, Trump is also paying attention.
Last week he retweeted an endorsement of Collins' reelection bid to his 68 million followers.
It marked the first time Trump has mentioned Collins in a tweet since he became president.
Copyright 2021 Maine Public. To see more, visit Maine Public.

subset: commoncrawl


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New Release
Starless Dreams
Dir. Mehrdad Oskouei. 2016. 76 mins. In Persian with English subtitles.
At a juvenile detention center on the outskirts of Tehran, troubled teenage girls seek comfort and joy from one another, and contemplate their uncertain futures. Director Mehrdad Oskouei, one of Iran's most prominent filmmakers, spent seven years securing access to this all-female facility, and he makes the awkwardness of being a male filmmaker in their environment a poignant and powerful aspect of his project. As the New Year approaches, the girls bond, and reveal—with playfully disarming honesty—the circumstances and sometimes shocking acts that resulted in their incarceration. Yet even as they rehabilitate and recover, they face dangers outside of the prison walls, even and at times especially within their own families. With startling frankness and "the conceptual rigor and emotional directness associated with the best of Iranian cinema" (Variety), Starless Dreams delivers an unforgettable portrayal of innocence lost and found.
Tickets: $15 ($7.50 for members at the Film Lover level and MoMI Kids Premium levels and above). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with questions regarding online reservations.)
Ticket purchase includes same-day admission to the Museum (see gallery hours). View the Museum's ticketing policy here. For more information on membership and to join online, visit our membership page


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Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his delight at Real Madrid facing Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League, adding that he had a "strong feeling" the two clubs would meet.
The Portuguese spent six years at Old Trafford, helping Sir Alex Ferguson's men to three Premier League titles before moving to the Spanish capital, and is looking forward to facing his former side.
"On the day of the draw I was out training and I had this strong feeling that we were going to get Manchester United," the 27-year-old told The Sun.
"And when the draw was made I was very happy. It's a tough match of course – Madrid and United are the two biggest clubs in the world and it's a real 50-50. It could go either way.
"Manchester was my home and still is in my heart. I love it. Because when people treat you very well you never forget that. And I will never forget United, the people who work there and the supporters.
"So I am so happy to be going back to Manchester."
Ronaldo went on to warn his team-mates of the threat posed by the Red Devils, who are currently 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League, and refused to pick a favourite between Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.
"Manchester United are the best team in England, they are great," he continued.
"And they have a fantastic coach in Ferguson, I know that. But so have we in Mourinho. And he's my coach now so I obviously hope Mourinho wins!
"It's like comparing a Ferrari with a Porsche. Both are very good, very experienced and both like to win – and I mean to win everything."
Real Madrid face United at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg on February 13 before the return fixture at Old Trafford on March 5.


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Politics: the biggest problem in education
The biggest problem in education is political interference in the work of classroom teachers. This post has been brewing for a while. One long-term influence is dissatisfaction with the current education system. This dissatisfaction is one of the reasons I entered the teaching profession in the first place, and also a reason I'm in favour of the Conservatives' idea of independent state schools under the Swedish model. More short-term influences include Vicki Davis' excellent blog post Administration Should Be Like The 'Pit Crew' and a meeting/confrontation I had today. As usual on this blog, I'm not going to mention where I work nor individual names there.
Although with the recent financial turmoil this is turning into a less illustrative example, the delegation of responsibility by the UK government to the Bank of England for some financial matters I see to be a great idea. It puts those with the greatest knowledge and experience in charge of something very important. Education, on the other hand, is a very party political matter with endless tinkering of the system to attempt to win the support of middle-class voters. I'm a believer in government being as small as possible: whilst the state needs to intervene in the 'big picture' of education, I think there are other organizations and bodies eminently more suitable to deal with assessment and examinations, for example.
Ever since the Conservatives introduced a free market into UK education in 1990, schools have become more and more like businesses. I've seen the good and bad side of this system. In 1990, the new rules allowed my parents to take me out of the local, very poor, middle school (at my request) and install me at a much better school. I'm not against parental choice, per se, but I'm certainly against the endless analogies and comparisons of schools to businesses. Educating children is not like making products to sell at a profit. Instead, I think a better model is schools as charities.
If schools were seen as charities they would be:
- Independent
- Able to raise money from various other organizations
- Focused on process as well as results
- Diverse in nature
The type of leaders needed in charities and NGOs are different from those required by business. I'm generalising monumentally here, but those at the helm of the former tend to have inspiration and drive quite unlike those in the latter group.
So those in charge in schools shouldn't be good managers, they should be great leaders. Instead of flaunting their power within the 'corporate hierarchy' they should, as Vicki Davis states, support teachers – those on the front line:
To me, times are lean and mean. The classroom should be like a well maintained car and administration should be like the pit crew. They should give the classroom the tools they need, encouragement, a mission, and quick "pit stops" to improve and keep them going…
If you're not helping the cause of education, you're hurting it. And with times being tough, those who count themselves leaders need to take a hard look at their own rolls when asking teachers to make cuts. For, to ask teachers to make sacrifices when you aren't willing is unfair and breeds contempt.
Although I've been accused of it for the first time today, I'm not one for manipulating others and playing politics within my organization. Not at all: I'm there to make things better for the system – locally, nationally and internationally. The problem with a strictly hierarchical system is that it is nothing like a meritocracy. I'm certainly not questioning the overall ability of the senior management at my school, but I have felt, at times, and in my career overall, times when my ability as a professional to make decisions and put forward opinions has been undermined somewhat.
I'd like, as Vicki again mentions, school hierarchies to be as 'flat' as possible. Obviously, there's a need for management. But now, more than ever, teachers need to be given freedom and be shown trust to exercise their professional judgement over issues affecting them. Not to do so would be to play politics for politics' sake and to undermine potential educational experiences for a great number of children.


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Photos: Gwyneth Paltrow; Courtesy of instyle.com, justjared.com.
Photos: (from left) Alessandra Ambrosio & Rihanna; Courtesy of vogue.com, justjared.com.
Black and white are huge color trend this season. Today I picked four of my favorite looks incorporated this combination to show you the versatility of this classic color palette. As you can see from above, these three stylish ladies, in their 20s, 30s and 40s, showed us four completely different styles of black and white: from Gwyneth Paltrow's understated classic to Alessandra Ambrosio's rock chic edge to Rihanna's carefree spirit.
First two looks are from 40-year-old Gwyneth Paltrow. From the knee-length dress to oversized boyfriend blazer and shorts combo, she showed us how to be trendy yet age-appropriate.
Another thing we can learn from this queen of understated elegance is the "less is more" beauty. She always keeps her jewelry to a minimum. But it is that just right amount of luxe glamour makes her stand out.
From left:
David Meister asymmetric-neck sheath dress (similar here)
Sportmax belted dress
Gap eyelet split neck dress
Jacket: MICHAEL Michael Kors (great style here)
Top: Intermix (similar on sale here)
Short: Topshop ($16 here)
Shoes: Boutique 9 (designer version here)
Bracelet: Marc by Marc Jacobs (similar here)
Like black and white, another "old trend" that gets updated this year is jumpsuit. The effect is even more powerful when these two meet, like this IRO version on Alessandra Ambrosio (below). I love how this Victoria's Secret Angle brought out the edgy side of black and white by adding punk accessories. Besides a studded clutch, another piece you can't miss now is a pair of safety pin earrings!
Jumpsuit: IRO (yes, it's the one on Alessandra Ambrosio! also here. similar here & here)
Bag: Natasha Couture ($28 here)
Shoes: Alice + Olivia
Earrings: RACHEL Rachel Roy
The most important thing Rihanna showed us from her outfit below is how to make a trend your own. Here the hint of sexiness, unexpected juxtaposition and carefree attitude totally reflect her own personal style in this monochrome canvas.
Jacket: Rag & Bone (it's the one on Rihanna! great buy here)
Short: J.Crew
Shoes: Prada (similar here, great buy here)
Bracelet: Asos


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Pope John XXIII, who will be canonized on Sunday, was "the best pope in history for the Jewish people," says one of the founders of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
John XXIII, who will be made a saint along with John Paul II at the Vatican, is credited with saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust and opening the door to Judeo-Christian dialogue, Baruch Tenembaum told AFP in an interview at the Foundation's New York headquarters.
The Italian-born John XXIII, whose given name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, "did such extraordinary things. I'm delighted that he is becoming a saint, even if — as a Jew — beatification doesn't affect me."
"He couldn't have done more than he did," explained Tenembaum, a 80-year-old Argentine known for his efforts to improve inter-faith dialogue. In 2009, his name was placed in the running for the Nobel peace prize.
As the Vatican's envoy to Turkey from 1935, John XXIII helped save the lives of thousands of Eastern European Jews facing persecution from the Nazis, including by giving Hungarian Jews baptismal certificates.
"At the time, having identity papers labeling you a Catholic was enough to save your life," Tenembaum said.
A document on file at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel cites the future pope as being "among the most sensitive to the Jewish tragedy and most vigorous in rescue efforts".
Tenembaum has asked that Yad Vashem add John XXIII to its list of "Righteous Among the Nations" — a title honoring non-Jews who showed courage to protect Jews during the Holocaust.
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation honors the legacy of a Swedish diplomat, posted to Nazi-occupied Budapest in July 1944, who is believed to have saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews in the final months of the Holocaust by providing them with protective passports.
The foundation works to preserve his legacy and that of others who saved numerous lives, and not only during the Shoah.
Tenembaum has worked hard to publicize John XXIII's work during his time in Turkey, about which there are few official records.
– Champion of inter-faith dialogue –
The scholar also praised John XXIII — nicknamed "Good Pope John" — for helping open up the Roman Catholic Church to dialogue with other faiths during his 1958-1963 papacy.
Less than three months after being elected pope, John XXIII announced preparations for the Second Vatican Council, a global gathering of Catholic bishops, which opened in October 1962 and proved to be revolutionary, in that it finally acquitted Jews of Christ-killing.
He was the first to put a stop to the use of the word "perfidious" to describe Jews in Good Friday prayers, Tenenbaum said.
During his time as a Vatican envoy to France, the soon-to-be-saint played a key role in plans for the partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel.
According to diplomats involved in the negotiations, he helped persuade Pope Pius XII to remain silent, effectively allowing mainly Catholic countries to vote on the partition plan free of Church influence.
"Roncalli's attitude definitely had something with do with the creation of the state of Israel. If the Vatican had given the order to vote against it, they would have voted against it," Tenembaum said.
Tenembaum says he current Pope Francis, a fellow Argentine, seems to be following in the path of John XXIII.
"Since the time of Pope John XXIII, I think the pope that most resembles Roncalli is Francis, at least from what we've seen so far," Tenembaum said.


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In November, Michigan voters will decide whether to call a constitutional convention. There is no guarantee that a convention would fix problems now plaguing our state, and revising the document could make things worse.
By JOSEPH LEHMAN
On Nov. 2, Michigan voters will face Proposal 1, which will ask whether a convention should be held to rewrite Michigan's constitution. Although we can certainly improve that foundational document, most of Michigan's problems could be solved without rewriting it. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that a constitutional convention would fix, or even address, whatever problems might prompt voters to call the convention in the first place.
Proposal 1 will be on the ballot because the current constitution, passed in 1963, requires the question to appear automatically every 16 years, starting in 1978. That year, 77 percent of voters rejected the constitutional convention and 72 percent did likewise in 1994. Recent polling indicates voters may be more open to the idea this year, but they disapprove by more than 2-to-1 when told the cost could be as much as $45 million.
Nevertheless, a few convention proponents have organized around specific reform ideas. Examples include lengthening legislative term limits, converting to a part-time Legislature, modifying selection of judges, altering the budget process, expanding water regulation, increasing taxation and more.
Others who have long sought specific changes in Michigan law are considering supporting a convention for the sake of their single issue. Some in the highly energized Tea Party movement wonder if a constitutional convention might let them effectively open the hood of state government and fix what's broken at a time when the state seems unable to cope with its alarming economic decline.
The problem is, that's not the way it would likely work. A constitutional convention is not like handing your car to a certified mechanic; it's more like giving it to 148 trained and untrained mechanics and letting them do anything a majority of them can agree to, including replacing your car with something much worse. After a lot of time, trouble and expense, you and fellow voters collectively choose between the mechanics' handiwork and exactly what you started with.
The passage of Proposal 1 would set a process in motion. Two elections — a partisan primary and a general — would be held by May 2011 to elect the 148 convention delegates, one from each state House and Senate district. They would convene by October, select their own officers and create their own rules. They'd meet in Lansing and could continue through July 2012. Whatever they produced would go to voters for approval within 90 days. If it passed by a simple majority, the new constitution would take effect.
Nothing about this process would address our problems any better than the current legislative system. Our most serious economic problems involve chronic overspending in the face of weakening state revenue, which is worsened by rising levels of taxation and regulation that drive people and businesses from the state.
If our current lawmakers can't fix that, it's not because the constitution prevents them from doing so. More likely it's because voters haven't yet held individual lawmakers responsible for reckless spending (although this may be changing). If voters aren't yet holding legislators accountable for spending, it's not clear how they would hold convention delegates accountable for potentially bigger decisions. The fundamental purpose of the state constitution is to limit government's ability to infringe on people's rights. Where constitutional changes are needed, the voter initiative process is a better alternative than a convention, which could be unlimited in scope and cost millions of taxpayer dollars.
Neither is there a convincing reason to believe convention delegates would be more capable than current legislators. Delegate elections would be highly partisan and influenced by the same special interests that dominate regular elections.
The prospect of rewriting a constitution could attract some truly exceptional, public-service minded candidates, but it would probably attract even more of those who would typically run for the Legislature, along with term-limited former lawmakers. It might especially draw highly charged, single-issue candidates whose priorities could make the convention agenda read like the contents of Pandora's box.
Michigan has serious problems, but they should be fixed without a constitutional convention. The problem with Michigan government isn't so much what's under the hood, it's what we're letting the driver get away with. If your teenage driver is irresponsible, no mechanic can change that. Instead, you need better control and accountability of the driver.
(Joseph G. Lehman is president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland.)