(i)^t'' ¥^J ^"^'•^■^ OTHER ■fM'^' i^®^«^€©«3see^5ses©s*s LIBRARY OF CONGRESS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA I^H, |iifVMX/v(/i/T.' THE GREAT CO-PARTNERSHIP AND OTHER PAPERS. BY OBE^D., . I' iS Tn G O KT ID IE X> I T I O KT . " lie sKi-e you're rir/M, then go aheafV—TTou. David Crocket. When sure yov're wrong, then change your course. CLEVELAND: Ingham, Clarke & Co. 1879. T^ Uv ,C' COPYRIGHT : IT. U. JOHNSON, 1879. liUKFAlX), N. Y: A. C. VANDrZKK, EXCiUyWER. KRIE, PA.: JXO. M. C,LA7AFAl, Printer. 1879. 'OU. PKEP^ACE. Surrounded by his three friends, Job sat in the ashes and exclaimed, " My desire is, that my ad- versary had written a book." Just what prompted tlic good man of Uz to advance such an idea, may, after the lapse of so, many ages, be a question more easily asked than answered. Perhaps he felt con- fident that nothing evil could be said of him, for he proposed to bear the volume upon his shoulders; or, perhaps lie wished to subject his adversary to tlie ordeal of a critic's review, as the most excrucia- ting torture to which he could be subjected. If the former was the cause, he would not have expressed the wish had he lived in this day of re- turning boards, cipher dispatches, and congres- sional investigations, for before proceeding with his task that enemy would have had a committee ap- pointed with power to summon witnesses, and Job would have been implicated in inciting the Sabeans to the destruction of his property, and in raising the wind that demolished the building in which his sons and daughters were having their gay frolic, that the courts might not be troubled with any con- tested will cases, wTiile Satan would have " walked to and fro in the earth," without suspicion. If the latter. Job was a heartless man, which the record will not for a moment justify us in believing. C)becl is of the opinion that just at this juncture his liunior got the hctter of his pain and the arj^u- mcnls of his frieiuls, and that he was imagining how one of Mrs. Job's curtain lectures would look on jiarchnient, for from all (hat we can learn of that estimable lady she was an a-la-Caudk', and probably the proverbial patience of Job was largely owing to the self restraint he had learned to prac- tice through a long series of domestic unpleasant- nesses, in many of which he no doubt acknowledged himself, as every considerate man does, lai'gely to blame. Be these opinions right or wrong, Obed has not written a book because he is an adversary of any- one, and as to the critics, whj', every man should thrive by bis profession. Thp private, as well as the more public, lectures of Mrs. Obed, have been very salutary to him ; and in very gladness he has learned to love the comicalities, as well as the stern duties of life. Some of these he has en- deavored to poi'tray in these papers, hoping thereby to waken pleasant memories in the hearts of the old ; to incite the young to a study of usages fast passing away, and to give them a faint conception of what awaits them in the pathway of life. Such is the desire of Obkd. ''KNOW ALL MEN," Tliat to Mrs. Obed, lier Friend, and all others who have, or who have not, entered into the labyrinths of the Great Co-partnership, or who endured the dust, the fatigues, the crowds and the sweats, inci- dent to a CENTENNIAL EXCURSION, or who appreciate the foibles and fun, as well as the more sensible realities of life, Obed, with a deep fellow feeling, dedicates these papers. Thus Obed dedicates them. N. B. They that soiv in tears shall reap in joy. — Ps. 120 : 5. Few of these enjoy the seed-time, whilst most are dissatisfied with the harvest yield. A soft ansirer turneth atvay m-ath ; but grievous tcords stir up anger. — Piov. 15: 1. Solomon does not raeau seutimeutally soft. Wheu Mrs. Solo- mon said to him, " My deah, g,et up and build the fiah," the words were grievous. Better is a dinner of herbs cohere love is, than a stalled ox and hatred tficreunth. — Pro. lo: 17. Most people prefer their herbs sea.soued with .some of the ox, though they do have to mingle a little of the lastuamed in- credieut. ^HV.A>- ^^-^^i<TNjct,^ " Do you believe that matches are made in heaven ?" said Mrs. Obed blandly to her husband as she came in from the Woman's Monthly Mission- ary meeting. "Do I believe what?" asked Obed, looking up from some experiments with which he was busily engaged. " That matches are made in heaven ?" " Well, the only match I have any personal recollection of was made in front of an old-fash- — 10— ioiied fire-i)ltice whilst the head of the rainily inul liis better-half were lustily snoring behind the curtains in the opposite end of the room, and the younger members, save one, were fast asleep in the loft," re- plied Obed. " But now that you speak of it, I look back through a long succession of hrcczea and do re- member it as a heavenly sort of place." " Pshaw! if you go to talking in that kind of style you'll look at it — " " Through a regular thunder storm. Well, let it come ; I've somewhere read, ' There is no flood in woman's passion but hath an ebb.' " " Now, Obed, I'd like to know what satisfaction there is in that quotation ?" —11— " 0! none to you, I presume. But tell me what match-making has to do with foreign missions? That's what I'd like to know." " Well, a good deal. Mrs. H brought in an Indiana paper this afternoon and read an account of a single court in that State granting twenty-four divorces in one day." " Were they granted to men or women ?" " To men, every one of them." " And so your society is going to take an ap- peal ?" "Take a what?" " Why, carry the matter up to the court where you think those matches were made." " No sir, wo shall do no such thing, but we shall " " Divert your funds from Hindoostan, and ap- ply them to the con,version of those Hoosier courts." There was a sudden closing of his office door, and Obed was once more alone. The chemical combinations he was investigating were all gone up in gas, and an entirely new train of thought had taken possession of his mind. He remembered that Adam began business alone. This, as is gathered from the narrative, soon 'becoming irksome to him he took in a partner who came highly recommended —12— Tliis junior member of tlie firm seems to have been of a very communicative as well as venture- some turn of mind, and before the senior had time to give her full instructions, was readily induced by the first dnuiimer of whom we have any account, to divulge the full extent of the business, and add to . the stock an interdicted article. The result was a sudden reduction to bankruptc}^, and the issuing by the Supreme Court of the Universe of a peremptory writ of ejectment from the premises heretofore oc- cupied. These were facts that Obed liad early learned without being able fully to comprehend their im- port ; but he understands them now, for he no longer thinks as a child. Many a time, in his im- agination, has lie looked in on that stranded firm in their new abode, that first night when brambles and briers began to grow up about them, and list- ened to the dulcet tones of Mrs. Adam as she gave vent to the first curtain lecture of earth. Stricken as he was at the dire calamity which had befallen him and his, how it must have grated upon the ear of Adam to hear himsalf called a " pimj)," " a cow- ard," and ''an ungrateful wretch," by tlie very being whom he had so recently considered his chief joy. 15ut then the "old Ad;im" was tliere, and in -13- her brief Ccatchings for breatl), there fell upon the delicate ear of the first woman those ungallaiit ex- pressions, "a tongue hung in the middle," "if it had'nt been for you," "you did it." T'was only the beginning of a literature which has defied all etymological changes coming down to us in its original spirit, through all the mutations of lan- guage. " But then," said Obed, half apologetically, " that primitive couple had no time to study each other through a pleasing courtship, and no wonder they started off a little wrong. Get the devil out of the way, and give a little time for studying charac- ter, then we shall find how smoothly things will work." Thus saying, his imagination floated down the stream of time an^l he beheld a hale old couple who had been com[)anions for a hundred years, first as brother and sister, but mostly as husl>and and wife. In the joy and childdike gladness of their hearts, they were indulging in a great feast in honor of " A CJay Young 'framj) " who had come unex- pectedly into their nomadic home; l)ut because the good old lady saw Ishmacl cutting some antics behind a lent pole, whilst jrobably wishing himself the son of his aunt, that he, too, might have a birth- —14— (lay party, she made things terribly blue ; and the old patriarch, who had stood "unawed before Kings," was glad to purchase becoming quiet by sending Hagar away with a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, the patriarchal blessing, and, perhaps, a kiss of remembrance, if he only got a chance to ad- minister it. There was a woman in the upsetting of Abra- ham's domestic happiness, and, considering the events of the day, it was with ill grace that he could say to the young wives about him, " Let not your angry passions rise." In the experience of Solomon, Obed found lit- tle to brighten the picture. With three hundred wives to comb his head, the great King found mar- ried life very unsatisfactory, and in his vexation of spirit, he WTote many proverbs not at all flattering to the gentler sex. It was fashion, lust, and ex- travagance, not wisdom, that took all the bliss out of the wise man's domestic civch. '■ But what is the use of going so far back," reasoned Obed. " The world but little cares about the happiness or misery of departed prophet, priest or patriarch. "They twain shall be one flesh," is still the doctrine, except, perhaps, among Frcdorcrs, and still the matrimonial skies are clouded. The devil, —15— alcohol, a man or a, woman, pride, vanity, petu- lance or some other distracting factor, is continually worjning itself into the earthly j:»aradisc,(?) bring- ing in its train, if not the evils of the first fall, a multitude of others, well calculated to destroy domestic hajipiness. The springs of wooing gush, and murmur, and boil in youthful sunlight, throwing their spray bright as ever, and gallant 3'ouths and blushing maidens come and sip, thinking they are i)artaking of Ihe "Elixir of Life;" but " Their shallow draughts iatoxicate llie brain," and they plunge into the connubial waters without any calculation as to their depth, or even having first ascertained that they are brackish and bitter, infortnation which any maiden aunt would have im])arted to them gratuitously. Then, after a very brief honeymoon, when tribulations arise, they be- gin " To fret, and worry, and torment each other " in processes only to cease when the grim gentleman who rides the pale horse enters with a subpoena for one of them, unless, perchance, he has been antici- pated by an ap})eal to an Indianaor Chicago Judge." Thus generalizing, Obed turned to a memoran- dum in which for thirty years he has kept a care- — 16— fill record of iiiaiiy of the cases of domeslic iiii- })licily wbicb, both at home and abroad, have come under bis personal observation, and read : " Boarding at Williams' this week. Loose board partition l)et\vcen 'family' and 'spare bed.' Last niaht beard a t>rutf voice sav, 'take vour cold bucks away from my legs.' A gentle voice replied, 'you did'nt use to call them so.' 'Well, now, whine, wont you ? Did you sup- pose I was always going to be a fool and say 'foot- sies-tootsies T ^ 'Hush, hush,' said the same gentle voice, 'the master will hear you.' 'What do you sup])Ose I care for tlie master ; I want to sleep, so keep your feet away.' Long after Williams was snoring, subdued sighs told of a mental agony in the breast of the wife, struggling to control itself. " Last week," said Obed to himself, " I called upon that couple. "Out of tlie old home, they've moved up into the new," but are prematurel}' old, wrinkled, and gray. The hard lines upon ^Villiams' face speak as plainly as ever, "What do you suppose I care?" • —17— whilst the saddened brow and wan cheeks of his companion prochiim thirty years of domestic sub- jugation and servitude. The little ones whom I taught in the district school are grown and gone, having no pleasant memories of home except' those that cluster around a tender mother's care." A few pages farther on Obed read, " I met my old chum John this morning. The poor fellow is in hot water. He's been married five weeks. Three days ago his wife said to him, 'My dear, will you take me home to-day ?' John replied that his em- ployer's arrangements made it impossible for him to leave. 'John, you must take me,' was the rejoinder. 'But I tell you Mr. B. cannot possibly spare me to day,' persisted John. 'Well, sir, Mr. B., or no Mr. B., I shall go home.' 'Well, then, go ; but you'll go on foot and alone. I shall attend to business.' This was the first pass. In five minutes the young wife was in spasms, whilst John, stood over her shocked at what had happened, and the, to him? inexplicable results. Three days of hysterics and -18- foriy-eiglit hours of inotlier-iu-lavv, liavc cut more wisdom teeth for him than he supposed he had. Alas, poor John !" A subsequent note showed that after fifteen years of very spasmodic life, there came a decree of divorce which left but a single chance for second marriage, and John declared that he would never avail himself of that, but he broke his vow inside of twelve months. As he read, Obed exclaimed, " Such is life." Again, " The price of farm products has fallen off one-third whilst the advancing age and devel- opment of Mr. K.'s daughters have advanced their wants fully fifty per cent., two facts not at all in unison with his financial tastes. Yesterday, as he was about starting for town, Mrs. K. said, 'Father the girls need some things: Mary wants a pair of kid shoes; Susie must have cloth gaiters and a pair of rubbers ; Lucy requires some slippers and a poplin dress; Louise, some hand- kerchiefs and a pair of gloves ; Nettie, a parasol and Kit, some yarn for tidies ; then they will all have to have some underclothing, summer hats, and " 'What in thunder won't they have to have?' 'Mr. K.,' said the wife in a very decided voice. -19- 'Well, madam, what is it?' 'I have told you these things are needed ' 'Yes, I never go to town lately, but the girls need half a dry goods store, and a small millinery shop.' 'Well, sir, if you didn't expect to get things for your girls, you shouldn't have had so many, that's all I've got to say.' 'Well, if it is, I'm glad, for you never know when to stop.' 'You old fool, you're too mean to be the hus- band of a decent woman, and too stingy to .' Now Mr. and Mrs. K. are really good people to everybody outside of themselves, but full of tinder. When everything is balmy, they can say 'Father,' 'Mother,' on 'low do' so sweetly; but let the least thing go awry and they will run through the domestic gamut to 'You old fool,' in the eighth octave, with surprising rapidity. Thus it always has been with them ; thus it always will be, for neither will learn the maxim, 'Know thyself.' " Mrs. Tate is a very pious woman and a good singer, excellencies which do not always go together. Her husband is a very honest, good sort of a fellow. — 20- seldom saying anything cither at home or ahroad. Thougli not religiously inclined, he always accom- panies her to church, where she never forgets to make mention of him in her devotions. In the prayer meeting last night, tlic unction of the spirit rested upon her with peculiar power. She was unusually gifted in prayer, and sang " Shall we know each other there ?" as we had never known her to sing it before ; many -were melted to tears. On the way home, being a short distance ahead of me, with a quisical tremor in his voice, Tate asked, 'Wouldn't it be nice, Mary, if there were a hymn " Shall we know each other here. ?" 'It might suit you, sir.' 'Yes, 'I think I should often enjoy it far more than the song8 I am daily called upon to hear, and particularly the one of this morning.' 'Well, sir, I shall sing you a sliarper song than that before you are much older, if you do not at- tend to your own business and mind what I say.' 'No doubt of that, m.ij dear; but tlicn wouldn't it be better if you would learn to spread your religion out evenly, rather than keep it bottled for public display ?' —21— 'My religion is my own.' 'Yes, so I've thought for a long time.' 'Now, sir, its time for yoii to ' . I had reached my gate. The tribulations of poor Tate under a species of petty aggravations at home, cloaked under a great show of religious zeal abroad, have long been known to me. He bears up under it manfully, but if ever a change of heart comes to him, it will be when Mrs. T. has experi- enced a new birth." 'I'd like to know what you're going to do with that horse, Mr. Hayes,' said his wife this morning, as he came leading a fine five-year old toward the street. 'I'm going to get him shod,' replied Hayes. 'We'll see about that.' 'I've seen about it already ; I guess I'm com- petent to see to the horse shoeing. You'd better go into the house and 'tend to your own aff'airs.' 'I think I'll 'tend to them right here. That horse is not going to be shod. You needn't think you'll slip him over to Jones', as you promised yes- terday.' —22— 'As I promised yesterday V 'Yes, sir, as you promised yesterday. You can't lie to me. Ben told me all about it.' Til thrash Ben.' 'You'd better try it, and I'll smash your head. I'll let you know who owns this property, and who'll thi^ash the children !' 'You've let me know a good many times already. I wish I had never seen you nor the property either.' 'So do I. And now, sir, do you put that horse in the pasture where you found him.' There was no alternative, and he obeyed. Three years ago an unsophisticated bachelor, Hayes married Mrs. Snodgrass, and with the widow, took as encumbrances four children and a well stocked farm. The widow alone would have been a match for him ; with the encumbrances she is far more. Almost every day he is reminded that her money bought such and such property, and he is not slow to let her know that it also bought him. Alas, they are both badly sold." A letter carefully pinned to one of the leaves and furnishing its own comment, read as follows : -23— , May lOih, 1877. 'My Dear Friend : 'Again I appeal to you for advice ; matters are not improving with us. Henry is becoming more and more abandoned and dissolute. Last evening, for the first time, he subjected me to personal vio- lence. 'Tis the old story. He has used up his means, and squandered his wages, until privation and hunger are the |jortion of myself and the children. 'Last night when he came home the children were crying for supper, whilst I had nothing to give them. He had been drinking, and was unusually cross. He began to upbraid me because the chil- dren were not quiet and in bed. I may have done wrong, God forgive me if I did, but I told him it was for bread they were crying, and had he but acted a father's part he would not be thus annoyed. I will not recount the words that followed. Suffice it to say he dealt me a severe blow across the face, which felled me to the floor. When I had recov- ered myself he was gone. Fearing further violence, I sought shelter for myself and children with a neighbor. 'As I write under another's roof, 1 think of the many happy girlhood days I spent beneath yours, —24— and recall the ever kind advice and counsel of your wife and ^^ourself. Then little did I think it would ever come to this ; and yet I know my cu}) is not full. When you told me of Henry's proclivities I could not believe it, but I may not shrink from the terrible realization of it now. 'Tell me, dear friend, shall I still cling to the man of my choice — the man against whom friends and parents protested, or shall I be justifiable in fleeing from certain destitution and perhaps from still fiercer outburst, of passion and violence ? Yours, in affliction, Nell.' " Thus page after page, covered with bickerings, heart-burnings, angry altercations, and cruel blows was turned, until, heart-sick, Obed closed the book. As he did so the words of the good parson who metamorphosed him from the 07ie of hvo to the half of one came across his mind. He was a bland old gentleman, then living with his fifth wife. Taking his young friend one side when the cere- mony was over, says he, " Obed, my boy, you've a great deal to learn about this matter of married life, and the principal thing is this, — 'Learn to keep your teeth tight shut when there are indications of —25— a breeze,' for such occasions will come." Observa- tion had already given Obed au inkling of this matter, and experience has convinced him that Socrates, under the severest goadings of Xantippe, never uttered a truth, if followed, more condusive to human happiness than that of his reverend friend. Then said Obed to himself, "This matter of matrimony is indeed a great Co-partnership, con- ceived in the councils of heaven and instituted on earth in the very morning of the race, and multi- plied until the copies have become innumerable. The oldest institution of earth, it is practically the least understood. Designed and calculated to serve the purest purposes of life, and to secure the greatest possible amount of happiness, it is prosti- tuted to the basest purposes, and in numberless instances becomes a pandemonium to those who enter its sacred pale. In entering upon other partnerships, which, at most, are expected to continue but a few years, fre- quently but as many months, and involving little that cannot be solved by mathematical calcula- tions, men hedge themselves about with strongly written contracts in which are specified the minutest particulars to be fulfilled, and these papers duly witnessed, are frequently referred to, in order that no misunderstanding may arise ; but into tlie great co-partnership of marriage wiiicli it is lio[)ed will continue for at least fifty years and then lap over onto tlie 'evergreen shore ;' a eo-i)artnership which is to give birth and training to rosy cheeked candidates for future firms ; to In'ing its members daily and hourly into the closest possible intimacy where the veriest weaknesses will be revealed.; to foster and develop those truths and principles which are the foundation stones of social and civil institutions; co-partnerships in which better than an3'-where else the essential doctrines of moral and religious truth can be developed and strengthened ; in which the parties contracting should remember they will grow old, wrinkled, decrepit and person- ally less attractive, and which should be broken up only by the hand of death — into such a co-partner- ship as this myriads of men and women are con- stantly entering, seemingly without any thought as to what the responsibilities and self-denials of the future are to be. Most marriage contracts if, exhibited to the eye, would present a strange medley of sheei)S-eyes, 'My dears,' 'I'll tell mas,' and cool, mossy seats, withered flowers, swinging gales, midnight views —27— of the moon, peanut shucks, candy mottoes, care- fully kept l)illct (loux, small talks about the last concert, the masquerade, and the new novel, gifts of woolen scarfs and plated rings, the merest sprinkling of real business, fantastically ari'anged about "• ^Id. 37-0-0. e-v-er ?■ "V7"ell, ii.a.xa.137- e^rer." an 'Exquisite Alexander Adolph us' and his 'adorable Maria Louise Deborah Ann,' engaged in a tete-a-tete as central figures. -28- Crola-aa. I'ei-iipletoa:!. Tma-s a, m.a.rL cf irrii/ht ai.-r^5. 3.±sT^i.^z — 29— An inspection of the co-partners would never lead to the conclusion that the apostolic doctrine, 'Be ye not unecjually yoked together,' had ever been promulgated. Here is a gay rollicking hus- l>and, with a wife sedate and circumspect ; there one with stern business airs and economical ideas, with a helpmate of butterfly proclivities, who has never ^''et learned the number of cents it takes to make a dollar. Husbands rough, uncouth, and profane, with wives cultivated, refined, and zealous in all malters of religion, growing up into 'Mothers in Israel ;' husbands who are pillars in the church, having wives who are very termigants; husbands by the score, built for nothing else than to hold down 1)0X('S and benches about places of public resort, with wives at liomo taking in washing and sewing to sujiport their families; husbands of taste and high aspirations, with wives slatternly and unambi- tious; husbands brutish and sensual, with wives who vainly long for a higher existence, into whose hearts often come those saddest of all sad words, 'It might have been ;' husbands of three score years, with wives of 'sweet sixteen ;' men not old enough to go on the bachelor list who have broken into the homes of widows of -30- T / , / I forty; men of weiglit and dignity with wives light and trifling. —31— But all pairs aro not tliiis incongruously mated. As there is more of sunshine than shadow in the natural world, so there are more bright ha})j)y T-wreaa-ty laiaae aiiLd. fortjr after tlie Honesr ^^ooam.. homes than the contrary. God has not forsaken his original design, and though marriage is treated too much as a great lottery, the prizes drawn are far more numerous than the blanks, and although there is so much of uncongeniality, there is far more -32— of titness, and with the culture and gro\vin<5 amenities of modern civilization, domestic hapj)iness is greatly on the increase, and partnershi})S that began in weakness are being built U}) in the strength of growing conjugal affection. Looking back on the old homestead when all were there, 'Father, mother, Brother, sister. All who hold each other dear,' mail}' a young father and mother remember that clouds did sometimes come over that old-time sky, and sharp words pass between the now 'departed,' yet there was so much of home born, heart-felt joy, that they learned to sing, 'Home, sweet home. There is no place like home,' and the lessons of 'bear and forbear' come vividly back through the vista of years to guide them as voyagers over an old sea old, yet ever new and untried. Little by little the world is gathering up, and, let croakers say what they will, home shall yet fill the original design, becoming the fittest earthly type of heaven, where the graces and endearments of life are assiduously studied. —33— Of all that lias ever been said or written on the vexed question of matrimonial relations, nothing is better than the advice of a shrewd old bachelor whc»,. after abundant opportunity for observing among his own j)eople and particularly in foreign lands, wrote to some friends of his who appear to have been peculiarly mixed up on the subject, 'Husbands, love your wives; wives, reverence your husbands.' There's the key note of happiness to both parties, for if there is anything in the world, after a new hat with a five dollar feather, a nice dress in the latest style, and an undisturbed oppor- tunity to lead the conversation, that will please a woman more than another, it is the assiduous attention of her husband, saying to all observers that in his estimation at least, she is a 'Pearl among rubies ;' and as for the other side of the house, pro- visions made for his cigars, a good dinner, and an undisputed right to stay out at night as late as he chooses, there is nothing so gratifying to his manly pride as to know that his wife regards him as a kind of demi-god, and that the proudest term in her vocabulary is ^My husband! There is no self- ishness in him in this matter. No, no. It is purely the working of the apostolic sentiment in his manly nature ; that is all. —34— Yet when all this love and reverence are brought into practice, human nature will sometimes out, and we must remember 'Each other's ills to bear. ' As 'eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,' so self- denial and forbearance are the cost of 'wedded love,' and he who expects a smooth domestic sea must be sure there is no vestige of a beam of strife in his own eye, for if there is, he will find any amount of sand in the orb of his companion." Thus musing Obed opened the door. There sat Mrs. 0. over a young Obed's unmentionables, "Stitch, stitch, stitcli," as a woman always must. There was no more flash in her eye, but a shade of sadness rested on her brow. As she looked up, Obed said, "Well, I've thought that question all over, and I find that the first match was of divine origin, and 1 think it probable they are still made in heaven ; but in transplanting, the earthly soil is so uncongenial ; so little care is taken in fostering the tender rootlets, and in after-pruning, that the 'matrimony-vine' grows thorns, becomes knotty, and brings compara- tively little fruit to perfection, and divorces are resorted to as an end of trouble." -35— There was a smile on the cheek of the wife, a tear glistened in her eye, and, well, no matter ; youthful usages will sometimes repent themselves in maturer years — she said, " When you vex me I sometiriies wish I never had had you, hut if I hadn't, I know I should always have wished I had." This Obed believes to be the embodiment of a universal sentiment among women, relative to their husbands. There were no more bantering words in the home of Obed that evening, but all was peaceful and serene. r^^>S\^|^.^f^^2>#^ OBED VISITS WATEKFOKD. " There's to be a grand gatliering of my braves and bravesses at Water ford for inspection and drill ; come over and help ns." Thus wrote the Grand Sacliem of the Pedagogues of Erie county to Obed, and that individual responded, " I go, sir," and at the time appointed he went. lie had heard much of the classic beauty of the place, and hence was not slow in gathering up his satchel and umbrella when the brakeman sang out " Water-ford !" Once upon the platform, his bright visions were mercilessly dispelled, for there Obed stood in the midst of a little clump of build- ings "stuck in the mud," and his heart was fast sinkins: within him when from the midst of a lux- —38— uriaiit growth of red wliiskers there came floating in silvery tones, " Only ten cents to go up town in this 'ere conveyance." Placing two bright nickels in the warm hand of the fiery headed Jehu, Obed mounted to a pleasant seat in what was evidently a pic-nic vehicle, and with him a jovial, partially bald, very talkative gentleman, running over full of health suggestions. Jehu mounted the box, drew his reins, gave his crackerless whip an old fashioned stage-coach flourish, and was off in advance of the regular buss. " Stop at a hotel gentlemen ?" said Jehu, as his team went splashing througli the mud. " Don't wish to stop here," said Obed. "Good hotels?" said the gentleman with the shiny crown. " The EiKjh is a grand house," replied Jehu. " Take us to the Eagle then," responded the man of health, I always prefer Eagle to Crow. Get good bread, good butter, good water and good air, driver?" " All good, sir," came down from the box. " What's remarkable about this town ?" said Obed. "What's remarkable? why, George Washing- ton." -39- "Well, what of him?" " Wliy, he came here and put up for several days." " At the Eagle ?" " To be sure." " Do any of your people remember him 7" " The landlord remembers him well ; whoa !" Obed and his new-made friend alighted and liastened to the capacious bar-room, where a great wood fire, resting upon old-fashioned andirons, roared up the chimney just as Obed had seen fires in his boyhood. Behind the bar stood a fine look- ing old gentleman whose whitened locks bespoke the Days Lavr/ 8i/ne, He was evidently one of the first inhabitants. "So you'r the landlord," said Obed. " So they say." " And you remember George Washington ?" " None better." " And he put up at the Eagle when he was out for Mr. Dinwiddle?" " He stopped here." " Well, landlord, give us the room that George occupied, will you ?" " Here, Joe, take these gentlemen to No. 24," and Obed and his friend were soon enjoying them- — 40— selves in the occui)ancy of the strong hold desig- nated. The Grand Sachem greeted Obed with much cordiality, and they went in and out together before the great assembly, enjoying, in the meantime, the hospitalities of the Eagle. The council was a pleasant one to look upon. There were line looking young men, and pleasant young maidens, and maidens not so young, and Obed said to himself, " These are the teachers of the county. Into their hands are committed great destinies, and it is well they are thus gathered together for instruction and improvement." There was one thing however, that struck Obed as peculiar — the great excess in number of ladies. " Little," said Obed, " did the great Horace think when he said, 'Go West, young man,' that he was doing so much towards hastening that Scripture period when 'Seven women shall la}^ hold on one man,' but if it must come in my day, let me fall into the hands of the allotted number of Erie county school marms." Thus Obed said. Being something of a newspaper man, Obed went up to the Astonisher office, but as Mrs. Aston- isher was out, and the little Astonishers were nowhere to be seen, he was forced to leave with his —41- curiosity unsatisfied, affliction. This to Obed was a great lAJJl^h -— ^.^!| - rrf fn|"rfrrr!.r||| f ~ i!!:"'lli!iln'l|li' ^cxt XjelBoe-o-f as ret-a.ilt, ITOS ; 'b-vjLr^n.eoL, Ivlarcla. 21st, iaes. There are places of historic interest whieli Obed must needs visit, so on a pleasant afternoon he sallied out and wandered around the site of the old Fort. Here was the cellar with its walls in a good state of preservation. In it the French stored their ammunition as well as other necessaries. From this ran the subterranean passage down to the spring by the creek's side from which they pro- cured their water. Little else remains of Fort -42- LeBoeuf in which St. Pierre courteously received the youthful Washington and gave his decided refusal to relinquish the Ohio country, and from whose enclosure started the expedition which demolished the English fortifications at the con- fluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela, and on its site erected Fort du Quesne. Satisfied with his survey of the Fort, Obed walked down to the point whence the fleet of birch canoes put off* on this expedition down the Allegheny. Thence he wandered over to the hill where the future father of his country made his rude camp, and wrote a part of that journal whose occasion introduced him and Waterford to immortality, and which needs no excuse for being inserted here. " December 7th. At twelve o'clock we set out (from Venango) for the Fort, (LeBoeuf ) but were prevented arriving there until the 11th, by exces- sive rains, snows and bad traveling through many mires and swamps, these we were obliged to pass to avoid crossing, which was impossible, either by fording or rafting, the water was so high and rapid. " We passed over much good land since we left Venango, and through several very extensive and rich meadows, one of which, I believe, was nearly -43- fbur miles in length and considerably wide in some places. " December 12th. I prepared early to wait upon the commander, and was received and conducted to him by the second officer in command. I ac- quainted him with my business and offered my commission and letter, both of which he requested me to keep until the arrival of Monsieur Reparte, captain at the next fort, who was sent for and ex- pected every hour. " The commander is a knight of the military order of St. Louis, and named Legardeur de St. Pierre. He is an elderly gentleman, and has much the air of a soldier. He was sent over to take the command immediately upon the death of the late General, and arrived here about seven days before me. "At two o'clock the gentleman who was sent for arrived, when I offered the letter &c., again, which they received, and adjourned into a private apartment for the captain to translate, who under- stood a little English. After he had done it, the commander desired I would walk in and bring my interpreter to peruse and correct it, which I did. " December 13th. The chief officers retired to hold a council of war, which gave me an oppor- —44— tunity of taking the dimensions of the fort, and making what observations I could. " It is situated on the south or west fork of French creek, near the water, and is ahnost sur- rounded by the creek, and a small branch of it, which forms a kind of island. Four houses com- posed the .sides. The bastions are made of piles driven into the ground, standing more than twelve feet above it, and sharp at the top, with port holes cut for cannon, and loop holes for the small arms to fire through. There are eight six-pound pieces mounted in each bastion, and one piece of four pounds before the gate. In the bastions are a guard- house, chapel, doctor's lodging, and the command- er's private store, round which are laid platforms for the cannon and men to stand on. There are several barracks without the fort, for the soldiers' dwellings, covered wdth bark and some with boards, made chiefly of logs. There are also several other houses, such as stables, smith's shop, etc. " I could get no certain account of the men here, but according to the best judgment I could form, there are a hundred, exclusive of officers, of whom there are many. I also gave orders to the people who were with me to take an exact account of the canoes which were hauled up to convey their -45- forces down in the Spring. This they did, and told fifty of birch bark and a hundred and seventy of pine, besides many others which were blocked out in readiness for being made. " December 14th. As the snow increased very fast, and our horses daily became weaker, I sent them off unloaded under the care of Barnaby Curran and two others, to make all convenient dis- patch to Venango, and there to await our arrival, if there was a prospect of the river's freezing, if not, then to continue down to Shanapin's Town, at the forks of Ohio, and there wait until we came to cross the Allegheny, intending myself to go down by water, as I had the offer of a canoe or two. " As I found many plots concerted to retai'd the Indians' business, and prevent their returning with me, I endeavored all that lay in my power to frus- trate their schemes, and hurried them on to exe- cute their intended design. They accordingly pressed for admittance this evening, which at length was granted them, privately, to the commander and one or two other officers. The Half King told me that he offered the wampum to the commander, who evaded taking it, and made many fair promises of love and friendship ; said he wanted to live in peace and trade amicably with them, as a proof of -46- which, he would send some goods immediately down to Log's Town for them. But I rather think the design of that is to bring away all our strag- gling traders they meet with, as I privately under- stood, they intended to carry an officer, &c., with them. And what rather confirms this opinion, I was inquiring of the commander by what author- ity he had made prisoners of several of our Eng- lish subjects. He told me that the country be- longed to them; that no Englishman had a right to trade upon those waters, and that he had orders to make every person prisoner who attempted it on the Ohio, or the waters of it. " I inquired of Captain Reparte about the boy that Was carried by this place, as it was done while the command devolved upon him, between the death of the late General and the arrival of the present. He acknowledged that a boy had been carried past, and that the Indians had two or three whitemen's scalps, (I was told by some of the Indians at Venango, eight,) but pretended to have forgotten the name of the place the boy came from, and all the particular facts, though he had ques- tioned him for some hours as they were carrying past. I likewise inquired what they had done with John Trotter and James McClocklan (McLaughlin), —47— two Pennsylvania traders whom they had takeH with all their goods. They told me they had been sent to Canada, but were now returned home. " This evening I received an answer to his honor, the Governor's letter, from the commandant." Omitting the letter, the Journal continues : " December 15th. The commandant ordered a plentiful store of liquor, provisions, &c , to be put on board our canoes and appeared to be extremely complaisant, though he was exerting every artifice which he could invent to set our Indians at variance with us, to prevent them going until after our departure ; presents, rewards, and everything which could be suggested by him or his officers. I cannot say that ever in my life I suffered so much anxiety as I did in this affair. I saw that every stratagem which the most fruitful brain could invent was practiced to win the Half King to their interest, and that leaving him there was giving them the opportunity they aimed at. I went to the Half King and pressed him in the strongest terms to go ; he told me that the command would not discharge him until the morning. I then went to the com- mandant and desired him to do their business, and complained of ill-treatment ; for keeping them, as they were part of my company, was detaining me. —48— This he promised not to do, but to forward my journey as much as he coukl. He protested he did not keep them, but was ignorant of the cause of their stay, though I soon found it out. He had promised them a present of guns, &c., if they would wait until morning. As I was very murh pressed by the Indians to wait this day for them. I con- sented, on a promise that nothing should hinder them in the morning." The following from the journal of the IGth, written after leaving, shows up the strategy of bolii parties on the morning of final departure. "The French were not slack in their inventions to keep the Indians this day also, but as they were obliged, according to promise, to give the present, they then endeavored to try the powers of liquor, which I doubt not would have prevailed at any other time than this, but I urged and insisted with the King so closely upon his word, that he refrained and set off with us as he had engaged." Now, far as the eye can reach are to be seen field, farm house and evidence of culture; then all was wild, sombre, and savage. A solitary muskrat, swimming along at the base of the hill, was the only lineal descendant of that long ago. Musing of the wonderful man who, one hundred and -49— twent^'-five years before, drew his blanket around him and lay down lo sleep beneath the tall pines that capped the little eminence. Obed retraced his steps and took a drink from the spring, from which Indian and Frenchman alike slacked his thirst. The fountain is measurably secluded, and filled with beautiful trout. Having no piscatorial procliv- ities, he cast in no hook. Obed did not. A country churchyard has a charm for Obed as he expects to go out some day feet first, and tiike possession of a retired lot in one. " Tliere's a quiet old yard down west of town," said mine host of the Eagle, and to it Obed bent his steps. The little city showed marks of age, and the rude brown stones covered with moss, s[)oke of the affections of fifty, sixty and seventy years ago when husband, wife or child was laid away in a plain board coffin for the " sleep that knows no waking." They rest amid brambles, thorn and general dilapidation, for the new city, with carriage-ways, monuments, cask- ets and sleeping rooms, is more inviting to a resi- dence in its pretentious abodes. " In a few more years," mused Obed, " wheat and corn will be wav- ing over these silent homes. Then there will be canibalism in Waterford, for somebody will be eat- ing his grandfather." -so- " Waterford Academy, MDCCCXXII," caught the eye of Obed, on an old stone front, and the door being opened he entered and passed through the halls where for more than fifty years have echoed the footsteps of the seekers after knowledge. There upon the walls were the names of those rendered immortal by a single stroke of the pencil, and un- mistakable evidence of the fact that " Th". Yank'^e boy, before he's sent to school, "Well knows the mystery of that inigic tool, The pocket knife." As Obcd stood and mused he thought of the then and now of pedagogics ; of the changes that have wrought in methods, instruction and discipline since those old walls were built ; then he remembered to have heard it said that Waterford has furnished more prominent men than any other township in the county, and he mentally exclaimed, " This old building explains it all ; blessed be the memory of those who builded it, and those who have carried it on ;" and echo answered, " Blessed." But the time set by Mrs. Obed for his return had arrived, and there was nothing for him to do but to return to the hotel. Suiting his actions to his necessities, he returned, and, taking an affec- tionate leave of the Grand Sachem and the gay old liost of the Eagle, and consigning himself to the tender mercies of the fiery headed Jehu, he was soon homeward bound, mentall}^ vowing if ever invited to Waterford again, he would certainly go. Thus Obed vowed. OBED AT THE HEAD. It was summer, warm and genial, and Strong Vincent Post of the " Boys in Blue " advertised an encampment, with hard tack and beans, at the Head. Having had some experience in blue clothes, hard tack and s b , Obed resolved to play " comrade." Suiting the act to the resolu- tion, having first obtained the consent of Mrs. Obed, who has a great aversion to everything that looks in the remotest degree like war, he took the cars on the morning appointed and was soon in the city and making his way, in a headlong manner, down State street towards the dock. —52— Once on board the Hunter, his ticket for the beans safely secured next his — stomach, and pass- ing out from the dilapidated docks, Obed. fell to musing, a practice to which he is much given, sometimes to the great discomfort of even his near- est friends — Mrs. and the young Obeds, for instance. In his imagination he saw the Bay as it was a hundred years ago, visited only by an occasional sail, for the steamboat man had not then been invented. Instead of the spires of a busy city, a rude fortress occupied the lonely shore from which scarce a wily Indian came down to ripple the quiet waters with his birchen canoe. These things Obed saw, and more. Settlers came; a hut village sprang up ; soldiers went and came ; one morning the post band played the funeral diige, and brave boys laid "Mad Anthony," at the "foot of the flag staff" to wait the reveille of the judgment morn- ing ; he saw the youthful Perry, as under his master hand there sprang up, as by magic, that renowned fleet that, once " lightered " over the bar, sallied out, " met the enemy and they are ours ;" he saw the thriving village become a naval station, and then a lake city at whose expanding wharves a busy commerce plied ; he heard a shrill neigh, and the " iron horse " was on the Lake Shore, and —53— for a time there was " war in Erie," and when peace was restored the wharves began to rot as the city extended herself inland, and Obed wondered if ever serial navigation would " Ticket, sir," said a "blue" labeled "67," and the rectangular form of his pasteboard was soon destroyed, and Obed's revery was at an end. It was ended. The Hunter was now far out on the Bay, and Obed felt at liberty to take a survey of the crowd of strangers around him. It possessed all the charac- teristics of an excursion. There were men, women and children ; young men and maidens — not so young ; elegant perfumes, and fumes not so elegant — " But then, it is only twenty-five cents, and who can't afford a little extra touch," said Obed, half aloud. " What's that, sir ?" said a demure-looking individual — " Show your tickets to the guard," sang out a military voice, and looking up, Obed })orceived that one-half of the company was already upon the dock, and he also made haste to go ashore. Once on terra firma, Obed hastened to carry into execution the resolution he had formed to scrape many acquaintances, and he succeeded admirably, for beneath the badge of the " Grand Army " there's a warm heart for all comrades. Here he —54— met one with an unpleasant limp. "How was it, old boy ?" " A bullet through the knee at Gaines' Mill." There he accosted a man with a bad scar on his face, supplemented by another on the back of the neck. '"Twas a warm reception at Cold Har- bor." Two canes told the story of cold lead through the spine at Antietam. A crutch and a cane re- counted the story of Fredericksburg, and an empty sleeve revived the " Battle above the clouds." Sit- ting down by a pleasant fellow with two staffs, Obed laid his hand familiarly upon his femur — 'twas a regular " patent thing." " The flesh and blood," said his new made friend, " are resting at Five Forks." "Gone on the retired list," said Obed. At the Head, Obed met the army of the Potomac, the siegers of Vicksburg ; those who " marched with Sherman to the sea," and heroes of Gettysburg. He "took rations" again from the " Commissary Department," dipped his coffee from a "black sally," and cracked jokes at the " mess board ;" he sat again on the drum head and laughed at the mock review, and as he noted the rapture of Young America, closely resembling that exhibited on "General Training Day " forty years ago, the days of his boyhood came across his mind, and he repeated, — — 5S- " O were yoii ne'er a school boy ? And did you never train, And feel that swelling of the heart, You ne'er can feel again ?' The sun was far out over the lake, the "light fantastic toe " was tripping it to the sound of the merry music, and Obed, as he looked over the rest- less throng said, '" The crow foot is marking the brave men of sixteen years ago, and the 'boys' of that day are becoming tinged with a loyal gray. We light our camp fires, but there come fewer and fewer to enjoy their genial warmth; 'Our numbers dwindle year by year. Our comrades seek the other shore.' " Just then the whistle sounded, and as he caught the bright reflection of the sum from the bosom of old Erie, Obed remembered 'tis written, "In tlije evening time it shall be light," and he took his departure homeward with this petition in his heart for all his " comrades :" " So live that when command is given : 'Break ranks', we leave the drill below, To bivouac in the camp of Heaven." OBED ON STRIKES. " You are too late, sir; the strike has reached us at last," said the gentlemanly agent at North East, as Obed, a stranger to all about, carne up for the purpose of making a shipment. Thus it was, click, click, click had gone the telegraph unceasing- ly for two, three, four days, announcing that first one road then anothei" had succumbed to ignoble, if not unreasonable demands, until finally the Lake Shore was no exception. All travel was suspended ; the business interests of the country stood paralyzed, and riot was laying vandal hands on much that was fair and valuable. Obed looked at the agent, then up and down the track, and then at the perishable fruit he wished to send to some distant friends, and his thoughts were not of the pleasantest nature. But th«n there was no use breaking the third com- mandment, and as he turned him about and pre- pared to go into the canning business, his memory — S7- was busy, for he has observed that strikes are pecu- liar inslitutions, and that most people have at some time indulged in them. In fact, Obed himself has been a striker. His experience runs in this wise : — When quite a little child he wished to go visit- ing with his parents, so he put on his happiest face and his kindest manner. He was most bewitching on tliat occasion, but it was of no use; he could not go. Then he struck — threw himself U]>on the floor, distorted his face and uttered hideous screams. Here the majesty of the law in the person of the elder Obed came in, and soon an urchin, artistically turned up, was heard exclaiming, " Oh ! don't, don't, father; I won't do so any more." The strike was suppressed, and Obed was a wiser child. Again, in his school days, when the teacher was calling to afternoon lessons by beating lustily on the sash with a Daboll's arithmetic, Obed and three of his companions struck — for the skating pond. An hour later there was music in the old sohoolhouse. A concert of human voices led by the sharp thuds of a well seasoned gad. One more strike was suppressed. When he returned home that night Obed had nothing but words of praise for that teacher — he was so kind and attentive. Those were the days when children never made —58- mention of discipline at school. Obed was a wiser boy. It was long years after the above, and Obed was O-ra.ia.d.fa.tlierO'bea.'sm.etli.oa. cf s-u.ppressixi.g' a. Stride. With a slight variation from Patrick Henry, the old gentle- man was wont to say, " I have but one lamp b}^ which my hand is guided, and that is the lamn of experience." in the midst of a delightful morning dream, in which wealth, and honor, and fame were all gather- ing around him, that a sharp voice exclaimed in his ear, " Obed, Obed, get up and start a fire!" He raised himself gently upon his elbow, but soon sank gracefully back upon his pillow. It was but for a moment. A sharp thrust in the ribs, and, " Obed ! Obed ! I tell you get up ; it's house-cleaning day, and Nancy Jones will be here before we're out of bed," brought him to a realization of the situation. He arose and went mechanically about the duties of the hour, continually revolving in his mind the glories of that wonderful dream. Breakfast over, Mrs. Obed directed him to remove the parlor stove to the sitting room and readjust it. Now if there is anything in the wide world that Obed hates to meddle with, it is a stove and pipe. He has heard good men utter fearful words whilst attempting to fit dissimilar joints ; and he knows that really pious men indulge in wicked thoughts on such occasions ; so lest he should be betrayed into one of these follies, he watclied his opportunity when Mrs. Obed was busy, and struck — down town. Thus Obed struck. Down town he stayed until near noon. Then he put in an appearance at home. There stood the —66— stove, and near it stood Mrs. O., broom in hand. " Now, sir," said a pair of thin lips, " tend to that stove !" Obed surveyed the situation for a moment. There stood the commander-in-chief of the house- hold with the implement of her authority well poised. In the background stood Nancy as a kind of " reserved force." There was determination in two pair of eyes. With Obed discretion had long been the better part of valor. That stove was soon adjusted without a swear. The clouds broke, and domestic sunshine blessed a hearty dinner. Obed was a wiser man. Various are the causes for which men strike. Obed remembers that the first one on record was made for an increase of knowledge — a very worthy object, 'tis true. There came of it "fig-leaf aprons" and death. Then Cain struck for the elevation of his craft, and as a result Adam turned sexton and the striker received a slit in the ear and a home in the " land of Nod," since which time it has been habitual for deacons to sleep in church. Many people pattern after the deacons. All Israel went on a big strike down in Egypt, and did the greatest job of borrowing that ever was known ; and yet, as is generally the case with strik- ers, they got an elephant on their hands. It took —61— them forty years to learn to manage him, and he proved breachy ever afterwards. The Barons put up a good job of striking on John at Runny Mede, which has only been eclipsed by that of Jonathan on his old mother in '76. These, much as we delight in them, were fraught with much of evil and suffering, and have been the prolific parents of a host of similar strikes, lacking the principle, but having all the nerve and spirit. The sacrifice of property and life under such cir- cumstances has been fearful. Reflecting on these things, Obed has concluded that when men " Strike for their altars and their fires ; Strike for the green graves of their sires, God and their native land," it is all right, and they should succeed. But when, on the contrary, they Strike, evil passions to inspire ; Strike for the things that none require, For anarchy and "sand," there should be miserable failure. Personal and public happiness depend upon law and order. By these let all the people stand. Let parents impress ihem upon the sensibilities of childhood. Let teachers instill them into the mind of youth, and —62— wives insist that their liege lords shall carry them out in their daily lives. Above all, let not great municipalities encourage riot, theft and arson, against even a soulless corporation ; for at best the act is dangerous, and may become an expensive luxury, tarnishing even legislative reputation. OBED'S DAY AT FAIR POINT. Obed had heard of the beauties, the privileges, and the piety of Fair Point, and for a long time had desired to visit it. At length a leisure day pre- sented itself, and, that he might enjoy it in full, he took time by the forelock and started the evening previous. Once aboard the train and moving, he gazed with delight upon the beautiful scenery constantly presenting itself. The faces about him were all strange, so Obed had nothing to do but gaze in -63- silence. This he did until a change of cars for the " Cross Cut" brought new scenes and new com- panions. Here was a stripling from the east, hav- ing a worm medicine of rare virtue, the fruits of which, carefully bottled, he was triumphantly ex- hibiting ; there was a man from Indiana with" an opera glass at his eye, a tongue loaded with " I declare," and a soul full of Sunday school enthu- siasm ; yonder were several ladies with a full assort- ment of band-boxes and babies, chattering like so many magpies. " Fair Point" was on the tongues of all these, and they were happy in their antici- pations. The medicine man iu the misery he should relieve, and the harvest he should reap ; the Hoosier in beholding those on whom the mantle of the immortal Raikes has fallen, and the ladies in the delightful passtimcs and the sweet rest they were to have. As for Obed, he was happy in ob- serving the earnestness and comicalities of his com- panions, and the delightful scenery through which he was passing, and as he looked out upon the signs of advancing civilization he mentally ex- claimed, " Lo, the poor Indian," and he presumes in a minute more he would have dived right into the hole that the " wild fox dug, unscared," had not the conductor just then sung out " Mayville !" -64- Then came the bustle and excitement incident to a change from car to steamboat, and Obed was soon afloat on the beautiful lake, now glittering in the evening twilight, and whose shores are rich in legendary tales. As the steamer glided away, and he looked upon the pleasure-boats on every hand, the occu- pants merrily enjoying the cool of the evening, his exclamation was, " The red man bathed his limbs in this sedgy lake in the long ago, and its waters were broken by his birchen canoe j^ears before the race of Fulton's began." To what flights of fancy his imagination might have risen, on other people's language, Obed knows not, had not a display of lights resembling the glitter of gas jets in front of a theatre, just then attracted his attention. " What's that?" inquired our hero. "Fair Point," replied the Captain. Feeling that behind such lights there must be a happy place and some fun, Obed seated himself upon the bow of the boat, and gave himself up to pleasing meditations until the craft touched the dock, where he descended, and for two pieces of silver purchased pass-ports to the " Elysian Fields" of his expedition. Once within the gate, he inquired of a man, selling peanuts and candy, the way to the sanctum —65— of the scribes who write up the doings of the Fair Pointers. "0 just you go up to the Auditorium and the pump, and you'll see it— who'll have another glass V" said the dealer. Remarking that he knew nothing about their Horium, which caused a smile among the bystanders, Obed passed on and soon came to a vast multitude of people who were listening to some men, seated in a great box con- siderably elevated above the rest, as they arose and told, one after another, of the wonderful deeds of some good men who had recently died. Some, it appeared, had been great preachers, and another had been a man of song. As he listened to the words of praise, interspersed as they were with ex- cellent music, Obed wondered if ever there was a memorial service for the great "Preacher of righteousness," or if any u-aterlng place ever set aside a day in commemoration of the " Sweet singer of Israel." The exercises drawing to a close, Obed sought out the place of the scribes, a kind of ten by four- teen foot arrangement, very plain in its appliances, but all a-Flood with Moor6-of-Dobbs than anybody else except an unclerical-looking chap, who pos- sessed the rare faculty of deciphering quail tracks —66— without flinching, even in presence of ministerial dignity. After a pleasant chat, Obed was informed that the time when all Pointers must retire was at hand, and if he didn't want to be "policed" he must find a place to burrow, and was kindly directed to the General Office for further information. This, after some wandering, he succeeded in finding and was sent thence to the keeper of the keys of the '' Land of Nod " for all wayfarers on the Point. Here, after paying two pieces of silver he was put in tow of a small honest faced bo}', in whose wake he fol- lowed for half an hour through mazy streets and tangled wild wood, and then returned to the " place whence he came " for repairs, a new number and a new start. Some minutes brisk walk brought him to No. 42 Avenue, where he was consigned to the tender mercies of a benevolent-looking gentle- man who led him up a narrow stair into a hall of indefinite length, but four feet wide, and split in in the middle by a row of sheets suspended from the joists above. Behind these, as nearly as he could judge, were several ladies suspended from pins in the studding. One of these, that is, one of the ladies cried out in a squeakX! voice, " Laws a massy ! don't bring a man in here !" and a gruff -67- fellow, whom Obed thought to be leaned up in an adjoining corner, growled out something about thieves, when the host remarked that the gentleman with him had an honest countenance, and all sub- sided into silence, and the work of bed making pro- ceeded. This consisted in spreading out an unusu- ally long saw horse, to the ribs of which was firmly attached a piece of canvass eighteen inches wide and five feet long ; across one end was laid a bundle of straw, and over all was spread an "army blanket" which had evidently seen service, the whole re- minding Obed of the days of his military experience. When all was ready, his host bade him a kind good- night, and slowly and sadly Obed turned in. As he did so, he remembered the couch of his boyhood, prepared by a mother's careful hand, and he re- peated, with slight variation, as her sainted lips had taught him, " Now I lay me ttp to sleep." The words had a soothing eff'ect on the mind of Obed, and he wassoon in the land of dreams, in which Sunday school exercises, memorial services, summer resorts, and various pursuits of pleasure were continually rising before him. At early dawn Obed was on his feet. His ablutions performed and prayers, few and short, —68— said, he set out for the " Holy Land." A single Arab of the tribe of Abou Van-Lennep had pre- ceeded him. As he appeared perfectly civil, not even demanding " buchesh," Obed felt perfectly at OToed. laid, "vj-p to sleep. ease. After wandering through the " hill country of Judea," he " went down to Samaria," and thence ascended to Mount Carniel, and took a view of the Plain of Sharon and the " Great Sea." Leaving this, he came down across " Esdradon," passed through " Nazareth," and soon stood by " deep Galilee," upon which the first rays of the morning sun were now resting. Having satisfied himself that no " fisherman " would cast in his net that morning, he departed " to " Mount Tabor," and then " came down " and " crossed over Jordan," only to traverse " Bashan " and the "Land of Moab." This done he came round the " Dead Sea," and stood at the eatrance of " Machpelah " in " Hebron." As he did so, thoughts of that first dealing in real estate of the long ago, and the many " six feet by two " transfers since, and as he went up to " Jerusalem " the myriad of hallowed scenes connected with the '■ Land of Promise," where the " Holy and Just with the people sat down," went flitting through his mind, and he was glad that God had put it into the heart of the great " Mow- ing macliine" man to transfer the "Land" in miniature, to the banks of beautiful Chautauqua, where untold thousands may come, and in pleasant pastimes, learn so much of the ivord. When he had gazed his fill, Obed went up to view the city. She was just beginning to put on her morning activity, and as he threaded her avenues, bearing the names of the immortal dead, and the honored living of the church, and listened to the songs of thanksgiving and words of prayer -70- as they rose from cottage and tent he said, "Truly the groves were God's first temples." Like other men, Obed is subjected to sensations of hunger. These the rambles of the morning had called into vigorous activity, and he turned aside to a hotel and for two pieces of silver gained admittance. After a protracted waiting, th^re were set before him " ham and eggs, mutton chops, pota- toes, tea, and bread, butter and molasses," on which he fed with joy and gladness. Thus refreshed he went up and viewed the " pyramid," and then walked down to the " Oriental House," which he carefuU}' inspected, seeing better than ever be- fore how " They tore up the roof and let him down in the midst ;" how they " walked upon the house top in the evening-time and gathered themselves into the court in seasons of danger." This was a " Day of song " in which great multitudes took delight, but Obed delighted rather in studying the multitude itself In it he saw great bodies of divinity, some of whom had been "Doc- tored," whilst others were patiently waiting for the same pleasing process. He saw men seeking — some for wisdom, others for money, and not a few for sport. His eyes rested upon a few real Marys, Marthas and Dorcases were by no means unrepre- —71— sented. But Obed saw more of the frollicking, fun- loving, good-natured sisters of our frail humanity than of any other. Even " Pansy " as she strolled around, looking anxiously after her " Four Girles," was not insensible to feelings of mirthfulness. The day was wearing away, and the burden of Obed's musing was, " Fair Point is a miniature world in itself, presenting all the hopes and fears, joys and sorrows of the great one, in which we are all called to move and act." Thus impressed, he hastened to the dock, gave up his pasle-board, and passed without the gate, only to behold the " 3Iay- ville" and the '' Crriffith" " neck and neck," each trying to make the wharf. There was high pressure in the boilers, and a full head of steam on in all the humans that thronged the deck of the respective crafts. Calvary, the cross, and the Sunday school interests generally were lost sight of in the intense excitement " for our side " to beat. Tired women waved their handkerchiefs and invalid men, and grave shepherds, energetically gesticulating, lifted up their voices in wild hurrahs. Quietly but firmly the "Mowing machine" man lifted up his voice in behalf of order and safety. After much delay a landing from both boats was made without accident, and stepping aboard the Griffith, Obed made May- —72— ville just in time to see his train glide out of sight. Then a lively team " With its loved presence brought balm " for sixteen pieces of silver, and he and several new made friends remembering that " every cloud has a silver lining," enjoyed a most delightful ride across the country to Westfield, under the guidance of a merry Jehu, and there made a western bound train. A good supper and a soft bed soothed every disquietude in the mind of Obed, and he arose to the light of a new day, glad that he had learned by another experience the force ofmultum in parvo. CENTENNIAL KEMINISCENCES. The Start. There were sounds of labor and " notes of preparation" in the home of the Obeds. And where- fore? Obed feared he would not live to see 1976, and so hfc had concluded to do the next best thing, visit the Centennial Exposition. His companions were lo be his wife and a lady friend. Obed bought, and Mrs. Obed and her friend cut and sewed, and arranged as only ladies will when they are going abroad and will appear presentable. As for Obed, he contented himself with a twenty-five cent palm- leaf for one extremity, a pair of brogans for the other, and suitable hot weather garments for the five -feet-eight between. Such was Obed's outfit, arranged for business rather than pleasure. All things ready and the day appointed for departure reached, good-byes were said, and three happy mortals stepped aboard the train which was to bear —74- them from their rustic home to see the wonders which " Brother Jonathan " had invited his old mother and her many sisters to bring to his dwelling place, that he might compare notes of a hundred 3'ears with them. Obed had heard of momentous occasions. As nearly as he could judge from his knowledge of the dictionary and the state of his feelings, this to him was such a one. The whistle sounded ; the train moved ; the fields glided by ; the village and the home in which were the young Obeds faded from sight ; trees, fields and forests took up a "merry whirl," and when Obed looked into the faces of his companions as the train dashed along, every lineament seemed to say " Bless me, this is pleasant, Riding on a rail." Soon the white farm houses and green pastures of Cheesedora began to give place to dust and smoke, general grindiness and the clink of iron, and he perceived that he was leaving the land of kine for the realm of coal. Directly the road came upon that great work of the fathers, the Pennsyl- vania and Ohio Canal which, completed, was the glory of the projectors — for a day. Obed re- membered that he had plied the barrow and the spade on that same old ditch in the days when the —73— captain took in sails by knocking down the driver and the " cook " protected her eyes by taking a reef in the stovepipe. Now the tow-path is broken down, the " locks" are removed, the old barges are rotting all along the valley, and the " car " is the glory of those who once adored the " packet." Obed had tried both, and he was satisfied with his seat. Across the beautiful Mahoning, amid ever- greens and forest trees, appeared for a moment the marbled mementoes of the loved and lost, and Obed remembered that in the silent city on the hill above the noisy one in the valley beneath, sleeps a sister who had shared the sports of his boyhood in the long ago. Memories of the old home, of father and mother, brothers and sisters, who will greet him no more, thronged his memory, and he wiped his moistened eyes, saying, "By and by." An hour more and the Buckeye State was be- hind him, and Obed was breathing the air and drinking in the scenery of the Keystone, noble old State, land of Penn, and home of liberty and equal rights. Obed and his companions admired the beautiful and varied scenery through which they passed. He noted the many changes that had taken place along the Ohio since the days of his boyhood, —76— and said, " What w'ould the noble red man of '76 say, could he look upon all these evidences of the Great Spirit's care for the white man ?" A temporary stop in the Smoky City, and Obed was sent out by the ladies to procure some delicacies. On every door save one, as he passed down the street, was " Lager," " Lager," " Lager." The "save one " was " XXX Ale." At last he came to a door marked, " Coffin Rooms," and he said, " A fitting end to this row." As he thought of the bloated , blear-eyed, besotted beings he had just passed, this ejaculation escaped him, " Wine is a mocker ; strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Saddened by the sights he had seen, and dis- gusted with the fumes of inebriation he had in- haled, Obed retraced his steps, seeking no further for delicacies. Onward. "Ca's fo' Philade'h'a, New Yo'k, Bos'n— a' places Eas'," called the train crier. "All aboard," shouted the conductor, and Obed and his company were soon leaving the city of smoke and soot, of rattle and bang, of invincible industry, behind them. A huu- —11— dred years ago Pittsburg was a mere military trad- ing post, far beyond the borders of civilization ; to- day she is the Manchester of a Continent. "A single pulsation in our Titan growth," mused Obed,and the train reached "Braddock's Field." Here it was that the proud Briton shocked the sensibilities of the youthful, but circumspect George, by that historic expression, more forcible than ele- gant, "High times, high times, by G — d, when a young buckskin can teach a British General how to fight." Alas, poor Braddock ! He has been sold by the acre many times since then, and no one longer holds grudge against him for his treatment of him who soon became, "First in war ; first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Obed, even, is not envious of the price he brings. Obed is not. There's a dashing along over mountain and down valley, iind, as darkness gathers around, the whistle sends its shrill notes through the train, the brakeman opens the door and calls out "Altoona." There is no chance to see, but Obed remembers that here in the darkest days of the Rebellion came the Loyal Governors and took counsel how best to stay up the hands of the noble President, and the no less worthy thousands, struggling on the field for nation- al existence. The world knows how well they did —78- their work, but they will meet in council no more. Tod — Honest Dave, sleeps in the valley he loved so well, and which he did so much to develop. Mor- ton, no longer lithe of limb as then, now lifts his clear voice in the chief council of the nation. Over the erring course of another, not over his patriot- ism, let us draw the mantle of forgetful ness, except for the lesson it teaches. Let us cherish their mem- ories for their sterling worth. Daylight revealed to Obed the beautiful scenery of the Susquehanna. He looked in the faces of the ladies. They were lengthened from yesterday ; their ruehes were sadly demoralized, and they eyed with besmoked vision, and no pleasant smile the dust and cinder that covered their garb. As for Obed his countenance was "clear as mud," and he found him- self in very much the same condition that Gilpin did after he had taken several turns in that famous ride of his But then, Obed and his companions were going to the Centennial ; they had made up their minds to "endure hardness," so raising a merry laugh, they whiled away the time in counting the minutes it took to pass by Tom Scott's line, under the streets of Baltimore; in watching the market women, with their baskets, and in wondering what the country about Washington, with its evergreen —79- shrubs and dwarfed muUens was made for. As yet, "no man knoweth." A sudden curve in the road, and the dome of the Capitol was in view. There was no more time for languor. Obed and his companions were on the — were on the — were on the, yes, now he has it — on the qui vive, which means in plain English, "on the lookout." Obed and his companions were on the lookout for objects of interest. As the train made its circuitous way into the city, Obed noted many changes since the days of the Rebellion. Once within the depot, a pleasant looking man cried out, " This way ; tree buss for the Tremont House." As Obed is fond of " free busses, " he accepted the invitation, and soon he and his companions found themselves in very pleasant rooms, with water, towels and everything essential to thorough ablu- tions. These performed, clean apparel donned, a savory meal disposed of, in the midst of the most assiduous attention from intelligent waiters, and the Obeds were ready for " business." At the Capitol. Up they went to the Capitol, the sun pouring at the ratfe of 105° to the minute, and Obed, as he -80- wiped the perspiration from his streaming face, was soon convinced that this was the pursuit of pleasure bj'' water. The building once reached, the visitors were delighted in wandering about the Rotunda, the various passages, Halls and Galleries ; in examin- ing the statuary and inspecting the paintings. Here Obed met face to face, George, and John, and Tho- mas, James I and James II, and John whose second name was "Q." and Andrew who was familiarly cal- led "Hickory," and Martin who delighted in the poetic appellation of "Matty Van," and a host of other worthies. He remembered that most of these had been unexceptionable boys, sons of one mother. To Obed it is a great thing to be an unexceptional boy. Such never enter the Benevolent Institutions of the land to pursue a course of instruction on the one study system. It is said to them, "Come up higher." Here Obed and his companions gazed up- on the "Landing of the Pilgrims" till, hot as it was, they heard "The dashing waves beat high On a stern and rock-bound coast." Here they saw that amiable daughter of Old Mrs. Powhatan as she rushed forward and saved the race of Smiths to the New World — an act deserving undying gratitude, but from which the* ruthless -81— hands of historians are trying to strip every vestige of artistic attitude, and rob it of all its poetic fancy. They contemplated with wonder and delight, the crowning piece of the Capitol, the "Emigration," whose cumbrous wagons and noble steeds ; whoso stalwart men and cheery women ; whose lowing herds and bleating flocks ; whose barking dogs and shouting babies, winding along valleys and scaling moun- tain crests, show how well the painter understood how the great West has been peopled. But the Obeds could not spend all their time on statuary and paintings, however worthy. They must see the life of the Capitol, so they made their way to the gallery of the "House" and looked down into the pit. There Obed saw a seething, shouting, disorderly, turbulent mass of humanity, and he said, "These are the sons of aunh. No one mother ever fciihered so much recklessness. It is not a good thing to be the son of one's aunt." Obed had been told of an " Old Boy," but has heard his existence questioned. Obed questioned it no longer. Let whosoever does, look in upon the American House of Representatives and he shall see not one, but a ''legion'' — a legion of old boys in the House of Representatives. v —82— Calm and quiet was the Senate Chamber. One gentleman blandl}' discussed the Currency Ques- tion, whilst about thirty others quietly chatted, po- lite/i/ napped, or undisturbedly poured over the daily news. The Senate was decorus ; but, well, but — The Departments are objects of interest in Washington. To these the Obeds went, but brie fly. Lastly, they wended their way to the "White House," which the iadies were particularly anxious to visit. Obed has many times observed that ladies readily gravitate towards a good house. It was so in this instance. The hall was entered with bated breath ; tlie " East Room " was threaded with noise- less step and wondering eye. Thus much was all the Obeds expected, but they were to be more than gratified. The races were over, and " His Ex- cellency " had returned the previous evening from Long Branch, and they were apprised by a polite attendant that they would be permitted to make him a call as soon as he had completed some business with a colored representative, wdiich led Obed to reflect that Soloman made a mistake when he said, " There is no new thing under the sun." Once ushered into the Cabinet Room, the leader of the party said, "Obed, from Ohio, Mr. President." —83— And "His Excellency" responded, "Mr. Obed, Mrs. Obed, and Mrs. Obed's friend," as he grasped them severally by the hand. Obed cooled himself with his " palmleal," the ladies made a vigorous use of their fans, and His Excellency wiped the sweat from his brow with his coat sleeve. -A. Tvarrrci. tiixie Idtl tlie Ca-Tsinet. The Obeds looked up, and His ExL-ellciicy looked down." Tlicy all said '•Good day," and that "Cabinet Meeting" stood adjourned. Again on the cars, the Obed.s were hurried out of the city of Magnificent Distances, with her —84— broad streets and beautiful parks ; her pleasant homes and hospitable inhabitants ; her moral tur- pitude and political chicanery, through the Region of Agricultural Despair, and under the Monumental City, with barely time to reflect that here, sixty-two years before, a prisoner on a British Man-of-War then hurling shot and shell at the first " American Flag" ever raised. Key indicted "The Star Spangled Banner." And Obed said, " Long may it wave O'er the Land of the Free And the Home of the Brave." Philadelphia Reached. Onward sped the train through ever improving lands ; amid homes and scenery each hour liecom- ing more and more attractive, until just us the sun rested his broad disc upon the Alleghcnies, Phila- delphia was called. Weary and hungry, Obed alighted and looked about for the man who sold the youthful Benjamin the " rolls." He was not .to be seen ; his place of business was closed — closed in Philadelphia, so Obed and his companions sought a hotel, and after a hearty supper, with the atmospliere at " ninety five," " They rajjt The drapery of I hdr couches round them, and lay down " — 8S— to hot Centennial dreams, in the midst of which the rapacious buy made haste to levy and collect his first bloody contribution. Beginning Work. The tlicrmometer at 05°, a close room, and those awful bugs, made the shrill cry of "cat fish," as it came up from the pavement in the early morn, music sweeter than any lullaby, and Obed quickly arose and performed his ablutions, and tried to com- pose his mind to a devotional frame, but he had a scratching time of it. —86- A good breakfast brought balm, and the excur- siouists soon sallied forth to enter vigorously upon the work in hand, and as there was no more fitting place to begin than Independence Hall, to this they wended their way. The "Spirit of '76," in the person of divers old men, dressed in the cos- tume of the "Continentals," had preceded them, and was driving a brisk business in playing news boy with fac similes of the journalism of a hundred years ago. Pushing their way ]>ast these and a host of otlier curiosity venders, all blessed with gen- uine "Bedouin" grit, though chid in Yankee habili- ments, they soon stood within the Hall hallowed by a thousand sacred memories, for here one hundred years before did true men "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land, to all the iidialiitants thereof;" here, during the dark days of the Revolution had echoed the foot steps of Washington, the Adamses, Hancock, Fraiiklin, Jefferson and Morris, — all the fathers of the Republic, — as they came and took counsel together ; because their counsels were wise and their determinations unswerving, Philadelphia stretches out over miles of territory and her nearly a million of people gave entertainment to the world ; -87— and because they fouglit, suffered and endured, a great people is free, prosperous and happy, offering an asylum to the oppressed of every clime, but firmly asking that they bring not the demoralizing institutions of their old homes to engraft upon the fresher, purer ones of the land of their adoption. Turning to the left they entered Independence Chamber, which they were informed by a picture vender, pre- sented much the same appearance that it did a luui- dred years ago. The only important change is the old wood floor has given placo to one of marble. Here they found the chair and table occupied by John Hancock, whilst President of the Congress of 1776. The chairs of many of the other members still remain. These are of wooil, strongly made, with seat and arms covered with leather. Here, in a case prepared for the purpose, is the original Declaration of Independence. It has b.en so many times copied that the names are 'nearly obliterated. In the same case is the silver inkstand used in signing both the Declaration and the Con- stitution. On the walls they saw many portraits of dis- tinguished patriots of the Revolution; among them -88- that of Washington is most conspicuous, as it ever must be. The chandelier which lighted the fathers in their nightly sittings, with its little " sticks " for the "tallow dip," hanging from the old ceiling, was in strong contrast with the gorgeous ones they were soon to see in the Main Building. Several of the old banners with the devise of the serpent, and the motto, " Don't tread on me," are here carefully pre- served. Across the vestibule from the Chamber the Obeds entered the National Museum, into which are being collected the relicts of our early and more modern history. They found pic- tures of historic interest, portraits of the Georges, and of American and French worthies, on the walls. Obed looked long upon old Independence Bell and it5 unic^ue hangings of heavy timber, remember- ing that, though it rings no longer, its tones are by no means dead. He looked with reverence upon the " First Prayer in Congress," as the quaint old manuscript appeared before him, and w4th deepest interest on the original Charter of Philadelphia, —89— written by Penn himself. Seated \a an old church pew, often occupied by the worihies of long ago, Obed reverently laid his hands upon a piece of the lightening rod put by Franklin upon the " West Mansion" in 17(57. Ashe did so, he thought of the great number of " Cable " and other patents which have appeared as offspring of that simple contrivance, and of the vast amount oi negative truth to whicli their sale has given rise, and he was glad that the iniquities of the children are not visited upon the parents to the fourth generation, for if so, where would "Poor Richard" be? Leaving the ladies to examine the quilts, dolls and laces of the motliers of the Ptevohition, and feel- ing sorry that he could not note a hundred things of interest, Obed proceeded to copy the following : "This building commenced 1732 A. U. C. 50 Andrew Hamilton Architect and Snperintendent Was occupied by tlie Legislative Assembly of Penn- sylvania 17;:U>to 1709 TheSuprc^me Court 1743 to 1775 The Congress of the Union 1775 to 17S1 Peasle's Museum 1802 to 182S The Councils of Philadelphia from consolidation of the liberties 1854." The brick of which the Hall was built, were brought from England, and the original cost of the edifice was 5,000 pounds sterling. —90- At one of the lanJin,i>-s was found the following inscription, speaking volumes for tlic patriotism of the past and the generous emulation oflhe present: ''The State House of Pennsylvania, consecrated h}'- the memories of Events that occurred within and under Shadow of its Walls, is dedicated by the Citi- zens of Philadelphia to their Fellow Countrymen of the United States a Perpetual Monument to the Founders of American Independence on the Nation- al Centennial Anniversary, July 4th, 1870." The inspection ended, the little company passed through the beautiful park in the rear of the build- ing, and made haste to reach the "Centennial Grounds." In the Main Building. That universal yankee expletive "wal," so ex- pressive of satisfaction, and of every thing else that is grand and glorious, burst involuntarily from the lips of Obed as he entered the magnificent structure, designed as the place ot principal exhibit. He had seen its mammoth proportions in the distance. He had looked upon its manner of construction from without, and admired the beauty and design of its workmanship. Upon all these Obed looked, but once upon its twenty-one and a half acres of floors, —91— with the choicest gifts of the nations spread out be- fore him, and the mellowed and variegated light from the thousands of stained panes falling over all, the scene battled description. Obed remembered that in the days of his boyhood he had read the "Arabian Nights," and there came floating back through his memory visions of genii and fairies; of gorgeous palaces with all their rich furnishings of choicest woods, and silver, and gold, and upholstery of damask and crimson; of their inhabitants clad in the rich satins and delicate laces of the Orient. Again he beheld that marvelous lamp which, in the hands of Allaain, wrought such wonders; again he heard the " Open sesame" which yielded up untold treasures at its utterance. Obed had been taught that all these wen only .stor/cs to please his boyish fancy, but never in any way to be realized. But were they not uiore than realized in what he saw around him ? The Vision. Overcome with the varied sensations of the scene, Obed seated himself musingly, when there was before him a venerable form having the impre-s of genius upon his brow and an irresittable energy —92 — marking his every motion. He stretched out the wand of science over the surging deep, and a new world, clad in primeval grandeur and of vast ex- tent, rose slowl}^ from the world of waters. Its people were a wild and simple race, unlike the in- habitants of the land of the great magician who had called them into view. And Obed noticed that when the great seer made known to his people what, he had done, and their souls and the souls of their neighbors were stirred within them, that in great numbers, some impelled by love of adventure, some by thirst for gain, and some that they might pro- vide a resting place for tliemselves and their loved ones, sought the shores of this strange land. And he observed further, that, as they began to plant homes along her borders, to dig for treasures be- neath her soil, to traverse her interminnble forests and to navigate her noble rivers in search of new scenes, there hovered over her fairest portions the form of a beautiful female. On her countenance there beamed a smile of conscious purity of pur- pose; about her brow was a crown of choicest fruits and grains, interwoven with the green of the "palm and the pine;" her garments falling in graceful folds about her, revealed the handiwork of every craft; in her left hand she held the volume of truth, -93- whilst, with her right, she extended to the nations the olive branch of peace. And as the people who had known nothing but war, and bloodshed, and oppression, and ignorance, saw the tokens, Obed be- held that men left the home and graves of their fathers by hundreds and by thousands, and siie ap- pointed them dwellings by broad bays, along wind- ing rivers and in fertile valleys. Wherever she breathed, there was the spirit of liberty. And Obed noted that the people constructed for themselves highways, and beautiful homes and churches and temples in which their children were taught the ways of knowledge ; that the dusky natives of the soil relultantly gave way before them ; that the forests, felled by the woodman, gave place to tields of waving grain, and in tlieir happiness the people called their guiding spirit the " Genius of the West." As Obed gazed in wonder and delight on all this, toward the rising sun a cloud rose dark and muttering, and the spirit of the East, maddened that liis peii[)le grew restless at the prosperity of their kinsfolks in their new land, came forth, all clad in the panoply of war, and would throttle their effort-^ and chain them as bondsmen to his chariot wheels. Then it was that Obe<l saw the matchless power of of the beautiful figure upon which he had —94— heretofore been gazing. Gathering her beloved children about her, she breathed upon them the spirit of her own invincible will, and bade them prepare for the struggle, without once doubting as to the result. On came the spirit of the East, lead- ing his minions of tyranny. Long and fierce was the struggle; the land was drenched in blood ; the hearts of the stoutest trembled for the fate of their cause. But Justice had unfurled her banner over the new land, and in her own good time the Genius of the West placed the sword of victory in the hands of one of her own braVe sons who had fol- lowed her with unswerving step through all her years of strife, and who now was enshined as first in the affections of all his fellows. And Obed saw that the spirit of the East relinquished his hold up- on all the ftiir land over which the spirit of liberty had hovered, and as he returned to his island home beyond the great deep, the people of the land gathered themselves together and said our guiding spirit shall no more be called the Genius of the West. Henceforth her name shall be Columbia, and the land shall be known as hers. And Columbia taught her people how to make laws equitable and just; how to rid them.selves of old vices: how to protect themselves against their enemies and against -95- tlicmsclves, even at the expense of blood. Under her guidance they quickly spread themselves over all the land the spirit of the East had left them, and much which they afterward secured, so that they reached even unto a great sea beyond them ; their cities became like the stars for number; their children learned wisdom in her tens of thousands of temples, and the people worshiped in innumer- able courts which themselves had builded ; th( y listened to the hum of spindles, the clank of looms, and the clink of hammers arising from their untold manufactories; they traveled in gorgeous palaces upon their rivers and lakes; they constructed curious roads of iron and journeyed over them in gilded coaches, fast as the eye could follow, their steel clad steeds shrieking in their headlong course ; they talk with each other though thousands of miles apart, with tongues of lightening; the earth yielded them her increase and the mountains opened up to them rich treasures of silver and gold; their ships rode on every sea; their fame extended to the ends of the earth, so that all people wondered because of them. Then Obed heard Columbia say to her people, " Come lot us build us a great house in the city of Brotherly Love that we may bring of all our mer- —96— chandises and riches into it, and invite all peoples to do the same, that they may come and visit and make merry with us on ni}^ birth day." And Obed saw that " They had a mind to the work." And they builded a great palace of iron and of glass, garnished with rich colors, and they brought into it all the glories and excellencies of the land, and the peo]de of every clime and tongue came with their offerings. Even the spirit of the East, forget- ting the da} of his vanquishing, came with his rich- est stores and treasures. And all were hap[)y as they looked upon the rich cloths, the gorgeous robes, the elaborately wrought furnitures, the aromatic fruits and spices, and curious compounds; the chandaliers glittering in silver and gold ; myriads of implements of every kind flashing in the sun- light, or listened to the strains of music as they came floating from instruments of rarest tone. As Obed gazed about him on the bewildering scene, he said, "Surely, I am in some enchanted land, and this structure of Columbia's is but a fairy palace which needs but the touch of her magic wand to dissolve it into nothingness. " Just then a friend from the Buckeye State tapped him on the shoulder and said, "What, Obed asleep at the Oentennial !" And he arose, rubbed his eyes, looked around and —1 OS- thousand dollars. Obed bad tbe ability to do tbe asking, " Only this and nothing more." The Concert. It is probable that nothing produces so much harmony in a household as the " wherewithal 6'Aa// loe be clothed," and as if in periect keeping witii this sentiment, just here there broke in rich strains of music, and Ohed looked up, thinking it was " in the air." Then it was that he first saw great organs, placed on high above the heads of the people, whose tones filled the domes and arches and then floated down to greet the accompaniments from 8teinway, and Chickering, and Bradbury, and Hamlin, and scores of other American pianos and organs, and the many brands from beyond the sea. Mrs. Obed and her friend went off in *' ecstatic raptures" over the "grand concert " but Obed was calm and collected, for though his soul is full of music, he has had but a slight introduction into the mysteries of tune, just enough to catch faint glimpses of " Yankee Doodle," " Hail Columbia," " Old Hun- dred," and "Rock ot x\ges " — airs full of patriotism and of heaven. And Obed said, there is progress in —106— all this for Columbia; not "merely material pro- g^ress," as some contemptuously say, but progress for the finer sensibilities of the soul. And Obed re- membered how the fathers toiled all the weary six days and then, resting on the seventh, in a log school house or rustic church, raised "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." And Obed saw those blessings as they came in pleasanter homes, less of begriuiming labor, tidier school liouses, more commodious churches and "forks" with which to pitch "Windham," and "China," and "Coronation " " From Greenland's icy mountains ^o India's coi'al strand." Obed rejoices in the memory of that old time music, and congregational singing, and the institu- tions of the fathers, and the lullabies of the mothers, but he is not so "old fogyish " as. to deny that we are even more blessed than they, — no he is not. And when he remembers that " David's hands made the organ, and his lingers joined the psaltry " and that he afterwards became a great king, ruling with energy, Obed has no fears but our daughters will make wives and mothers good as those our fathers had, though Columbia has euabled us to fill our homes, our schools and our churches with "string- ed instruments and organs " on which they play "One more day's ■work for Jesus." Obed has honored the music of the "spindle" and the " shuttle " — glories in their day, but God has said "Man shall not live by bread alone," and as he thought how much he is enabling us to do for our children by way of refinement and culture, an exclamation of satisfaction escaped his lips, and a policeman said, " What, sirY" and Obed replied, " This is grand ! " Thus Obed replied. Arms. The concert ended, Obed found himself stand- ing beside a "Gatling Gun," a gun " fearfully and wonderfully made," carrying its 4| ounce balls two miles, at the rate of 300 per minute. It was Obed's to look admiringly on, this time, while Mrs. 0. and her friend, obeying their feminine impressions, kept at a respectful distance. The old lady's opinion of a gun was uppermost in their minds. Not so with Obed. He had handled " arms," and so having pronounced this "Gatlihg" none of your ordinary " shooters," he was off among the offerings of " Mars," that he might see what the bloody god is construct- ing as implements of his craft. — 108- And Obed saw guns; guns long, and guns sliort; guns richly mounted, and guns mounted to kill ; guns wrought by Columbian hands, and guns from " Celestial " climes ; guns of the most approved European models, and guns of South American de- vice ; guns from every land, each speaking some peculiarity of its people, and silently telling its deadi}^ purpose. Obed saw pistols ; pistols from Worcester and Springfield ; pistols from Berlin and Paris; pistols from a hundred marts in all the world beside; pistols robed in silver and burnished with gold; pistols grouped in the most fantastic manner as festoons, as bedsteads, as gaily dresssd dolls with their little butts resting on downy pillows ; but Obed knew there was death in the breeches of them all. There were swords in abundance ; swords from Chicopee and Birmingham ; "Toledo Blades," that spoke of Morish cavaliers, and scymitars from Da- mascus, that carried him back in imagination until he almost saw Abraham arm his servants from her traders; David sending down^ his agents to bargain for new supplies at her manufactories ; Peter adroitly shaving the side of Malchus' head, and the stalwart crusaders, parrying with their heavy broad swords, — 109— the well aimed thrusts of the wiley Moslems' steel ; swords " Whose diamonds lischt the passage of their blades," And Obed beheld battleaxes that had done valiant service in the hands of Northman and Hun; spears that had let hi light into many an African countenance; bows that had sent forth ar- rows of death, and knives well calculated to peel a pale-face's crou'H. And Obed said "These are im- plements of war for which there will be no use when the lion lies down with the lamb, and the bear eats straw like an ox." Then as he looked out across the " Avenue of the Republic" and saw the mam- moth cannons, mortars, turrets and other enginry of battle, he thought what a falling off there will be in the manufacture of crude metalic ores when all these are beaten into '' plow shares and pruning- hooks." As lie thought of that " good time coming," had he been a singer, Obed would have struck up " O, that will be joyful, joyful, When men learn war no more." As it is, Obed leaves it witli Him who has promised it, not doubting but in "the fullness of time" He will fuimi. —110— Pipes. Passing from among these implements of carn- age, Obed sought the " arts of peace," and stood be- fore the German dis|jlay of pipes. Remembering, as he looked upon the "Meerschaums," "ambers" and "ivories," with their rich mountings and artis- tic "stems" that his r//-mf ancestor was a Teuton, he almost broke forth, "O mine herf", mine frau, mine Got — mine — mine — mineshmokebipe. Run, Shon! pring me mine dobacca pox, gwick ! " But Obed i-estrained himself; he never "dissipates." Obed never dissipated but once. He was a "small boy." It was a small cigar. It was a little smoke, but was soon followed by as earnest an " Lord, Lord, what shall I do ? " as mortal boy ever ])ut up to his Maker. He wanted none to see him — no mother to hold his head, nor has he had a hankering for the weed, since. The Pulpit. But a little way from the marvelous display of pipes, was an object very different in design, and of much greater ii.tcrest to Obed and his compan- ions. -tll- "The pulpit, anrl I name it fllled with solemn awe, Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand, The most important and efficient guard Support, and ornament of virtue's cause," wrote Cowper his soul all aglow, and believing with him in the truth of these sentiments, did Obed ap- proach the " Berlin Pulpit." f There it stood a thing of most perfect work- manship, its five faces richly carved '" with scrip- ture stories from the life of Christ," telling of that long ago betrothal of the virgin to the jmt carpen- ter ; of the "annunciation;" of the visit of Eliza- beth ; of the manger " cradle " and the angel throng, and of that lone flight to Egypt. As Obed looked up, he saw surmounting the whole, delicate- ly formed angels, their tiny wings outspread as if to bear " good news " from earth to heaven, as in that olden time real ones brought "glad tidings" down to men. He admired the beautiful piece of mechanism, in its great height, its exact propor- tions, its ingenious devices. Obed admired, and as he did so, he thought of the plain ci)anLry church in which he was accustomed to worship, with its old-fashioned pulpit, its plain seats, and the throng of friends and neighbors who gathered there on the return of each peaceful Sabbath ; and then he tried to conceive the magnitude of the church that —US- should be fitted for such a pulpit ; of the richness of its furnishings, and the wealth of those who should Quter within its " pale." And then he re- raembeped that the object before him was for Kinoj- 1} land^, and his mind runaway to another part of the '' Buihlino; "' where he had seen the plain " Board " behind which Whitefield stood more than a hundred years ago, and />r/brc which, in response to his impassioned appeals, multitudes prostrated themselves, weef)ing. and inquired, as in a second Pentecost, " Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved." Obed recognized anew that "God is no respector of persons " and calls all, " To worship Him, who designs in humbles*; fame, On wildest shore, to meet the upright in hearts ;" he was renewedly thankful that the poor, as well as the rich, "have the gospel preached to them." Obe<l was thankful. Scenes of the Crucifixion. If the "Pulpit" with its rich designs was well calculated to waken the devotional element in Obed's nature, much more was a view wl'ich soon after greeted him in a neighboring court — a court of the "Father Land." Turning a sharp angle into this court, amid the rich altar furnishings of some —113- stately cathedrnl, " He of whom Moses and tlie Prophets did write," was before him. The hand of the artist had, indeed, made tlie inanimate earth speak. There, life size, was Jesus: Jesus upon the cross, the death agony on his brow, the lips almost quivering into " Father forgive them," the blood, staining hands, and side, and feet ; Jesus, liis " beg- ged " body delivered to his friends, his head resting uf)OU his mother's knee, that knee that long ago had supported him, a babe in Bethlehem, every linea- ment of that.pallid countenance seeming to say, " It is finished ; " Jesus in the tomb of the Arimathean, those wounds dripping blood, but a face radiant with the promise, " I am the resurrection and the life ; " " Let not your hearts be troubled." Here Obed stood and wondered, wept, and worshipped in the presence of a mere human conception of the "Divine Trag- edy." Many a time has he conned the words, whilst others have given them the gush of song, " There is a fountain filled wiLli blood Drawn from Inimanael's veins ; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lo;e all their guilty stains," but never before had they come to him with such " spirit and understanding " as-now. Ere he turned away from this touching delinea- tion of that greatest of sacrifices which was to come -114- in the ''fullness of timb," all those touching minis- trations which marked the iji/jrimage of the Master; that perjured court ; the ascent of Calvary ; the reiid- ing of the veil ; the walking forth of the risen dead, and the teslimon}' of that unearthly darkness, had passed before his mental vision, and he wondered whether there is not a hidden power to the "Mother Church " in her multiform representations of angels, divinities, saints and scenes, presented to her vo- taries from rosy childhood to hoary age. Many a man has read a piece of statuary or a painting who could not peruse a printed page. "See tliou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in tlie Mount," is an old injunction, but its spirit is not yet dead. Educational Interost. Turnlno; from the figures which had so interest- cd him, Obed bethought him of the special request of a friend, who had already witnessed it, that he should be sure and visit the Japanese Educational exhibit. Now said friend looks at everything with an eye to the "recompense of reward," and his visit to the above named Educational Department had "dried up the fountains " of liis benevolence so far —115— as missionar}^ subscriptions are concerned ; — he will give no more to carry the gcspel to the crown- shaved, Uifted Japs, or to cc^nvert the " pig-tailed Celestials." "A new phase to an old idea," mused Obed ; "twenty-five cents saved to the credit side of your profit and loss account in the second century of the republic, old boy, and a dead loss of a quarter to the "American Board." Reaching the court where the Japan school ap- pliances were outspread. Obed did not so much won- der at his friend's anti-mi'^sionary spirit. There were numeral frames, writing charts, drawing cards, cubes, cones, and quadrilaterals ; botanical speci- mens, birds, insects, quadrupeds, and le.'ssons from stones and minerals; air-pumps, electrical machines, mechanical powers, and optical instruments; mor- tars, retorts, crucibles, gasometers and other requis- ites for the laboratory ; in short every appliance i'rom " kindergarten " incentives up to university demon- strations. On all these Obed looked, — looked with interest, for although they were truly educational, they were pre-eminently Oriental; very unlike the manufactures of Wight man and Chamberlain. Musing on the schools of the land of 8iogun and the Mikado; of their juvenile classes ; of their girls pressing the newly gathered flowers, the boys —116- classifying the results of their geological surveys, and all uniting in the rhetorical exercises of (Jon:i- position Day, Obed wondered if they still indulge in the "heathenish practice of having the teachers board 'round," and presuming from the merry twinkling of the oblique eyes about him they do, he said, "I will not follow the example of my friend, and cut off my missionary support." A- move of a few paces and Obed was at home — was in the Educational Department of the Buckeye State. The fathers had not failed to labor that Ohio might be well represented, and if figures and facts would do it, it was done. But the world did not go to the Centennial to study figures and facts on paper. The world went to see, and so did Obed. Feeling thus he passed quickly into "Indiana," and his state pride was humbled in presence of what the Hoosiers had done. Facts and figures they had not omitted, but beyond these they had brought school methods, implements, and models. Therj in miniar ture were some of their finest school buildings of to- day, and over against them one of the long ago — a " School House of 1827." On this Obed looked, and his boyhood rose up before him. Again he thread- ed his weary way through the woods to the old log school house at the " four corners " and sat upon a —1 17— slab scat on the old puncheon floor; again, his back to tlie teacher, he laid his "Elementary" on the desk, a slab supported on pins driven into the wall, and ate pop corn with a relish known only to boys intent .on study; again he" toed the mark" and ppelled "baker," and read, those vivid thoughts, " Wood and coal will make a hot fire," and " I had some green corn in July on a plate;" and those thrilling tales of the " Old man who found the rude boy stealing apples and desired him to come down," but boy-like, the 3'oungster " would not; " the maid who counted her chickens so prehiaturely, and the lawyer's bull which gored the farmer's ox; again, he saw the Obed ox-team bringing up the family portion of wood which he must needs chop for re- cess and nooning pastimes; again he ate his dinner of slapjacks and sausages and slid down hill on a board until that part of his jeans most liable to " wear and tear" became sadly demoralized, only to appear to him next morning under a change of colors; again he was in at the "barring out" and enjoyed alike the master's discomfort, and the ap- ples and cider furnished as a holida}^ consideration foropeningthedoor ; all theseand many other remem- brances of school boy life in the back woods flitted through his mind, as he stood there in presence of —118— that life-like picture of the pnst. He saw himself the owner of a "Kirkham" and the inheritor of a "DaboU" and slate which had done service with the older members of the family; he ciphered to the Rule of Three; he was admitted to practice before the Board of Examiners, and then went boarding round;'' he slept in the loft; slept in the "spare bed;" slept with the head of the family; slopt with the child- ren ; he heard the children say, " Master, mother wants you to come next week," and " Mother dt)n't want you to come 'til after butchering." Thus in the presence of those model buildings did Obed review much of his school life, and as he thought of the then and the noiv of it, he said, " Pro- gress in education, — progress in Japan, Ohio and Indiana, progress everywhere," Turning to leave the Indiana display, Obed's eye caught an object of interest before unobserved. This was a fine photographic grouping of a '^ IJoosier Family " — a father, motiier, and ten bright eyed lads and lasses, all school goers ; the father and mother as visitors, the children as pupils in various stages of advancement. Upon inquiry of the attendant, Obed learned that Samuel Jones is an honest mechanic of the city of Indianapolis; an efficient member of the School Board, and an earnest advo- -119- cate of the Public School S^'stern of the State. So conspicuous indeed, have he and his family become, that the proprietors of the educational exhibit con- ceived the happy thought of presenting him and his as a part of the same, that not only the State but the World might see one of its benefactors ; and Obed passed on, hoping that the Jones family may increase and multiply until it shall become more numerous than the family of SmitJi even, and that there may never be found one among its mem- bers advocating the single heir doctrine now becom- ing so destructive of real American influence, but that they may continue to fulfill the great law of labor and love in all things. Obed trusts they may. Medicines. Down upon the first floor again, Obed gave his attention to the department of medicines and chemicals for a time. This was glorious. To Obed this was glorious. The man who cares most for his kind — the man who in the language of the immor- tal "ike "has "ascended into the deep arcana of nature " — the man who has expended Ibrtunes in traveling researches, has exposed life and health — 120- beneath tropic suns and amid polar frosts, that he might bring comfort to the afflicted and "with his loved presence," healing to all the ailmenls of humanit}^ — yes, the patent medicine man was there, and Obed gazed long and wistfully on his wares. How could he do otherwise? He could not with- out the basest ingratitude. There* were "elixirs," and " tonics," and " vermifuges," " pectorals," and " expect-youraioit.s,^' warranted to cure "a thousand and one" diseases each. Many of them have al- ready relieved nine hundred and ninety-nine cases of simple dcbilitij in its most chronic forms. There were "restoratives" for bald crowiis; "dyes" for locks prematurely gray ; "dentrifices" for the teeth ; "balms" for the breath; "extracts" for pestering freckles, and rogues (rouges) for maiden cheeks. On all these Obed looked, and as he did so his memory was busy. He thought of all the fading grandmothers, nervous wives, and shattered hus- bands, and frail Itumans of other classes that ever he had seen ; he thought of his own cup-bonrd and of the bushel or two of empty bottles that might there be gathered up, and of the streams of Cod Liver Oil and 'appetizers " he had swallowed, and as his eye rested on gilted and glittering " Ayers," "Janes," "Halls," " Hooflands," and "Humbugs," —121— bis wish was that all their patrons might live to stand in presence of their show cases at the next Centennial. This only could Obed wish. Chemicals. Satisfied with gazing at "bitters" aiid "pills," Obed began an inspection of other products of the laboratory. Plere on the one hand was a mass of alum, cubical in form, clear as crystal, and weigh- ing only three tons. Alum enough, thought Obed, to pucker the mouths of the boys of all Yankee Land for the next hundred years. A little way from this was a fine cylindrical mass clear as the other, and weighing five tons. Another one of still dif- ferent form, beautiful in its crystline arrangement, weighed seven tons, whilst a fourth in the form of a large parallelopiped, and weighing nine tons, was traversed throughout its whole length by a " Mam- moth Cave " artistically decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, revealing crystals of most perfect form. In presence of these an astirgent sensation was fast stealing over the mind of Obed, and it was with difficulty that he tried to imagine himself a boy again ; sucking alum, nibbling his mother's —122— bees-wax and eating "choke-cherries" — choice de- lights of juvenile years — of Obed's juvenile years. Whether he would have shriveled entirely up, Obed will not pretend to say, for just then a friend said, "0 see there!" And he looked and beheld a great pyramid of indigo — indigo sufficient to furnish "rainbow tint" for a tliousand years. Obed never looks upon indigo but it wakens fragrant memories, and how could it be otherwise there in presence of so muc'li Uhief I could not. To Obed it could not. Again he saw the old time home with its broad cheerful "fire-place;" again the rolls, white, fleecy rolls, were spun; again the skeins were "knotted;" again the great earthen jar was brought out and set "in its ace istomed place;' again there sounded through the house " notes of preparation," and for long weeks, manipulated by the mother's hand, the " savory odors " of the " dye tub " rose fresher than the " balm of a thousand flowers," precursors they of sky-blue mits for misses hands, and '"clouded" socks for boyish feet. No mothers now with coloreil hands. D\ing, they lived ; living, the^^ dyed, but science has despoiled their daughters of those annual rounds our mothers so well knew. "My lads, now mind your p's," no longer enters the list of house- hold words, though many a stalwart naan remem- —123— bers them, as delicate " requisitions " from matron- ly lips. And Obed said, "How wonderful the change since I was a boy." Sundries, Many and curious were the " ides " and " ites," the "ates" and "phates" and other compounds, some liquids, others solids, upon which Obed look- ed. Had one-half the list been presented to his grandmother, the good old lady would have shaken her head and quoted Solomon on " many inventions." She carried the progenitor of Obed, with his eleven brothers and sisters, safely through the whooping cough, the "canker-rash," the measles, the itch and the other diseases incident to Connecticut childhood with a few simple remedies, as blue mass, lobelia, catnip, sulphur and molasses, " nanny tea," and " oil- of-spank." These would now avail little in the " ager " district of the West. But Obed does not stop to particularize. A great mass of "Extract of Ijog- wood"*over against a fine display (>f "Arnold';; Writing Fluid," wakened memories of " lang snmic," of the times he took basket aud axe and gathered oak bark and alder from the forest to mi.K with lug- wood chips, that the homespun might assume a —124— cinnamon tinge or a sable hue, as a good mother willed. Then, the dying done, Obed prepared liis school-boy's supply of ink. It was not proof against -the attacks of Jack Frost, 'tis true, but then it was the best he had, the best he could get, and — Obed had wandered to the front of a magnificent display of Aikin, Lambert & Go's Gold Pens, and as he gazed upon the broad "commercial" the stately "Con- gress " the pliable " corresponding" and the delicate "Lady's," in his imagination, he again dipped the honored "goose-quili" of long ago in the vial of domestic manufacture, hanging on the wall; with boyish care he made his " pot hooks " and " tram- mels," little dreaming what ihey had to do. with forming letters, and many times caring less ; again he saw the " Jolly old Pedagogue," and the peda- gogue that was not so jolly, his hair and ears loaded with un wrought quills and half-used pens; again he heard those oft repeated cries " Teacher, mend my pen ;" " Master, this pen splatters;" " School ma'ain, this pen makes too broad a mark." These were pleasant reflections. To 01)ed they were peasant, and might have continued long had not some one just then said " My gracious," and looking up he saw on the one hand a rich display of "Joseph's" " Best Steel Pens," and on the other agoi'geous case —125- of " A. W. Faber's celebrated pencils." " Not much like the 'plummet' of the long ago" said Obed to himself, as he remembered the long strip of lead that served alike for ruling his paper, or sinking his line in the fishing time. As Obed turned to leave those standard pens and pencils, he wondered if Gillott and Faber would be at the next Centennial, or if the manufacture of their wares is as conducive to health as the spinning of thread to the "Coates " family or the compounding of cologne to the tribe of " Johannes Johannessen," of whom several hun- dred genuine "originals" still reside in the city of " many smells." Obed wondered, and wandered on. Knives and Forks. A pencil is worth little without a knife, and this was to be bad at the Centennial. Obed saw knives — knives from the tiny " single blade " with which a lady may clean her nails, to the murderous " Bow II'," with which " chivalry " was wontloavenge itself, and the reeking '■ scal[»or," used by the noble red m:'.n in adorning the walls of his lodge with ornaments chipped irom the crowns of our fathers, a fine art not entirely uncultivaled on our western frontiers to this day. Obed §aw knives from the —126— shops of America and England, from Germany and Brazil, from Mexico and all the Orient ; knives with pearl handles, and handles of ebony and ivory, all inlaid and beautified with silver, and gold, and precious stones ; with blades, saws, files, forceps, forks, spoons, gimlets, cork-screws, screw-drivers, wrenches, hammers, chisels and boot-jacks, and a tacit assurance that by the next Centennial there will be added a chamber set, a dining room and kitchen, a cook stove, a horse and buggy, one cow, a small vegetable garden, and a chbck for groceries, with coupons attached. On all these Obed looked, and as he did so, he wondered if the Yankee ele- ment is not to be found in the soul of all boys, whether amid the bogs of Ireland, the higher culture of the Fatherland, or developing the infantile cue of a Ching-Chang, or reverently bowing, a ten- year-old follower of the Prophet. Obed wondered, and as he did so, he remembered the long ago, when he became the sole owner of a six-and a-fourth-cent "dog knife," a genuine animal, with "pot metal" body, legs set for running, a well-formed head, the sj)ring protruding as a stump tail, and blade for tongue. That knife was a treasure over which Obed gloated with pride, and which gained him the enmity of many a boy less fortunate. Then came —127— the glory that the ownership of a real " Barlow," brought with it, and Gbed said " Alas, poor Bar- low ! he lives only in the memory of men growing gray ; no one has brought Jiis knife to the exposition." Thus Obed said and passed to the inspection of knives and forks. Of these he found not a few, coming from many lands. And Obed said, "Most people now use knives and forks, but it was not al- ways so ; and still, Ah Sin and his Orient cousins adhere to the usageof their fathers; Ah Sin and his cousins do." There were knives and forks with bone and wooden handles, with handles of horn and ivory ; knives and forks with blades and tines of burnished steel, and tripple plated with silver ; there were "teas," and "dinners," and "carvers." On all these the world had done her best, but as he stood in the presence of the "Beaver Falls" exhibit, Obed said "Columbia leads the van in these." Es- pecially did he admire that giant carving knife of seven foot blade, and ivory handle, and rich letter- ing, and perfect polish, and gorgeous mountings, and its companion fork ; and he pictured to him- self the man who could handle such implements. Then there arose before his imagination a gobbler "worthy of its steel," and a great thanksgiving —128— table was spread ; the knives were like broad swords, the plates four feet across, the soup tu- reens held half a barrel, the coffee cups, two gallons each; they brouglit in potatoes and turnips by the bushel; the slices of bread were six feet long ; the apple pies ten inches deep; pumpkin pies and everything else were in proportion ; and when all was ready a race of giants came in and sat down. A couimensurate grace was said, when the master of ceremonies arose to carve, and Obed looked up, and up, and — "What are you thinking about now?" said a sharp voice — the massive walls and lofty columns vanished, — all was gone, — and Obed demurely followed Mrs. Obcd and her friend, revolving in his mind how Solomon and the favorite Mrs. S. managed when they gave the first dinner party in the new palace royal, their table 'spread with dishes of gold, and not a fork to -use; how Cffisar and his friends must have looked at the im- perial table, dipping their soj> and tearing their meat with their fingers, and how Miles Standish supported, at the table on the Mayflower, "The laudable use of foi'ks, Brought into custom there as they were in Italy, To the sparing of napkins." Thus musing, Obed realized that there are few things that more betoken progress than a simple —129— fork ; at first a stick, two uncouth iron prongs, two — three — four well-phxted tines, and one of these a blade, with wliich a peasant girl a grace displays that queens might once have envied. And he was glad, glad he had interviewed Birmingham and Beaver Falls. Obed was glad. Pottery. Nothing more natural than that knives and forks sliould suggest di-hes to the Obeds, and so it was. In a German court they surveyed the " Royal Pottery" of Berlin, in all its polish and beauty. There were plates, and vase^, and flagons, and beak- ers, and coolers all of the choicest wares and richest patterns, embellished from the paintings of Raphael, Afurillo and others of the masters, and spreading out before the beholder many a royal palace, feudal castle and rich landscape of the Fatherland. On all these Obcd might freely gaze, but nothing more, for they were for palace tables and imperial halls. Obed perceived they were for sale — for sale at prices ranging all the way from S500 to -fj/J'lO per set, or single articles. And Obed said, " it was not always thus in the land of Germania. Once Anglo Saxon, fiery llun, and warlike tribes long since extinct, —ISO- ranged her interminable forests; and kings, and dames of noble birth, and their retainers all, ate their meat from wooden trenchers or from iron pots, and drank their wine from flagons rude." All this Obed said and there rose up before him visions of pewter platters, blue edged plates, and sets of figured blue; and with dishes such as these he knew many a cheery housewife had been. happy as a queen, and had sighed for nothing better. Stepping just around a screen he stood in presence of gray stone beer mugs and pitchers, imitating in their forms and their blue trimmings old German wares. Their forms were quaint and figures curious, and here are specimens of the homely rhymes rudely inscribed on some of them : " From sour beer and a scolding wife May heavea protect thee all thy life." to which Obed fully subscribes. Again "To none will fate true pleasure bring,' Who does not love, and drink, and sing." With the orthodoxy of this latter he is not satisfied. But Germany was not alone in specimens of the ceramic art. China and Japan were there in orien- tal display. Semi-barbaric as they are, Christendom has produced no such porcelain as our oblique-eyed —131— cousins of the house of Shem brought to compare with that of the enlightened sons of Japheth and the sable descendants of Ham. There were dishes superlatively fine, with designs and colorings characteristic of the East; and vases — vases urn shaped, and shaped every way ; vases standing on their own bottoms and vases standing on bottoms of birds and beasts ; vases covered with Eastern scenery and Mongolian devices; vases high and vases low, — as low as $5,000 ; vases whose capacity would he measured by the barrel. On all these Obed looked in wonder and astonishment, but most on the vases. He looked on these, and as' he did so, remembering the ' Portlands " that stand on his own mantle, and Mrs. Obed's dahlias and roses, pinks and posiVs, wondered of the flowers of the Orient ; of sepals and petals, broad and out-spreading ; of their pistils like walking sticks ; of the size of a boquet proportioned to one of the vases, and of the amount of aroma tliat would float out from it ; of the dimensions of a parlor suited for such a display, and wiiat a nice thing a brace of them, placed upon a piiljjit, would bo fir an embarrassed minister to hide bdiind. On all tlieso things and many more, Obed was musing, wlieu " Chin-chan-chang-che-whang-likee " fell upon liis ear. Mrs. Obed and her friend laughed. "John" —132— looked at Obed ; Obed looked at " John," then they bowed, and the Obeds passed on. Then came a survey of pottery from England, bearing unmistakable evidence of John Bull ; pot- ■ tery bearing the impress of the Russian bear; pot- tery from Spain, tasty and cheap — a nice water cooler for 25 cts ; pottery from Turkey and Egypt, including nice bottles of goats skin of just the pat- tern the Miss Jethros were carrying when Moses, old bachelor as he was, played the gallant, thirty- four hundred years ago; — the same thcitllagar car- ' ried out into the desert long years before, when Abraham kindly dismissed her on account of the " late unpleasantness " between herself and Mrs. Abraham. As Obed looked he said, " How many things the Father has left to connect the present with the j)ast, and to substantiate the truth of His word!" Thus musing Obed passed into a Peruvian court, where he saw pottery which, if not so rich, was rarer than all. Three thousand years ago the potter placed his clay upon the wiieel, and here in the Centennial was the result; vessels shaped like three legged men with tlie dropsy ; like stuttering boy with new cap, sh')rt shirt, and barefooted; like limbless ladies with their jaws bound up ; like quadrupeds that walk, and reptiles that crawl ; like —133- iiihabitants of air and sea ; vessels all covered with curious symbols which when read will reveal the history of the strange people who formed them, and builded the great mounds in which they have been preserved for hoary centuries. Not only upon this potter}^ did Obed feast his eyes, but upon the potters themselves. Yes, old Mr. and Mrs. Incus and a number of the Junior Incases were at the Centen- nial. For three thousand years had they patiently waited for an opportunity to visit Yankee Land. Marvelous patience beside which that of the man of Uz fades away ! But now their desire was gratified. Though they were a little dry and somewhat bony in appearance, the people came and paid their respects to them, but Darwin failed to draw out the secret of their origin. To Mrs. Obed and her friend, these distant relatives were obj^^cts of special interest and the}^ often speak of them, and Obed remembers them in his dreams Dolls. A woman of sense always takes to anything in the form of child! lood as natural !}'• as a duck does to watei". hence Obed was not at all surprised when he found Mrs. 0. and her friend standine; in front —134— of the exhibit oi artifciul innocency, and enthusias- tically discussing the rare beauty of both form and finish. By way of interlude, just to give them breath, Obed was remarking that so far at least as docility is concerned, art had made an improvement on nature, when a fine old. lady who stood by, ob- serving the rolling of the eyes of one in the hands of an exldbitor exclaimed, " La me, sir, they are almost as natural as if they were home-made," to which Obed could but reply, " Very natural, indeed, mam," and hurried off to inspect a " Chinese Bed- stead," marked "$4,500." It was said to have been carved out with a knife, and bore representations of everything hideous in heaven, earth, and sea, and as he gazed upon it Obed remarked to himself, " If there is anything better calculated than a mince pie and a quart of hard cider, to give a man the night mare, it would be to sleep upon that bedstead. It was fit only for " Celestial " climes. Norwegian Figures. " Life is real, life is earnest," sang Longfellow years before Centennial Exposi- tions were thought of, and his words came flitting through the mind of Obed as he entered the " Nor- wegian Court ; " for there he saw what no other — 13S— nation thought to put on exhibition — the varied phases, of real life among the great mass of the people. Here in a little corner, upon mimic snow, was placed a sledge with reindeer attached, and pater fami/ias, well wrapped in woolens and furs, seated for the long drive, " Over frosty Lapland dreary," whilst his better half stood by handing his lighted pipe, the pedal extremities of a "Baby mine " pro- truding from beneath the left arm. She looked the ver}'- picture of womaidy meekness, and wife-like obedience. To Obed the ])icture was one of rare interest, and his feelings took to themselves wings of pros}', and audibly arose in these words, "Happy the man whose fortunes share A woman of such tender care. " Turning to see wdiat the impression w.is upon the ladies, Mrs. Obed curtly replied, " I'd like to see myself lighting a [)ipe or carrying a young one for any man living." To this her friend nodded assent, and Obed responded, '" So would I." Just acro:s the aisle was another group. It was the old, old story — an empty cradle; a filled coffin, plain and simple; a young mother bowing under this her first great affliction, whilst the holy man of —136- God, book in hand, stood by administering words of consolation. As Obed looked, tears of grati- tude welled up in his eyes, that the great Father had left his own band of loved ones all unbroken. Just over the railing, at a little cross legged table, sat an old father and mother, crowned with the glory of years, he reading the " Book," outsj)read before him; she busily plying the needles that knit- ted socks for little feet of other homes, as in the long ago they had for the heads of those homes, then prattlers upon the hearthstone wliero now but two again sat down. It were almost needless to refer to the old "Tinker" intently working over a worm eaten time piece, whilst his " hale old wife " pours some quest- ion of interest into his ear, closely observed by the damsel in plain homespun, aud by the bashful swain, looking as though life or death, to him, de- pended upon the coloquy going on at the table. It was only a repetition of what has transpired thous- ands of times in well i*egulated families — the refer- ence of a " popped question " from the hanger on at the gate to the " powers that be " — a mere matter of form, good for nothing unless |ja'pa comes down with a pleasant affirmation and a commcnsura'opilf^ of dust. -137- Pltimes. Away down in the south-western corner of tho buihlino; was a small court of South African ex- liibits attracting- but little attention, and yet it con- tained bugs and beetles and birds of rare beauty, as well as grains, and animals that had passed through the hands of the taxidermist; but the most pleasing tiling to Obed was a nest of ostrich eggs, from the center of which waved a pbtmc of several feathers of gigantic proportions. As he stood contemplating these and the natural history of their parentage, re- membering that Uncle Sam pays only $10,000,000 annually for this single product to please the fancy of his fair daughters, he exclaimed, "Cheap enough ' for the transfer of so much beauty from tho tail of one bird to the head of another." Machinery Hall. Five hundred feet away from the Main Build- ing stood Machinery Hall. Of its wonders none can tell. Its wealth of devices in wood and stone, in iron and brass, in copper and bronze; in science and art, in literature and aesthetics; for peace and war, for air and earth, and under the earth ; for making toys and constructing locomotives, was an over- —138— wbelmingly eloquent sermon on, " But man has so "ig-lit out many inventions." To but one of its lessons can Obed refer, the most impressive of them all, the climax of the Exposition, the " Corliss Engine." Before this be stood in wonder and astonish- ment; around it again and a,<;ain be walked ad- miringf the symmetry of its proportions, tlie com- pleteness of its workmanship, and the perfect unifurmity of its motion, sustaining and vivifying the mechanical irorhl around. Then bis mind ran back to the opening day of the Exposition. The oration had been pronounced, the venerable Whit- tier had read his sim})le "Song of a Hundred Years," the Orchestra had thundered forth its grand Anthem, General Grant had delivered his character- istic speech, "I now declare the Exposition open," when tbe grand procession, headed by the President nnd the Empress of Brazil, followed immediately by Dom Pedro and Mrs. Grant, and made up of the wealth, refinement and enterpris^^ of many lands, began its triumphal march amid the gorgeous dis- play of the Main Building. The Hall reached, all was silent and motionless as the 2;rave. The saw- —139 — 3'er stood at his buzz ; the weaver stood by liis loom and the spinner at her " Jenny ; " the " Editor sat in his sanctum ; " the pressman stood at his form, and the devil, ink pot in hand; — ail over the vast building every artisan was, statue-like, in his place. On the procession moved amid the universal quie- tudp until the Engine was reached. Then a plain unpretending man, stepping down, as'sisted the Em- i^^ress and Mrs. Grant to a place on the platform and stationed their husbands at the re-^pective valves of the Engine. When all was ready, turning to tlie Emperor, he said, " Your highness will please turn that crank," and immediately the ponderous beam above began to move, then turning to the President, "Your Excellency will please turn tiiat crank," and no sooner had he who had commanded from Don- aldson to Appomatto.x:, obeyed, than thirteen miles of shafting was in harmonious motion, and fourteen ar;re.s of operatives were busy at their respective avo- cations. Never was there a grander sight, or a more impressive lesson than wlien, in presence of the educated, the honored, the elite of two hemispheres, dignity, heroism and royally, did the liidding of a simple American mechanic. Never since the Master said, " My Father worketh hilher'to, and I work," has labor been so dignified as wlien Emperor — 140— and President did tlie bidding of Geo. H. Corliss npon the platform of the Titan of the Exhibition. State Buildings. If there is any advantage in advertising, Kan- sas has had it from the days of the " Omnibus Bill," down to the time of the "Exodus," in her "bleeding," her " Ossawattomie," whose "Soul Roes marching on,"' in her grasshoppers, her tornadoes, her land sciiemes; but nowhere better than in her Centen- nial exhibit, a very exposition in itself. Joining with her sister of " bug " notoriety, they placed upon the grounds a building suited to a display of their air, soil, water, and mines ; and this display they made to the satisfaction of every- body, particularly themselves. Entering the build- ing, the first thing that attracted attention was "In- dependence Bell," constructed irom Kansas grain by Kansas fingers, its gourd clapper of such dimen- sions as would have made Jonah's eyes water could he have seen it when his own vine withered away; then came corn stalks well calculated for "Liberty poles," and these were loaded with " ears " any one of which would have afforded an amj)le meal of " succotash " for an old time family. The wheats, _141 — oats, barleys, grapes, fruits, and timbers, were simp- ly enormous, and as the Commissioner expatiated on the rapidity of their growth, Obed thought how useless a time-piece in such a land, where the flight of the hours might be marked b}' the inches of vegetable growth. At the left of the main entrance was the Color- ado display. Here were ores of the precious metals, and metals not so precious; coals, and building stones, but most imposing of all, the motar/crie of Mrs. Maxwell, " Huntress of the West," the most artistically arranged collection of animals, birds and reptiles upon the grounds; so life-Wke, indeed, as almost to make one imagine himself amou": the living realities in the fastness of their mountain homes. Passing along " State Avenue," Obed could but bestow a passing glance upon the buildings of the different States. l-[ere was the unique house built by the "Canucks," speaking volumes for Canada's I'ich resources in luinl)er and timber. A little far- ther along wns the more imposing building of Cali- fornia, displaying her beautiful myrtles and other lumber and rich products, to fine advantage ; and then came the mystic " Mis-^issippi Home," with the long niosscs suspended from its eaves. —142— The Connecticut building wns the home of Obed's cousins. Ashe passed across the yard lie refreshed himself with a draught from "The old oaken bucket, the iron iDouud bucket, Tlie moss covered bucket that hnng in the well." Euteiing he was permitted to regale himself upon the savory odors of a wooden ham seasoned willi nutmeg made from a bough of the " Charter Oak," slowly cooking over a tire ignited from a spark struck from a horn Mint. Some state buildin'js were more im{)osing, oth- ers more unique, but none were so gratifying to the. eye of Ohed*is that of Ohio. Passing through the office and general.lounge roont, he fi:ially drew up in the "Parlor." Here he saw the veritable apron which the great Father of his country used to wear after he was permitted to see " more light," and to go in and out with the "craft" from "labor"' to "re- freshment." The great (juestion wassett'ed. Truth- ful (ieorge did ste}) within the " Mystic Brother- hood," and however it may be with tiiose who " ride the goat" in these degenerate days, certain it is that AVashington always met upon the " level," and parted upon the "square." Without any dispara;::ment to either " Empire" or "Keystone" there was an honest nride in the -143- heart of Obed as he contemplated the " Buckeye " buildhig, showino^ a=! it did the varied building re- sources of his native state ; and remembering her rich agricultural and other products he penciled in his memorandum, " From her lake that bears bold Indian name Away to the " Beautiful " river, There is naught of the earth, and naught of the air, But praises the Bountiful Giver. In her forests are choicest ribbings of oak. Her streams furnish glorious fishing ; Then her highlands yield wheat, her lowlands give corn, By our only properly wishing. She has iron in store, and coal even more. And the lime that's used in the " pigging ; "' Not a man in all her borders need want. If he's only the "grit" to "keep digging." As her fathers are men of a right worthy sorb, So their wives are with gooriness a-brimming ; And her boys, full of true American blood, Have fair sisters not given to " trimming." Of our dear Uncle Sam she's beconiing the pet, And of " Presidents," bids to be "Mother : " Yet she bears her rich laurels in manner so meek. As not e'en to offend any other." United. States Department. The General Government did not forget to put itself on record in a special buiMing where Uncle —144— Sam might exliibit himself. This he did, in part by marching out his sohliers and marines of every period of the Republic, and Obed went on a tour of '"inspection." lie found Jark Tar and his lineal descendants, from the days of Paul Jones to tbe noble boys who made up the Castor-Oil Fleet, ready to tip the tarpaulin or strike for " A home on the rolling deep," as duty might require. Troopers and infantry, sharp shooters and artillery men, had alike reported for duty ; old Revolutionary, patriot of 1812, hero of Mexico, and boy in blue, artificially done, all were there. Old musket, flint-lock riHe, and "Springfield;" horse pistol" and seven shooter; twelve pounder, mortar, " Paxhan " and " Needle Gun," all said " Here we are ; take us." The war [)ower of the country, past and pres- ent, was only a tythe of the features of interest. Many things brought from the Departments at Washington were on exhibition. Many relics of the Revolution were to be seen; among them sev- eral brass and other cannons presented to the coun- try l)y La Fayette. These pounders of the olden time contrasted strangely with the modern field pieces around them, and when he remembered the service they did the country, as did also the gallant —145— young Frenchman, at whose command they uttered their voice of thunder in favor of American liberty, the feelings of Obed became almost reverential, and he pities the man who did not give wa}^ to his feel- ings in presence of these, of the old " First Flag," the chair of " Old Hickory " and the " camp chest " of Washington. The Woman's Pavilion. This building was the conception and property of ladies. Here the women of the country made a fine display of their genius, and daily exhibited their mechanical and manufacturing skill. Sewing ma- chines, knitters, looms for laces and other fine fabrics, were to be seen in great abundance, many of them in active operation. Here were many articles of goods such as ladies are specially interest- ed in, and with most bewitching smiles, the fair venders importuned Obed to buy, and how could he resist, for the ladies had already liberally patronized "Ah Sin" and "Abdel Sheik f" When they had gazed their fill on veils, laces, shawls, ribbons, embroideries, bonnets, dolls, robes, and other products of female handicraft, and had patronized a red hot candy stand, Obed called a po- —146— liceman to show them tbe"Whist]e." Thislittleobject, a marvel in its line, was the work of a New England lass, who cruelly withheld her person/and even her name from the interview'mq world, and Obed, so far as he knows, was the only one so fortunate as to obtain a photograph of the fair artist. This lady had taken all the poetry out of a time-honored ad- age, by actually wringing n pig's tail without des- troying the curl, and giving, as the result of her —147— ingonait}^ a veritable whistle, to which was append- ed this Byronic verse : " There's a proverb wide known, As Scotland's famed tliistle, That out of a pigs's tail, you Can't make a whistle ; We believe we've accomplished That wonderful thing. And those who do wish to May make this tail sing," and Obcd tried it to "The girl I left behind me," with admirable success. In the New England Kitchen. Obed had heard of the " New England Kitch- en," and as raa}^ very well be supposed, was desir- ous of seeing for himself how his ancestors formerly, and his, lo him, unseen cousins, still live, so in his early rambles about the grounds he took in the "Kitchen," of course. It was just ns he had expected. The double log-frame house with its chimneys set without and the broad open iire place within; the little yard in front with its posies such as our mothers loved before the days of hot houses —148- and importations of flowers, the morning glory, the 'stertion, the touch-me-not, and the holly hock, with here and there a plant of more useful kind, as a beet or a cabbage. To Obed, with his old time notions, these things were pleasant, and as he saw placed in great letters above the doorway " Welcome to all," he entered, and as he had done a thousand times in the days of his boyhood in his Western home, seated himself on the rustic seat under the " stoop " for grateful rest. For a time the mind of Obed was busy with the memories of other days — of days long gone when he gathered in the cool of the summer evening with father and m.other, brothers and sisters with whom he will gather about the doorway no more in the evening time, but with whom he hopes to meet about *'the great wliite throne," and listen to stories of New England times and customs, and of a six week's journey through an almost pathless wilderness to " New Connecticut." Of such things Obed mused until his revcry was broken, and the " latch string" being out he arose and entered. Obed entered the " Kitchen." There, just as he had expect ^d, was the great "family room" with its broad, grateful fire place, over which hung the apples and the pumpkins to dry; the big wheel stood by the front window, with Aunt Phebe by its side trying to untangle the yarn which Jedediah had unwittingly tangled ; the old rifle and powder horn hung from their hooks on tlie wall; the " pewter platters " were in their appro- priate places on the shelf; the old family Bible with long s's lay upon the stand, and by its side the well thummed hymn book which many a time at the family altar, at church, and when loved ones have been laid away, has famished words for " Mear," "Coronation," and "Old Hundred;" pennyroj'al, cat-nip, and boneset, hung drying from the rafters; corn was braided and hungup for the next year's use, and the twins were asleep in tlie cradle, whilst "Jowler" and "Tabby" were quietly dozing in the shade. As Obed looked around on all these things, and the many others that were about him, he thought of the time when, snugly " tucked up " in the bed in the cornei', he would quietly raise his head to see how "sparking" was done, as his sist- ers, older than himself, sat with their beaux by the dimly burning fire. It was naughty for him to do so, but Obed was a 6o,y. Then he remembered how he disliked to a])ply himself at the old "dasher churn," and how he enjoyed the ' app e bees" — for just a few minutes, and then longed for the games — ISO— of "hide-and-seek," "button," and "snap-and-catch- them." Obed remembered all these. But a police-man said, " Move on," and Obed moved — moved to the bed room, where was the old bed wliose clothes did service six generations ago, and whose testers stood as of old, while the ancient curtains fell gracefully abo it them. Aunt Doritha was here, mild as a matron born, and pointed out to Obed the looking glass before which her great-grand- mother's aunt's great-grand-father's wife's husband used to shave himself, and a little wheel on which was spun two hundred years ago any yarn but " street j'-arn." Here, too, Obed met Tabitha Sprig- gins, of Sprigginsville, relict of Obediah Spriggins, she that was a Bumpus. As she had done for the last sixty years, widow Spriggins was diligently plying her needle, never forgetting to sto|> at frequent intervals, tap her snuff box and mention some good quality or deed of the long departed Obediah. Obed would gladly have dropped some words of consola- tion in her ear, but circumstances forbade, and he passed on. Obed passed on with a feeling of sad- ness for the once fair Bumpus. Experiencing a feeling of "goneness;^' Obed v.'ent to the wicket where Dolly sat as a receiver of custom, and bargained for a quarter for a " New England —151— lunch." And he ate his bread, butter, and berries, drank his tea, and was satisfied. Not so with some finely dressed ladies who sat at the table with him. They ate, grumbled, and slily filled their pockets with doughnuts. And Obed said to himself, " You cannot always tell the character of a person by the clothes he wears." This from long experience is Obed's belief. And Obed watched Patience, and Huldah, and Prudence, dressed in their simple attire, with tidy caps and graceful ruffles, and he thought of the time when Jonathan, and Hezekiah, and 'Zekiel should bashfully come and take these to themselves, leaving Diana, and Ke^ia in "single blessedness," still to grace the "old New England home," for Obed has heard it said that it is not complete with- out a maiden auntie or two —and he said 'tis good to have maiden aunts ; many shall arise and call them blessed. And Obed left the " Kitchen," glad that he had been there — glad that it had been put on the ground, thus connecting the old with the new. Obed believes in holding on to the old land marks that connect us with our fathers. If we forsake New England institutions, where shall we be found ? — 1S2— In Agricultural Hall. Refreshed with sleep and invigorated by a hearty breakfast, Obed was ready for a day of real Centennial work. Having been reared on a farm he naturally gravitated to Agricultural Hall. His first impression was that he was at a trial of mow- ing machines, for on entering he was greeted with a view of Klrbi/, Backcije, Champion, Excelsior, and a host of others, some with, others without reaper at- tachments, but all in vigorous motion, doing their best — doing their best in Agricultural Hall without a thing to cut. As he gazed about on these highly finished products of American ingenuit}', Obed thought of tlie time when " Armstrony-'s " was the only available machine, and then in his im- agination he saw the long rows of them that used to gather in the early morning, of the days " lang syne," in the great meadows and after a brisk tune f/rou'fr^ out of " Qaennebogs," commence that stately swing than which none was ever more grace- ful. Again Obed heard the voice of the father as he said, " Keep down your /iff/ boys, and tend to your pointing out;'' agaiu ho beheld the double swath; again he engaged in the run ; again he heard the shout that' at'osg when th§ leader's scythe was — 1S3— " grassed." And Obed sighed for the good old days, for he always loved the hang of a scythe — the hang of a scythe in an apple tree and a seat in the shade with the ten o'clock lunch spread before him. Obed passed among the Thrashers and remem- bered the solemn music the sturdy farmer was wont to make, as flail in hand, he brought down the swingel on the golden grain, and the ga}'' times the boys enjoyed as they rode Bud- and Berry around the great barn floor to get the c/rist tramped out for to-morrow's milling. Among the bright steel plows and well wrought sub-soilers, Obed met a genuine specimen of '"76," an old time plow, with wooden mould board which some one had thought to bring in to contrast with the implements of "these degenerate days." As he surveyed it he said, " 'Tis well ; the age of iron is better than the age of wood, at least in the age of plows." Thus Obed said, and passed rapidly on from one class of agricultural implements to anoth- er, ever finding some strong points of contrast be- tween the old and the new, furnishing rich fields for reflection. Obed could not content himself with a view of agricultural implements only, found in the great Hall devoted to their display. There were a thous- — 1S4— and objects demanding attention, to many of these he paid his respects. He stood' among ice-cream freezers and heard their respective merits discussed until his temperature fell below the sweating point; then he went up to view the old wind-mill with its ponderous wings, speaking their volumes of other times, and other men. Here was a display of canned fruit, put up by a patent process, making Obed's mouth water, at the very sight, but then between the snowy white pears and him there was strong glass, and Obed tasted not. A little way off he espied a very fine ox, and having an eye for the bovine, he hastened to a close inspection. It was of a dark red color, and weighed 3,200 pounds. It was a very quiet ox, and Obed was pleased at its ex- treme docility. Though the flies buzzed about, it switched not its tail ; and as the ladies waved their parasols in front of it to point out the singular intel- ligence protrayed in the high forehead, it never winked. Then Obed observed it had a glass eye, and he said, '"Tis only stuffed — stuffed for the Cen- tennial." After this he observed many exhibits of stuffing — stuffing incidents not to this country only, but to foreign lands. He visited the depart- ment of fishes. A few swam in aquariums, but most were stuffed, fishes, turtles, seals and whales. "Old —188— Abe" was there proud as when in the hour of bat- tle, he perched above the brave Wisconsin boys. No other bird fluttered. All were stuffed. In the distance Obed &aw some fine "Chester Whites" looking as though just ready to grunt with hoggish satisfaction. On close inspection he found the> too had glass eyes and weighed 500 pounds, stuffed. And he said, " This is an age of stuffing." As he walked on he saw many fine specimens of the lands that did not admit of anything artificial. He gazed with delight on the great " cotton pavil- ion " of Brazil, and the rich grains and fruits of the "Empire" in grand display beneath it ; on the woods and dyes, and gums of all South America; upon all varied mineral and animal resources. Mexico was there with all her mahogany, her indi- go, and cactuses in abundance. There were pines and furs from British Columbia and Labrador, and the works of Indian artificers from the frozen North. And Obed musing said these lands are but the sub- urbs of "Uncle S.im " — suburbs of Uncle Sam. In the great day of Reform when we get turtle soup from Cuba, they will be our turtles; when we have killed all the Blackfeet and Sioux, and war with the Dog-ribs, they will be our Indians; when our col- leges l\old their regattas of the " Horn," it will be —156— our Horn. And Obed saw that all the nations had worked with a will to fill Agricultural Hall with the things that go to show national wealth and pow- er, and he was glad, for it speaks of the approach of that day when swords shall be beaten into plow- shares, and spears into pruning hooks,; and when nations shall learn war no more. To Obed it speaks of these things. In Brewers' Hall. Obed had heard of Brewers' Hall, had read somewhat of the protestations uttered against hav- ing the alcholic brand of Columbian industry rep- resented at the Centennial. In fact, he was in full accord with the proliibition sentiment on that point, hence he approached the hall with anything but feelings of enthusiasm. The exterior was very plain, and there was little about it to attract attention. A few nicely trained hop vines, and " Brewers'- Hall," in bold letters, indicated its purpose. As he was there to have a peep at everything about the Cen- tennial, he hesitated not to enter. Great was his surprise, for instead of the dirty appearance, sour atmosphere, bloated faces and blear eyes he expected -to encounter, everything was tidy —187— in the extreme. The air was full of pleasant odors, and a more agreeable set of men, with frank, open countenances, one could not find on the grounds. So pre-eminently true was this, that order reigned without policeman's aid. A. 1 were very communi- cative with regard to their exhibit, its arrangement and design. The first thing that attracted Obed's attention was the "steeping cisterns" filled with steaming barley going through the first step preparatory to the foaming mug. When he had gazed his fill on these he passed to the "couching floor," dusted and clean as a lady's parlor, and beheld the great piles of steeped grain giving out their fruity aroma ; then came the "drying" and "sifting" depart- ments, and everywhere his questions were answered with so much courtesy and candor that (3bed's prejudices against the building began to give way, and he viewed the "grinding" and "mashing," tlie "drawing off'," "boiling" and "straining" of the "wort," the processes of the "gyle tuns," and finally the placing of the "yeasted liquid " in casks "to work itself cl.ear," with enthusiastic satisfaction. Nor was his visit to the "storage rooms" less en- joyable than his passage through the manufacturing department. —138— In his onward course Obed was presented with a copy of " Essays on the Malt Liquor Question," from a cursory glance at which he learned that many excellent men endorse the use of aleH and heers, and that the manufacture of these in the home of Columbia alone gives employment to more than 35,000 men, at an annual expense of $14,000,000, and that it pays to the government an annual tax of $9,000,000. As he looked, and talked, and read, his faith in extreme temperance was shaken. Obed's faith was shaken. Having become separated from his companions before his survey of the hall began, and the day being now well spent, Obed thought to seek his hotel by the nearest way, so bidding his new-made friends good day, he hastened, to the eastern door- way, intending to take a winding pathway through the beautiful grove between the grounds and the Schuylkill. On reaching the threshold, instead of the beautiful scenery he had anticipated there greeted him a broad, open highway, stretching away from the very base of the building, far as the eye could reach. As Obed stood gazing at this unex- pected sight, four richly caparisoned steeds, draw- ing a stately pi imed hearse, issued from a door- way beneath him. In the hearse was placed an —159— elaborately carved casket, decked with flowers, in- tertwined in the national colors, and the mourners, as they came in their carriages, appeared of the highest respectability. Following this came a hearse less richly adorned, yet speaking well for the position of its occupant. Then there was a plain country wagon with its white pine coffin, and in close proximity there followed a mule cart, bearing a still ruder box, marked — " Rattle his bones over the stones, He's only a pauper whom nobody owns." As O.bed gazed in astonishment, team after team, ever varying in appearance, emerged from beneath the Hall, each bearing its encoffiaed freight, until the head of the procession was lost in the distance, notwithstanding the number that had turned aside at city cemetery, village church yard, or at the potters' field. As he stood wondering, what all this could mean, suddenly there stood beside him a pleasant looking female who, pointing to the procession said, " Wonder not ; these are the forms of some of those who 'seek mixed wine.' The first hearse you saw, bore away the form of a man who had been tlie Governor of a State, and had occupied a position in the highest council of the nation. Multitudes, — leo- deliglited, have listened to his utterances of patri- otic eloquence. But stronger than his love of reputation, country, home, was his passion for strong drink, though he acknowledged it not. You have seen the result. " Another bore the remains of a merchant who had handled sums untold, and whose business ca- pacity was measured only by his power of endur- ance. Those who were borne off in the humbler manner have many of them left families in abject poverty. " There was one casket upon which you look- ed with peculiar interest. Its garlands of flowefs and elaborate decorations covered the form of a once beautiful and gifted mother. Unfortunately she learned to love wine at her father's table, and the appetite strengthened with her years. , Yesterday, to the world, she died of cjeneral nervous profit ration , but to those who had seen her in her besotted con- dition in her own parlor, the true cause was appar- ent. Everybody knows that the poor hod carrier died drunk. All these that you see are the victims of intemperance, mostly begun in the use of mild beverages." As the procession moved on, Obed ventured to inquire how long this thoroughfare had existed. —161— " These many years," replied the genius ; " it began in the days of Noah. Day and night it has been thus thronged, so many are they who ' look upon the wine,' and regale themselves on sparkling ales." "Here he is," exclaimed a familiar voice — the vision wns gone, and Obed was joined by Mrs. Obed and her friend. As they hurried down the winding footpath, the groves were rich in diamonds glean- ed from a recent shower, and every fruit and flower around them was redolent of praise. But despite all these and the gay chatting of the ladies, the thoughts of Obed were of Breioers' Hall, and the fruits of the great industry it lepresents. Thus he mused : "Thirty-five thousand men furnished with employment, and four hundred thousand thereby rendered homeless; $14,000,000 paid in wages, and $100,000,000 expended in ale houses, that should go for home comforts, where now is squalid poverty ; $9,000,000 paid in revenue, against $45,000,000 spent in criminal prosecutions growing out of the use of ardent spirits, to say nothing of the millions more required to support reformatory and other institu- tions, which, but for this one cause, would be all unneeded." The "Opinions and Facts from Eminent Physi- cians, Chemists and others in favor of Ale and Beer —162— as light wholesome beverages," and the order and tidiness of Brewers' Hall became as mockery to Obed, in view of the 00,000 who go down annually to drunkards' graves and the 000,000 regular re- cruits who rush on to fill up the depleted ranks, to say nothing of the unmeasured wretchedness of body and soul continually enshrouding them. When Obed laid his head upon iiis pillow that night, it was with a renewed consecration of himself to the ever safe principles of total abstinence. In these he sees the only safe course. / Memorial Hall. Having read of that far of! wedding at which they ran out of grajie juice and were so miraculous- ly supplied, that they had* the " Best of the wine at the last of the feast," and remembering that in all well regulated families they present the choicest viands at the close of the meal, the Obeds reserved Memorial Hall for their last survey, and a glorious one it was. Passing up the flight of steps from the Avenue of the Republic to the main entrance, they stopped a moment to gaze upon the monster figures of Pegassus, stationed on either hand, which, with Bellerophon ready for the mounting, possessed enough of tlie mythological to carry the mind back to the time when tlie gods sported with the daughters of men, and the marvellous was much less impotent than now. Looking up as if to catch a glimpse of " flying horses " in the air, Obed saw Columbia winking at him from the dome of the Hall as much as to say, " No time for those old sportings in my land," and he passed on, bestowing a passing glance upon the " Dying lioness " in her majestic agon3^ Once within the Hall, all the world beside was shut out, — shut out as comi)letely as it is of a Sab- bath morning when the pastor asks the pra3'ers of the people, whilst he draws the gospel bow at a venture, letting the arrows mostly fl}^ in directions where there is no game. Here was the group, " America leading the Nations," just then and there very suggestive, though not remarkable for artistic beaut3^ Then there was Washington magnificently chiselled by an Italian artist. As he gazed upon that benign countenance, Obed thought of the many representations of the great man, he had seen in different Courts, f^onc by the artists of every land, some on canvas, others in terra cotta or tlie more beautiful and enduring marble. A German had given him all the buoyancy of lager beer ins[)ira- tion, Andalusian swarthiness spoke the Spanish —164- pencil, whilst an enthusiastic genius of the Emerald Isle had curled his lip as if just ready to say, " Be- gorrah, sir." "Well, they are not much to be blamed for their covetousness, after all," mused Obed, "for no nation but ours has looked u^jon his like." Over against Washington, in strange contrast, was the great Prussian Premier— all German, — all Bismark. Leaving the vestibule, the courts and passage ways were f'jund literally filled with works of art, — works of pen and pencil, brush and chisel. Here were several figures chiseled from the cold marble with rich drapery falling about them, and such beautiful veils — veils of marble lace — covering the face. Everything was so natural that the Obeds, in common with the multitude, stopped and gave vent to their satisfaction in many a " How curious?" " dear," and "My stars." Just a little way along there was a fine colltction mostly exhumed from buried cities and castles of sunny Italy. Busts of warriors, poets, statesmen and emperors stood boldly forth, some uncrowned othjrs crowned with myrtle or royal diadems. There were busts of women, — Roman mothers of days long departed, whose noble daring in instances not a few, saved the Imperial ('ity from anarchy and destruction. Tiiere was one with — 16B— which Obed was particularly struck. It was of a matron of noble brow and sparkling eye; but alas, that without which there is no beauty was gone — some vandal hand had broken her nose. As he re- membered his many lady acquaintances whom he has seen in the like painful condition, the query naturally arose, " Was it the denial of a new dress; refusal of attendance upon the theater, or had she failed to receive the last Bazaar P^ But there was none to answer, and Obed passed on and stood be- fore the bronze figure of a hegro, bearing aloft in one hand the Proclamation which brouglit freedom to four millions of his race, whilst from the wrist of the other dropped the shackles that had so long shut them out from every endearment of citizenship. Every lineament was radiant w-ith gladness, such as only an African can express, and as he thought of the myriads of "Lor 'bless Massa Linkum," that have gone up from sable lips, Obed mused, "If we can not say of the martyred President as we do of the great leader of the Revolution, ' First in war, first in peace, and (irstin the heart of his country- men,' we ma) justly claim for him the title of 'She})herd of his People,' and perpetually intertwine his name and his fame with that of the ' Father of his Countrv.'" —166— A short distance from the " Battle of Gettys- burg," so historic in its corapleteness, appeared what, to patriotic tliousands, was the paint- ing of tlie Exhibition — Willard's " Yanivee Doodle." Not that it was so perfect a piece of art, perhaps, as some, as many others, but then the memories of a hundred years were centered on a few square feet of canvas. As lie gazed on the dismounted cannon, the old man " Yankee," with sleeves rolled up, col- lar thrown back, waist coat and heavy hair alike streaming in the wind ; at his deserted team and plow, standing in the furrow; upon musicians — man and bc'y — catching the inspiration of his man- ner, as, with the instrument of the fallen fifer, he led the little band of heroes fearle.ssly to the charge, Obed exclaimed, " 'Those were the days that tried men's souls,' and there were men and women, too, with souls to be tried," he rejoiced that among them was a Captain Goodin, that he was the owner of a pony and a cap, and that he procured that wonder- ful feather which is known and honored the world over. Americans were not the only ones who looked with satisfaction upon that picture. As Obed stood gazing, " Chee-wheu " suddenly broke upon' his ear, and a regular pigtail was swinging in his face, as —167— the disciple of Confucius enthusiastically exclaimed, " Amencanee, blowee goodee." " Mine Gott," said a rotund German ; but Obed could catch no more, for just then he was thrust irresistably aside by an impetuous son of the Land of St. Patrick, whose sentiments welled over in the following strain, " Arab, bedad ! bad luck, bad luck to the Bull who meddles with that Doodle." Passing by " Playing Possum," a game which many bipeds in all lands play as successfully as our American marsupial, and other subjects that would extend these Reminiscences over many pages, asingle mention more must i)ring tliem to a close. Early in their visit a friend had informed the Obeds of a painting he was particularly, anxious they should see, but for the finding, of which, as the sequel showed, he had given improper directions. It was that of an artist past middle life, whose wife had long been dead. After her decease his whole soul centered in two charming daughters, who grew up beneath his watchful care. Tiien the father painted her as paying him and the remaining one an angelic visit. This little story particularly excited the interest of Mrs. Obed and her friend who are at times especially impressible by anything that par- takes, even remotely, of the supernatural. Day —168— after day, whilst in Memorial Hall, dilligent search was made for this gem of affection, but all in vain. But a half liour remained. Obed set out on one more desperate hunt, which was soon crowned with success. There was the benign artist, simply clad maiden with arms folded about him, andthe sister spirit floating in the air. He hastened back and soon the ladies stood before the canvas so much sought. No sooner did his wife cast her eye upon it than she exclaimed, " Why Obed, you great goose, that is Abraham preparing to offer Isaac." Obed looked up, and sure enough, like the Father of the Faithful he had failed to see the ram in the thicket until the very last moment. There was a rush for the train, a gathering of satchels, and soon the " Centennial," to the Obeds, was among the things which were. Ob3d, as Youngest Son. Obed had the honor of being the youngest son of his mother. This fact he learned from the family record, and from many varied experiences. To be the youngest son in a family, when there are several brothers and sisterfe older and sisters younger, is to occupy at once a position of honor, trust, and re- —169- sponsibility. Tliis position was Obed's; hence his name, for Obed was a servant of all. He was, and many a youngest son who reads this history will know how to sympathize with him. It was not only his, as soon aa he could toddle, to do, all the lit- tle errandings for papa and mama, to bring them slippers and water, cane and spectacles, and all oth- er things with the bearing of which they " delight- ed to honor him," but to perform the work that had formerly been parceled out among older hands'. " Let Obed pick up the chips ; " " Let Obed bring in the wood;" Let Obed churn;" "Let Obed feed the chickens," soon became household expressions. And he did all these. Those were the days when laws were loose, fences poor, and tlie highways long pasturcfi, and Obed chased the pigs from the garden, the cows from the corn, tlie horses from the meadow, ■whilst the big boys hallooed, "Run, Obed, run." He carried water to the field, and lunch to the harvest, whilst those sturdy fellows rested. Obed " Hoed the boy's row." Had that been all he would not complain. But then in the absence of the " powers that be" in ftimily government, those elder boys assumed special rights, and applied the birch ; and the grown up sisters exercised dictatorial powers, and enforced them with a broom upon poor Obed. u — 170— But why recount. " 'Tis the old, old story," not of the "blessed cross," but of the cross that all youngest sons have borne since long before Joseph was thrown into the pit, and Benjamin was accused of stealing silver. Those early experiences have always caused Obed to have great sjnnpathy for Abel, poor fellow! He never sees the youngest son suffering from the taunts of older brothers and sisters, but he thinks there is still something of Cainishness left as indicative of the fall. Still, for all this, he would not have it in- ferred that all youngest sons are " righteous Abels." Obed would not. The youngest son occupies a glorious position for vexing the older members of the family and teasing the younger, and if there is any gimp in him he is sure to exercise a retaliating hand. But Obed forbears to divulge, for the halcyon days of long families among Yankees has passed, never to return. None shall hereafter have to regret that he is the third or fourth son, much less the srventh. Such in- stitutions are now very unfashionable. What use for a whole troop of rollicking brothers and sisters tumbling over hay mows, nest hunting, making mud pies, or engaging in the thousand and oae other pastimes formerly in vogue among children, Obed —171— . has observed that such things, by the best families, are now considered very vulgar. Better, far better, to have the affection that was formerly spread out over a dozen, concentrated in one frail and fur- belowed little dear with kid slippers, done up in band-box style. Then the youngest son has no tribulations. He gets his share of the patrimony. But Obed remembers his tribulations as things of the past. The wrongs, whether real or fancied, which he experienced from those older than him- self were long since forgiven, and his own acts of an- noyance are no doubt forgotten. Some of them cer- tainly are, for those on whom they were practiced are sleeping, silently sleeping, and Obed will vex them no more. Thirty and nine years ago the family of which Obed is a member, all gathered around the "old family hearth " ior the last time. The oldest sister was given away, as many another oldest sister has been, amid tears and jests, sighs and gladness, of which Obed th»:;n had but little con- ception, but Aow he couiprehends them. Five of that happy throng are not, and of the live remain- ing, Obed is still the youngest son, with no sister to look up and call him " Brother.' When, after years of separation, the}^ occasionally meet in their far sundered homes in sets of twos, or at most threes, . —172— each shows marks of time and labor, and none thinks to bid Obed do this or do that; but he is fondly cherished as the youngest left of that home of other days. Then it is that he says, " Who would not be the youngest son, that a father and a mother may lean on him last of all, and that brothers and sisters as they pass into the evening time, may look back and bestow on him their benedictions ! " Then it is that the sensations that prevade the breast of Obed are blessed. To him they are blessed. m-. lU' A GREENBACK MEETING. A Greenback meeting to be addressed by the Hon. Patrick O'Leary, was advertised to come off at Tunket's Corners, and as Obed had never attended anything of the kind, he decided to go. A pleas- ant drive of an hour with a "fiat" friend, and the Corners were reached. The school house was full and who should be called to the chair but Sara Jones, whom Obed knew in 1840 as a staunch young Jackson Democrat, present, with a clear voice, wherever a hickory pole was to be raised, or an ash one to be cut down. Through all the intervening years Obed knows he has adhered to the better phases of the party, but recently a mortgage on his farm has caused him to see "light" in the pure green of the new party. On the front seat sat Dea- con Williams, who drove a " log cabin team " in the great " hard cider campaign," and cast his first ballot for " Tippecanoe and Tyler too," really be- —175— lievingthat it was a sure g^uaranty that he should ever after eat "roast beef" and receive "two dol- lars a day" for his labor. Good, clever soul! he has been tossed about by every new political doc- trine, and Obed was not surprised to sfee him re- ceiving this last as the laboring man's real " New Testament." A hasty glance over the audience con- vinced Obed that the Joneses and Williamses pres- ent were not a few. The EON. PATRICK 0' LEAHY, in his great speech at TunkeVs Corners, prrpaving to read from th£ Fi- nancial Policy of John Law, hut of which he forgot to give the con^e-" qucnccs. —176— The meeting organized, the Hon. Patrick pro- ceeded to depict the woes of the laboring classes, tlie indignities heaped upon them and the wrongs that are weighing them down. As a workingman, Obed began to feel deeply interested ; he perceived that a great mistake was made when it was said, "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread." Obed felt it wasagreat mistake. The bloated bond- holder was mercilessly excorciated, then spitted and held writhing over " his own place " until O'Leary was satisfied; and Obed felt that the punish- ment was but just for one who had so little regard for the rights of his fellow men. He was really as- tonished that he had lived so many years uncon- cious of the amount of suffering and wrong there is in the world. Obed was astonished. But he had little time for reflection, for the speaker fully warm- ed to his theme, and amid the wildest enthusiasm, went on to show the rights, the duties, and the pow- ers of the government in the premises. Money was made plenty, all men became instinctively indus- trious; every available acre of the public domain was converted into a garden ; tramps were only known in the few fossils exhumed in the prosecu- tion of public works : monopolies became evane- scent; capitalists, conscience smitten at their long —177— course of tyranny, hid themselves from the public gaze, and Congress became a body of apostolic pu- rity — all this would be if the people only proved true to themselves and the new party. The speaker closed ; the .meeting adjourned, and Jones and Williams seized Obed by the hands and asked if he was not now persuaded. His repl}'' was, "Almost persuaded." Thus Obed replied. Tlie ride home was a thoughtful one. Obed was not quite sure that the Greenbackers are not more than half right, and he vowed to investigate the subject carefully. Throwing himself upon his couch, he was soon in that land into which Cain en- tered six thousand years ago, and its revelations were wonderful. The sky was arched with 18 8-0 ; the people were all alive with excitement; the great political parties massed themselves for the contest ; the working men flang to the breeze "Butler and Victory," and everywhere inscribed on their ban- ners might be seen, " Give us Greenbacks," " Down with the Bondholder" "Equal Chances for All," and such like devices. Against these " Honest Money " and " Plighted Faith " could make but little headway, and at the appointed time the party in power stepped gracefully down, and honest men, men of the people, ascended to their places. —US- All this Obed saw, and much more. In his hour of triumph Benjamin remembered his friends, the friends of the people. Samuel received the Portfolio; to Walter was corifided the keys of the Treasury, whilst Dennis was made master of the In- terior, and La Matyr was commissioned " Adjuster of Moral Ballast." The venerable Cooper looked on and wept for joy whilst the new government was organized, and when the great "Fiat Mills" began their work he clapped his hands in very gladness, as did the mil- lions who had waited for this auspicious moment. Congress was true to the platform of the party. That the people might have labor, untold internal improvements were voted; that corporate enterprise might be stimulated, charters were granted for the carrying out of many important enterprises, as the organization of a hose company for utilizing Niagara Falls in irrigating Utah and Nevada; another for constructing ice cream grottos in the National Park, and one for applying the northern lights to general illuminating purposes; that individual enterprise and genius might not go unrewarded, boot blacks were paid five cents extra for a " shine ; " inventors received heavy premiums on their patents, and all —179— writers of poetry and novels were granted annuities for life; that the government might be known as liberal in its moral relations, marble fountains were set up in all beer gardens; church debts were every- where cancelled, and ten millions of dollars were invested in searching for the "lost link" in the Development Theory; that human suffering might be alleviated, all step-children were granted excur- sion tickets on the fourth of July, and to attend all animal shows, and every man having a mother in- law residing within twenty-five miles, was granted an annual pension of $1,000. Thus the people were blessed, and Obed saw they were happ3^ The popular will had triumphed ; the true secret of government, hidden for six thousand years, had been discovered ; capitalists stood abashed ; hard money advocates were few and in the back- ground ; business was brisk; speculation nought new opportunities; day laborers bought corner lots; school boys left their books and dealt in stocks ; Bridget's back presentod a rare display of miliinery goods; Paris was lost sight of in the brilliancy of our national capital : the country was sup[)lic(l witli every luxury; matrimonial alliances were made only near home; and when the mortal coil was shuffled off, glass caskets with gold mountings, only, -ISO— Tli.e DDeacoaa. 2.:a. Xj-u-cIs:. —181— were in demand. And why not? The great func- tion of the government is to create money ; and this the government was doing. Jones paid off his mortgage and invested a million dollars in the "' Hose Company." The Dea- con was in luck. In a state of ecstatic rapture he seized Obed's hand exclaiming, " Didn't I tell you so, oidboy?" And how could Obed demur? He couldn't. There were somethings, however, that appeared a little strange. Obed observed that many more men than ever before frequented the capilol, and lobbying was pushed with shameful effrontery. Benjamin quietly changed a million dollars of gov- ernment bonds into gold before the law converting- hard money into bullion took effect. This was privately stowed away in his Massachusetts cellar. Strange hgurings were going on in high places, but what did the people care ? They had enough and to spare, so that the groat army of tramps, even though quadrupled in ils })roportions, was allowed to pro- ceed on its foraging march all undisturbed. Obed wondered that any should run in debt, and yet the " Fiat Mills" were insufficient to sup- ply the " growing wants " of the people, and un- —182— limited credit was asked and given, until one morn- ing the telegraph announced the failure of J. Scroggs & Co , managers of the " Niagara Hose Enterprise," which had just laid its pipes as far as the Mississippi, for $20,000,000,000. There was wild dismay in all the land. Not a husiness interest but was affected. Firm after firm succumbed with the rapidity of lightning. " Hisexcellency " left the executive man- sion at noon for New England, with a package of gold spoons and plate marked " N. O." Samuel was suddenl}' called to Cincinnati to look after " private interests;" Dennis took an early train for the "Golden Gale," and the political parson to a west- ern conference for a first-class city appointment, salary not less than $2,500, parsonage furnished. Jones was ruined; the good Deacon's voice blended pitiously in the universal wail of despair as the words "No Redemption," "Repudiation," in lurid letters, extending from zenith to horizon, lighted up the evening sky, and.Obed — "I do wish you'd keep still so I can sleep," rang out the voice of Mrs. Obed. The sleeper awoke to the consciousness that it was but a dream. Obed was glad, for, vision though it was, he was convinced that there is no really safe way to national prosperity, as there is not to indi- vidual, only by industry and economy. -183— Obed, O'Learytothe contrary notwithstandiii! now fully endorses the doctrine, " 'Tis better to endiu-e the ills we have, Than fly to others we know not of." THE STATIONERY ACCOUNT. His friend Henry was elected to the legislature, a thing gratifying to Obed, and particularly so to his aspiring friend who acknowledged himself un- der many obligations for campaign assistance. His letters during the first session which he attend- ed were full of glowing descriptions of Capital life, and breathed hopefully of political preferment, as heclaimedtobe " learning the ropes " rapidly. Soon after the close of the session Obed paid him a visit, and was most cordially welcomed by friend and family. The little ones must needs show —184— him the tilings papa brought tliem from the 'laiet', and the older ones, together with Mrs. H., were not slow in exhibiting the presents the honorable head of the family had brought them from the seat of government. The hours flew by all too rapidly, as Henry re- counted his legislative experiences, detailing the pleasant acquaintances he had made, the rece^jtions he had attended, and, above all the bright anticipa- tions he had in store for the future; for his speeches had been most favorably received by his compeers and the people. Before the time for leaving arrived a promise had been extorted from Obed that he would visit his friend at the capital the next winter. Agreeably to the arrangement the winter of 187- found Obed threading legislative halls, arm in arm with his friend. After the galleries, the ro- tunda, the committee rooms, the Governor's apart- ment and all other places of general interest' had been visited, Henry said : " Obed, I must show you the crypf " The crypt," said Obed; " What is that? " "0, you'll see; it's an apartment we don't show everybody. Of course we know our men." " Of course you do," said Obed. —185— Down a flight of stairs tripped the friends, and the lawmaker quietly opened the door of a spacious apartment which had all the appearances of a gen- eral store room. " And is this the crypt?" queried Obed. "Nothing else," said his friend. " 0, I supposed I was coming into the abode of some mummified legislator to whose shrine you are accustomed to retire, Mohamedan like, to reassure fainting political faith." " Not exactly so ; but then it is the dead room, and when entered has a comforting effect," said Henry with a smile. " Yes, yes, so I begin to perceive, said Obed ; it looks like a branch of the Paper Company." "Well, yes, this is the Stationery Department of the " Mill " up stairs. You remember the package of fine " Congress " I gave you last spring ? Well that was a sample of our work." "Yes, but you didn't sample me with one oJ' these knives," said Obed, as he laid his hand on a package of packet cutlery marked $36 per dozen. "No," laughed Henry, "I had to remember all my friends, and Jones being better on a shingle than you, received the knife. There's a fitness in all things, you know." —186— " Yes, and so it was fitting that Mrs. M. should receive that beautiful croquette set, as being better at electioneering than her husband." " Exactly." " But tell me, Henry, what did these cost, and who are to get the balance of them, for I see you have still enough left to stock at least two grounds in every county in the State." " O, they only cost $ t a set by the hundred, and next summer will be campaign season again ; there'll bo no trouble in clisjtosinr/ of them." " But what about so many gold pens, paper holders and erasers? You've enough to stock a wholesale establishment." " My dear fellow, didi,i't I tell you this is our Stationer}' Department? Each member is supposed to require at least five or six in a term; the}'- wear out rapidly, get lost, or we forget and leave them at home." " Yes, your minds are so occupied, it is not to be wondered at that you lay them on your parlor tables and forget to take them again ; but then there's this satisfaction, they are not lost in growing fami- lies. But these metalic boot-jacks, do they come uuder the head of stationery ? " —187— " If a boot-jack isn't stationary I'd like to know what is." " Fact ; I hadn't thoaght of it before in that light" said Obed ; "But how fibout these patent tops? They are certainly very movable.'" "One of them kept my Jimmy quiet for full two hours. This is essentially the experience of many members with whom I have talked, and we are fully agreed that anything calculated to serve our purposes, or to soothe our minds, comes legiti- mately within the definition of stationery, and we provide it." "Ah, yes, and that accounts for these cham- pagne bottles. AVell, well, I don't so much wonder at the way Stationery Accounts foot up. I suppose they've an enormous crypt -di Washingt )n, and that there are suialler ones for counties and municipal- ities, in which are stowed a thousand little con- veniencies, put there at the public expense. But tell me how do you Republicans anil Democrat-^ get along without exposing one another over these matters ? " "Pshaw, man, that's tlie^ easiest thing in the world. No matter how much we disagree on the curreiicy question, or struggle over, the "bloody —188- shirt," we are all agreed in this, that ' He that pro- videth not for his own household has denied the faith,' hence we are all orthodox. All tliese little matters we consider as perquisites and share them with the attachees about the Capitol, iind they learn to keep qui "' " I do wish you'd get up to Ijreakfast," said a familiar voice, and Obed, who had attended a po- litical meeting the evening before, awoke to the consciousness that this interview with his friend Henry was all a dream, and he was glad ; glad be- cause he knows something of the self sacrificing spirit of American politicians, and of the rigid economy of their views ; glad because they are wil- ling to spend session after session of our legislative bodies in electioneering schemes, and the vacation season on investigating committees, traveling from one end of the country to tlie other in a most self- denying way; glad that lobbying is totally ignored ; glad that all men in high j)iaces are so tenacious for the purity of the ballot box ; glad that no American official has ever l)een guilty of even the appearance of peculation ; glad that, as a nation, we have no need to apply to ourselves the doctrine, " When the wicked bear rule, the people mourn." Of these things and many more going to —ISO- show that the pure purposes of the fathers still have a dwelling place in the hearts of the sons, Obed is glad. OBED VISITS A ''HOME." " An hour till train time," said Obed to him- self, in one of oar beautiful lake cities, " and I can- not better improve it than by calling at the 'Home for the Friendless.' " No sooner thought than ex- ecuted, for he laid his hand vigorously upon the bell knob, and was soon comfortably seated in the plain, substantial reception room. ■ Directly the Matron appeared. ''Obed," said our visitor, and the lady greeted him cordially. It took not long to learn of the origin of this noble institution, nor of the kindly, benevolent soirit that has ever fostered it. More than seven — 190— liundred " little neglected ones'' have come with- in its walls and found " Home, food, clothing and schooling," and, with scarce an exception, have gone out to lives of respectability and usefulness. " Treasurer in heaven for many a donor," said Obed, and he perceived how " Charity covereth a multitude of sins." He was shown through the building. Every- where there were neatness and order, everywhere a learning to work on the part of those who were old enough to be employed in labor. The tour of inspection made, there came upon the lawn beneath the window a troup of children with bright eyes and happy faces. Most of them were viother less ; some fatherless also "No matter if many of them had been forsaken, the Lord has taken them up, and a christian public has assumed their parentage," mused Obed, as he hid his hands amid the curls of a little creature vcho came confid- ingly near. Ashe marked the confidence the}' re- posed in the Matron, more than ever Obed realized what that Scripture raeaneth, "Of such is the king- dom of heaven." From homes of poverty, drunk- eness and abuse these, in m"iny instances, had come, but there was the childlike spirit still, which Siull- —191— ful hands and willing hearts shall train for the "Life that now is, and for that which is to come." As Obed walked awa}' there was in "his heart a mingled feeling of sorrow and gladness. Sorrow, that there is so much of misery in the world ; glad- ness, because there are so many who can truly sa^% as the}^ toil amid objects of charity, ■'Ours is the grateful service whence Comes day by day the recompense ; Better the toils of fields like these Than waking dream and slothful ease. " Who calls this glorious service hard '. Who deems it not its own reward :' Who, for its trinls, calls it ]es=! A e luse of praise and thankfulness :■ " OBED S THANKSGIVING. The year ISTO came — the year of all others of most interest in Yankee Land, because it brought with it the Hundreth birlliday of our dear old Uncle Sam, Obed's Uncle Sam, the hale old Uncle of more than forty million children. Now Uncle Sam has always cherished his birthdays, (particularly the last one) and ushered them in with a great deal of noise and hurrah, regaling himself in abundant laud- atory speeches, toasts and toddies. Though the old gentleman has sometimes been accused of being a little vain, he has never quite forgotten the humil- ity of his cradle, the trials of his boyhood days, nor the bountiful Giver of his broad acres and rich stores of intellectual and social enjoyment. Uncle Sam has never forgotten these, but through all his years, has annually appointed that his children shall gather them.selves together in their respective places of worship and in their many homes, and then and there pray and sing psalms, and eat tur- —97— exclaimed, "Industry is the lamp, and intelligence the sesame which converts the fairy castles of Ara- bian tales into Yankee realities, over which the American eagle flaps her wings with more of satis- faction than was ever enjoyed by the mythic bird which gave Sinbad his aerial ride." And as he took the arm of his friend, and iiis eye rested upon the '"U. S." everywhere conspicuous, Obed rejoiced that his is a Columbian home. Yankee Doodle welled up to overflowing in the heart of Obed. Cottons. His vision fully ended and his mind restored to its wonted equilibrium, Obed was ready to in- spect tbe wares and wonders of the luitions spread out in profusion around him. Having an eye for c((lico he at once took up tbe display of cottons, ad- miring the '"raw material," of wliieli he had never seen any before ; tbe nankeens of China and tlie flannels of Canton; tbe handiworks of the looms of Hindostan and Africa and the mills of Brazil. But most was Obed delighted with tbe shirtinr/s and prints of New England, for by them could he best measure progress in this departn.ent. Obed gloried —98— in the Merrimacs, Cochecoes, the Middlesexes, and the score more brands put up in rich display to show what the streams of the hilly North can do for the products of the sunny South. Obed claimed them as American all. He rejoiced that they made him the possessor of a fine Lonsdale shirt, a thing his father never owned ; that they had enabled Mrs. Obed and her friend to go to the Centennial, each in a twenty-yard-fivecent " Oriental Fancy." As Obed remembered that his mother, one of the belles of New Connecticut, used to rejoice in a six-yard- seventy five cent "French Calico," a feeling of gratitude came over him, that he lives in an age when the costs of prints will allow even the adorn- ing of the human form divine; an age when " cut- and-try " and "scrimp" form no part of the dress- maker's vocabulary — an age in which "a dollar or tM'o" will bring so much of sunshine to the domes- tic sky. Obed was grateful, and as he looked around he regretted only that the great pyramids of "Coats' Best Six Cord" and " Clark's 'O. N. T.' " had to be brought across the deep ; but Obed con- tented himself with saying, " Cotton was king ; cot- ton is king no longer, and ere the next Centennial year, American genius will provide American thread — American genius will." Though the thermometer stood at 95'' Obed realized that summer does not last always, and he passed from the realm of cotton, to the domain of Wools. Wools native, wools manufactured ; w^ools Merino, Southdown, Saxon and Cotswold ; wools American, Australian, African, Spanish, and Thibi- tan ; wools from every land where there are bleat- ing flocks ; wools fine and coarse, long and short • wools wrought into every conceivable fabric, by needle, spindle, knitter and loom ; wools in yarns, cloths, carpets, and blankets. Gazing on the tweeds, cassimeres, and broad-cloths; on the merinos, cassi- meres, and serges, Obed could but think of the days oi the home spufis — days when our mothers made the kerseys, the sheeps greys and the full-cloths; made linse3'-woolseys, the home dyed plaids, and the " Nigerawf/ivai/ " flannels, which the boys and girls were glad to get, even as second-haiid-cut- downs. Obed at least was glad. As he looked upon the delicate flannels and felt their downy smooth- ness, remembrances of the soft woolens his mother used to bring out when the " cold November rains " came on, and placed upon his tender back, rose up — lOO- in the mind of Obed. Again he passed, in imagin- ation through a week of itchings, scratchings, burnings, naughty thoughts, and bitter execrations on the man who first invented woolen underclothes. To Obed those were the days of the bloody shirt, but he will shake it no longer, for lie remembers that mother of other days with tenderest affection. He knows she did the best possible for those God had given her, for she was of that great army of pioneer mothers, now asleep or waiting in the sunset of life. We count them as women whose price is above rubies. They sought wool and flax and worked willingly with their hands. They rose whilst it was yet night and gave meat to their households. They laid their hands to the spindles; their hands held the distaffs. They oj)ened their mouths with motherly wisdom, and their chi.dren arise and call them blessed. Even forty millions of their sons and daughters call those mothers blessed. Obed blesses his above all other women. Finally Obed stood in presence of the Califor- nia display, and as he perceived the velvety softness of her blankets, he felt inclined to clasp his hands and exclaim, " Now I lay me down to sleep," but it was noon day, and he passed on saying, " I have seen an end of all perfections in woolens. Solomon — lOl— in all his glory was not arrayed in goods like these, and as for the Mrs. Solomons, they knew nothing of rag carpets, three-plies, or Brussels, such as adorn this Jubilee of Columbia for the nations." And Obed saw herein only signs of progress ; he saw only these. Silks. Obed saw silks as he pursued his onward way. Silks in the green mulberry leaf; silks in the mouth of the worm ; silks in the cocoon; silks in the raw thread ; silks on pyramids of spools ; silks in tiny scarfs ; silks in gorgeous robes for priestly wear; silks in the hands of its native spinner ; silks of every hue on the backs of gaily dressed ladies — all these he saw. It was simply the warp of one worm become the woof of another. And Obed ad- mired the butterflies — l)utterflies from the hand of nature; l>uLterflies from the hand of fashion. Obed jiiliuired them all. Linens. There were delicate white linens, ond linens of darker hues aiid coarser thread to claim the atten- tion of Obed. Linens that once waved a bright green, or danced in fields of delicate blue in many a land. As he gazed on these, he thought what "flax pullings" they must have in the "father land " among our Teuton relatives, and in "Svvate Ireland " among our cousins of the " real auld stock." But Obed's reflections on flax were not con- fined to " lands beyond the sea." Again he went back to the old Buckeye farm where he first learned the duties of American citizenship. Again he went to the field with father and mother, brothers and sisters, and bowed his back over the flaxen bowls of his prescribed " tltroiu/h" until on straight- ening up he found there was a bone in it sure. Once more he brought the swingle down on devoted heads and then spread the beaten stalks upon the even sward only to hear it said every few da^s, " Obed, my boy, go and turn that flax." And he turned and rg-turned it, until he exclaimed, in his vexation, " Bat the flax," and the flax rotted. Then Obed bound that rotted flax, and laid it away, only to bear it in early spring time to the top of the " old log house " and lay it across the stick chimney to dry. This was Obed's part of the work, whilst his father put it vigorously through the "jaws " of the old " brake " as it was dropped, dried, to him by his "youngest son," and the older ones, "knives —103- in hand, did valorous work at the " skutching board," beating out the " shives." Those were halc3^on days to Obed, and from his lofty site he " viewed the landscape o'er." Sometimes, in his fits of mental abstraction, he allowed his drying charge to " go up " in smoke. Then, as he was a boy, he received a boy's reward. Many a boy has suffered for the want of such reward ; Obed has not. There were other links between the growing fib;'e and the copperas pants and tow shirts of other days in Yankee Land, that rose up in the mind of Obed, despite all the grandeur around him. He descended from his perch on the roof onl}^ to find that mother of other days, her head bound round with a bright " bandanna," all covered with dust and lint, busily drawing the loosened bark through the " hatchel " to separate the " flax " from the " tow." Then there were the " big wheel," the " lit- tle wheel," with its tiny gourd water box, the "reel" with its hickory snapper to count the " knots ;" the "swifts" and the "loom," upon all of which the "maidens" of the household could play tunes that brought clothing and comfort. Upon all these Obed looked again through tlie lapse of years, and was just about to ejaculate, "Let the man who can —104— deprecate these appliances of the olclen time, 'stretch hemp,'" when exclamations of delight from Mrs. Obed and her friend, drew his attention, and he hastened to the show case before which they stood gazing on the prettiest, tiniest baby dress imagin- able; so delicate in its material, its style, its make up, its jirive — only $600. Had there been no cheaper baby clotlies than that, in years gone by, the young Obeds would have worn " aprons of fig leaves" to this day. The young Obeds would. Robes. Baby dresses of extravagant prices were not the only articles of wearing apparel, and items of per- sonal conveniences on which the Obeds feasted their eyes as they stood before those glittering cases. As before stated, there were rich robes interwoven with threads of geld and silver for priestly wear; and there were dresses of delicate laces and rich satin, with and without trails, for ladies whose husbands have never yet touched bottom financially ; there were shaAvls from Cashmere; scarfs of crimson from Damascus, and handkerchiefs almost etherial from France, and all to be had — had merely for the ask- ing and a few hundred, or at most, but a few — 19S— key and pumpkin pies, in thanksgiving for the bounties tliat crown the year. Uncle Sam failed not, after the rich enjoyment of his centenary birthday, to appoint a Thanksgiv- ing, that should befittingly mark his "new depar- ture." And it came, not like the first one, to a few hundred thousand homes where "anxious hopes, and doubts, and fears," were the principal things the inmates had to be thankful for, but to many mil- lions of them, where "Peace and plenty crowned the board." Among others, it came to Obed's home with peaceful plenty, and plentiful peace. For the twen- ty-fourth time Thanksgiving came to the household of Obcd and found him thankful — thankful for the bounties of Providence so freely showered upon his friends and country, as well as upon himself. As he sat with the few friends he had gathered around him, Obed was not only thankful, but his mind was filled with busy memories. He thought of that first Thanksgiving when he and his, numbering only two, sought his old home to eat mother's Thanks- giving dinner. And Obed ate with a relish such as a man never has for any cookery but mother's; No Turkey, no bread and butter, no coffee, no apple pie, iiQ nothing like the viands we get from a moth- —194— er's hands in boyhood. Because Abram could get them no longer, he was the more willing to go to "A land flowing with milk and lioney." With a mind filled with the tenderest memories of a good old mother's larder, Jessee posted the youthful David off to camp with home delicacies for those older brothers who were with Saul, down by the brook E!ah. So. too, during our "late unpleasant- ness," was the heart of many a hoy in blue, touched with yearning memories of "home" and "mother," as he regaled himself, after long dieting on "hog and hardtack," over the well-filled box that "she who loved him best," had carefally forwarded. There were present at that Thanksgiving, fath- er and mother and sisters two. Obed saw them in memory as they were on that da}-. Thanksgiving came again. There had been substraction in the home ci Obed, and one from two left three, and again the old homestead was sought. As it has been times without number, so was it on that occa- sion ; that little subtrahend, in the eyes of grand- father and grandmother, was "Just the nicest baby boy that ever was." Thus the mind of Obed ran over the years. The time came when three from two left five ; the cradle gave place for the school room; he passed through scenes of watching and —193— anxiety; a^ain he witnessed scenes of childish anger and fisti-cuffing of thb kind in which he had often "taken a hand" in the long ago ; wisps of do- mestic cloud followed by broad bands of sunshine, :2ra.nn.ple of IDcnncisstic S-a.-btra.ctioii.. chased each other across his mental vision ; Thanks- giving followed Thanksgiving and the five were al- —196- ways together, and — "Dinner is reacl3%" said Mrs. Obed. Then Obed and his guests rei)aired to the table. There upon the right and upon the left of him, each 'in its place, was a plate turned down "with tender womanly care." A glance at Mrs. Obed revealed instead of the raven tresses he had once admired, a mixture of glorious grey; there were wrinkles stealing over the cheeks where orst all was freshness ; a glimpse of his own countenance in an adjacent mirror showed unmistakable signs of "evening time," and as Obed looked at "The little faithful copy of his sire In face aad gesture." sitting opposite, and thought of the ones whose places were vacant beside him he experienced a sensation unknown before. "Only three of us to-day," mused Obed. "Though children still, they are chihhvn no longer," and he thought that a few weeks before, as the train rolled up, he had taken by the hand a manly form, just going forth in the world to try ife for himself. Tiiere was a quiver on the lip of the son, such as had never been there before; a tremor in the heart of the father ; a tear, may be. in the eyes of each ; a "good bye ;" a "God bless you"— "All aboard,"— and —197— "What shall the harvest be ?" Shall it be "garnered sheaves?" God only knows. As he thought of the loved ones absent, and wondered whether strangers would provide them a Thanksgiving dinner, and if they would think of home, Obed became so oblivious to what was about him that he began to carve the turnip instead of the turkey, and set his teacup on the table cloth, until Mrs. Obed said, as she only can say, "Obed," and his leverie was gone. His reverie was ended. That night,, as he laid his head upon his pillow, Obed could realize better than ever before what parental solicitude and responsibility are, and re- membering that his sensations for the d-iy were only a continuation of those begun in the h(^art of Adam, and vibrating ceaselessly in the hearts of every gen- eration since, he fell asleep. ref>eating ''Precious promise God has givea To the weaiy pass^■r-by, On the way from earth to heaven, — 'I v^ ill guide thi e with luiiie eye.' " CONTENTS. Arms, ... ... ... ... ... ... 107 As Youngest Son, ... ... ... ... 168 At The Capitol, ... ... ... ... ... 79 At a Greenback Mketing, ... ... ... 174 At The Head, ... ... ... ... ... 51 At Fair Point, ... ... ... ... 62 Beginning Work, ... ... ... ... ... . 85 Centennial Eeminiscences, ... ... ... 73 Chemicals, ... ... ... ... ... 121 CoRLis Engine, ... ... ... ... 138 Cottons, ... ... ... ... ... ... 97 Dolls, ... ... ... ... ... 133 Edjcvtional Interests, ... ... ... ... 114 Indepevdexce Chamber, ... ... ... 87 Indkpendence Hall, ... ... ... ... 86 In Agricultural Hall, ... ... ... 152 In Brewers' Hall, ... ... ... ... 1.16 In The Kitchen, ... ... ... ... 147 In Thi-: Main Building, ... ... ... ... '90 Knives And Forks, ... ... ... ... 125 Linens, ... ... ... ... ... ... loi Machinery Hall, ... ... ... ... 137 Medicines, ... ... ... ... ... 119 Memorial Hall, ... ... ... ... 162 CONTENTS, National Museum, Onward, .. On Strikes, Pipes, Philadelphia Keachj:d, The Home, The Pulpit, The Vision, 83 Norwegian Figures, ... ••- ••■ 134 76 56 110 84 Plumes, ... ••■ ••• ••• •• •• ^^^ Pottery, Robes, Silks, 104 101 State Buildings, ... ... ••• •■• ••• ^^^^ Sundries, The Great Co-Partnership, ... ... ■•• -^ Thanksgiving, The Start, The Concert, ... ... ■■• ••■ ••• ^"■' The Crucifixion, ... ... ■•• ••• ••• l^'-^ 92 73 189 110 The Stationery Account, ... ... ••• 1*^-^ 91 The WoMAN'.s Pavilion, ... .. ••• 1^5 U. S. Department, ... ••• ••• ••• ^^1^ Waterford, ... ... ••• ••■ ••• '^' Wools, ^^ "SEVENTEEN SEVENTY-SIX 1" B"^ SI. TJ vJOEcisrsoisr, CLEVELAND: BROOKS, SHINKLE & CO. Muslin, Beveled Edges, Nicely Gilted, $1.00 This volume of chaste flowing treats of subjects, patriotic and re- ligious, sentimental and liumorous. The followinvr are among the many favorable notices it has re- ceiveil from the press: "In the tasty volumr" befoi-e us the gracpful pen of Mr. Johnson, so well and favoraiily known to our readers, carries us all the w-'y from ■what *''e fatliers suflfered to the sinuT'ing sights that Oh^d saw at the great Centennial. Everybody should have a copy."— IT. R. Chroniclf. "The language is sch"larly and chaste, the thoughts flowing on smootli and pure, as we suspect the life itself <>f th • man has d 'ne. The work of their old tencher will be hailfd with gladness by a mul'i- tuile of his former students scattered over the country."— Cmci?tn.a<i Cumrnfrciai "The inscript'on to his wife, at once tender, affectionate and hu- mon^us, is characterist'c of the inaii and tiie work. Several hundred copies have been sold within the few days since its appearance." — Ravenna Democrat. "The unique sentiment, 'Nothing for policy ; Everything for principle,' to which we first opened, characterizes tiie man and the book. We predict for it a ready s&Xe."— Ashtabula JVews. Copies 55nt by tho Author on Ksceipt of Price.