University of Virginia Library

LETTER XLI.
Progress of proceedings in the Legislature.

My dear old Friend. — If I could n't write to you
once in a while, I don't know but I should die. When
any thing has kept me from writing two or three weeks,
I get in such a taking it seems as though I should split,
and the only way I can get relief is to take my pen and
go at it. The reason why you have n't heard from me
this fortnight past, is this dreadful furenza. We've all
got it here, and it's nothing but cough, cough, the whole
time. If a member gets up to speak, they all cough at
him. If he says any thing that they like, they cough at
it; and if he says any thing that they dont like, they
cough at it. So let him say what he will they keep a
steady stream of coughing. I've been amost sick for a
week. Some days I want hardly able to set up. But
I'm getting cleverly now, and I hope I shall be able to
let you hear from me once or twice a week during the
session.

The wheels of government go pretty well this winter.
Some say that some folks have tried to trig 'em two or
three times, but I dont hardly think that is the case, for
they havn't been stopt once. And, as I said in my last letter,
if my friend Mr Knowlton stands as foreman, and
keeps his broad shoulders to the wheels, I dont believe
they will stop this winter. By the way, I made a little
small mistake about Mr Knowlton's hat. I should n't have
thought it worth while to mention it again, if the Augusta
Courier of this morning had n't spoke of it as though I
did n't mean to tell the truth. Now you know Mr Editor,
I would n't be guilty of tellng a falsehood for my

right hand. When Mr Knowlton called the members to
order the first day of the session, I certainly thought I
saw him holding in his hand a broad brimmed white hat.
It might be my imagination, remembering how he used
to look, or it might possibly be the hat of the member
standing by the side of him, for I was some ways off.

I'm pesky fraid the general government may settle that
hash down there to Madawaska as Mr Netherlands that
they left out to, recommended. If they should I'm afraid
my jig would be up about fighting a battle very soon, or
getting in to be President.

Our party's got into a dreadful kind of a stew here
about who shall be next Senator to Congress and one
thing another. We've got into such a snarl about it,
I'm afraid we never shall get unravelled again without
cutting off the tangles, and that would divide us so we
never should hold together in the world. I wrote to the
Argus yesterday, to be sure not to reply to the Age for
its ungentlemanly remarks about Judge Preble, and hope
it will be prudent enough to follow my recommendation.
We must try to hush these matters up, or it 'll be the
death of the party. I've had a serious talk with friend
Ruggles, and am in hopes he'll put his hand over the
Thomaston paper and not let it belch out any thing that
our enemies can make a handle of. And I guess we
shall have a caucus and try to put a cooler on the Bangor
Republican and the Age.

The Legislaters like Augusta considerable well, if it
did n't cost 'em so much more than it did in Portland for
a living. Such as had to pay two dollars and a half in
Portland for board have to pay three and four dollars
here. When I was in Portland, I used to get boarded
for seven and six pence a week, and here the cheapest
I could get boarded any where, was ten and sixpence.
The Augusta Courier last week said something about the
folks here giving me a public dinner. I should like it
pretty well, for I have rather slim dinners where I
board.

If you see cousin Sally, I wish you'd jest ask her if
she has time before and after school, if she'll knit me a
pair of footings and send 'em up by the stage-driver, for
mine have got pretty full of holes, and I have n't any
body here to mend 'em.