University of Virginia Library

LETTER II.

Mr. Downing describes the method of making a
Speaker.

Dear Cousin Ephraim.—I now take my pen in
hand to let you know that I am well, hoping these few
lines will find you enjoying the same blessing. When
I come down to Portland I did n't think o' staying
more than three or four days, if I could sell my load
of ax handles, and mother's cheese, and cousin Nabby's
bundle of footings; but when I got here I found
uncle Nat was gone a freighting down to Quoddy, and
ant Sally said as how I should n't stir a step home till
he came back agin, which wont be this month. So
here I am, loitering about this great town, as lazy as an
ox. Ax handles dont fetch nothing, I could n't hardly
give 'em away. Tell cousin Nabby I sold her footings
for nine-pence a pair, and took it all in cotton cloth.
Mother's cheese come to five-and-sixpence; I got her
a pound of shushon, and two ounces of snuff, and the

rest in sugar. When uncle Nat comes home I shall
put my ax handles aboard of him, and let him take 'em
to Boston next time he goes; I saw a feller tother day,
that told me they'd fetch a good price there. I've been
here now a whole fortnight, and if I could tell ye one
half I've seen, I guess you'd stare worse than if you'd
seen a catamount. I've been to meeting, and to the
museum, and to both Legislaters, the one they call the
House, and the one they call the Sinnet. I spose
uncle Joshua is in a great hurry to hear something about
these Legislaters; for you know he's always reading
newspapers, and talking politics, when he can get any
body to talk with him. I've seen him, when he had
five tons of hay in the field well made, and a heavy
shower coming up, stand two hours disputing with
squire W. about Adams and Jackson, one calling
Adams a tory and a fed, and the other saying Jackson
was a murderer and a fool; so they kept it up, till the
rain began to pour down, and about spoilt all his hay.

Uncle Joshua may set his heart at rest about the
bushel of corn that he bet long with the post-master,
that Mr. Ruggles would be Speaker of that Legislater,
they call the House; for he 's lost it, slick as a whistle.
As I had n't much to do, I 've been there every
day since they 've been a setting. A Mr. White of
Monmouth was the Speaker the two first days; and I
cant see why they did n't keep him in all the time;
for he seemed to be a very clever good-natured sort of
man, and he had such a smooth pleasant way with him,
that I could n't help feeling sorry when they turned
him out and put in another. But some said he was n't
put in hardly fair; and I dont know as he was, for the
first day when they were all coming in and crowding
round, there was a large fat man, with a round, full,
jolly sort of face, I suppose he was the captain, for he
got up and commanded them to come to order, and
then he told this Mr. White to whip into the chair
quicker than you could say Jack Robinson. Some
of'em scolded about it, and I heard some, in a little

room they called the lobby, say 'twas a mean trick; but
I could n't see why, for I thought Mr. White made a
capital Speaker, and when our company turns out you
know the captain always has a right to do as he's a
mind to.

They kept disputing most all the time the two first
days about a poor Mr. Roberts from Waterborough.—
Some said he should n't have a seat, because he adjourned
the town meeting, and was n't fairly elected.—
Others said it was no such thing, and that he was elected
as fairly as any of 'em. And Mr. Roberts himself
said he was, and said he could bring men that would
swear to it, and good men too. But notwithstanding
all this, when they came to vote, they got three or four
majority that he should n't have a seat. And I thought
it a needless piece of cruelty, for they want crowded,
and there was a number of seats empty. But they
would have it so, and the poor man had to go and stand
up in the lobby.

Then they disputed awhile about a Mr. Fowler's having
a seat. Some said he should n't have a seat, because
when he was elected some of his votes were
given for his father. But they were more kind to him
than they were to Mr. Roberts; for they voted that he
should have a seat; and I suppose it was because they
thought he had a lawful right to inherit whatever was
his father's. They all declared there was no party
politics about it, and I dont think there was; for I noticed
that all who voted that Mr. Roberts should have
a seat, voted that Mr. Fowler should not; and all who
voted that Mr. Roberts should not have a seat, voted
that Mr. Fowler should. So, as they all voted both
ways, they must have acted as their consciences told
them, and I dont see how there could be any party
about it.

It 's a pity they could n't be allowed to have two
speakers, for they seemed to be very anxious to choose
Mr. Ruggles and Mr. Goodenow. They two had every
vote, except one, and if they had had that, I believe

they would both have been chosen; as it was,
however, they both came within a humbird's eye of it.
Whether it was Mr. Ruggles that voted for Mr. Goodenow,
or Mr. Goodedow for Mr. Ruggles, I cant exactly
tell; but I rather guess it was Mr. Ruggles voted
for Mr. Goodenow, for he appeared to be very glad
that Mr. Goodenow was elected, and went up to him
soon after Mr. Goodenow took the chair, and shook
hands with him as good-natured as could be. I would
have given half my load of ax handles, it they could
both have been elected and set up there together, they
would have been so happy. But as they can't have but
one speaker at a time, and as Mr. Goodenow appears
to understand the business very well, it is not likely
Mr. Ruggles will be speaker any this winter. So uncle
Joshua will have to shell out his bushel of corn, and I
hope it will learn him better than to bet about politics
again. If he had not been a goose, he might have
known he would loose it, even if he had been ever so
sure of getting it; for in these politics there's never
any telling which way the cat will jump. You know,
before the last September election, some of the papers
that came to our town had found out that Mr. Hunton
would have five thousand majority of the votes. And
some of the other papers had found out that Mr. Smith
would have five thousand majority. But the cat jumped
'tother way to both of 'em; for I cant find yet as
either of 'em got any majority. Some say Mr. Hunton
has got a little majority, but as far from five thousand
as I am from home. And as for Mr. Smith, they
dont think he has any majority at all. You remember,
too, before I came from home, some of the papers said
how there was a majority of ten or fifteen national republicans
in the Legislater, and the other papers said
there was a pretty clever little majority of democratic
republicans. Well, now every body says it has turned
out jest as that queer little paper, called the Daily
Courier, said 't would. That paper said it was such a
close rub, it could n't hardly tell which side would beat.
And it 's jést so, for they've been here now most a fortnight
acting jest like two boys playin see-saw on a rail.
First one goes up, then 'tother; but I reckon one of
the boys is rather heaviest, for once in awhile he comes
down chuck, and throws the other up into the air as
though he would pitch him head over heels.

In that 'tother Legislator they call the Sinnet, there
has been some of the drollest carryins on that you ever
heard of. If I can get time I'll write you something
about it, pretty soon. So I subscribe myself, in haste,
your loving cousin till death.