child, and the rushing train was upon it. Spectators turned away
in horror. The air was heavy, and the sun seemed to stop its
shining. Slowly the long freight train, loaded with its rich
freight of huckleberries, came to a halt. A glad cry went up from
the assembly as the broad-shouldered engineer came out of the tall
grass with the crowing child in his arms. Then cheer on cheer rent
the air, and in the midst of it all, Mr. Nye appeared. He was told
of the circumstance, and, as he wrung the hand of the engineer,
tears stood in his eyes. Then, reaching in his pocket, he drew
forth a card, and writing his autograph on it, he gave it to the
astounded engineer, telling him to use it wisely and not fritter it
away. 'But are you not robbing yourself?' exclaimed the astonished
and delighted engineer. 'No, oh no,' said the munificent parent, 'I
have others left.' And this is the man who asks our suffrages! Will
you vote for him or for Alick Meyerdinger, the purest one-legged
man that ever rapped with his honest knuckles on top of a bar and
asked the boys to put a name to it."

I was pained to read this, for I had not at that time toyed much with
politics, but I went up stairs and practiced an hour or two on a hollow
laugh that I thought would hide the pain which seemed to tug at my
heart-strings. For the rest of the day I strolled about town bearing a
lurid campaign smile that looked about as joyous as the light-hearted
gambols of a tin horse.

I visited my groceryman, a man whom I felt that I could trust, and who
had honored me in the same way. He said that I ought to be indorsed by
my fellow-citizens. "What! All of them?" I exclaimed, with a choking
sensation, for I had once tried to be indorsed by one of my
fellow-citizens and was not entirely successful. "No," said he, "but you
ought to be ratified and indorsed by those who know you best and love
you most."

"Well," said I, "will you attend to that?"

"Yes, of course I will. You must not give up hope. Where do you buy your
meat?"

I told him the name of my butcher.

"And do you owe him about the same that you do me?"

I said I didn't think there could be $5 one way or the other.

"Well, give me a memorandum of what you can call to mind that you owe
around town. I will see all these parties and we will get them together
and work up a strong and hearty home indorsement for you, whi