University of Virginia Library

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 didn'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 shouldn't stir a step home till he come
back agin, which wont be this month. So here I am, loitering
about this great town, as lazy as an ox. Ax handles don't fetch
nothing, I couldn'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 half 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.—l'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 hadn'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 can't see why they didn'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 couldn't
help feeling sorry when they turned him out and put in
another. But some said he wasn'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 a 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 couldn'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 shouldn't have a seat, because he ad ourned the town meeting,
and wasn'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 shouldn'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 shouldn'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 don't 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 couldn't be allowed to have two speakers,
for they seemed to be very anxious to choose Mr. Ruggles
and Mr. Goodenow. They too had every vote, except one,
and if they had had that, I believe they both would 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. Goodenow for Mr. Ruggles, I can't
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, if 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 can't find yet as either of 'em has 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 don't 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 the Daily Courier, said 'twould. That
paper said it was such a close rub, it couldn't hardly tell
which side would beat. And it's jest 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 Legislater 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.