ities sought to discourage the gathering, but this only
advertised it. At the hour set, the place--the "Cradle of Liberty"--was
packed.

The crowd was made up of three classes, the Abolitionists--and they were
in the minority--the mob who hotly opposed them, and the curious and
indifferent people who wanted to see the fireworks.

Many women were in the audience, and a dozen clergymen on the
platform--this gave respectability to the assemblage. The meeting opened
tamely enough with a trite talk by a Unitarian clergyman, and followed
along until the resolutions were read. Then there were cries of, "Table
them!"--the matter was of no importance.

A portly figure was seen making its way to the platform.

It was the Honorable James T. Austin, Attorney-General of the State. He
was stout, florid, ready of tongue--a practical stump speaker and withal
a good deal of a popular favorite. The crowd cheered him--he caught them
from the start. His intent was to explode the whole thing in a laugh, or
else end it in a row--he didn't care which.

He pooh-poohed the whole affair, and referred to the slaves as a
menagerie of lions, tigers, hyenas--a jackass or two--and a host of
monkeys, which the fool Abolitionists were trying to turn loose. He
regretted the death of Lovejoy, but his taking-off should be a warning
to all good people--they should be law-abiding and mind their own
business. He moved that the resolutions be tabled.

The applause that followed showed that if a vote were then taken the
Attorney-General's motion would have prevailed.

"Answer him, Wendell, answer him!" whispered Ann, excitedly, and before
the Attorney-General had bowed himself from the platform, Wendell
Phillips had sprung upon the stage and stood facing the audience. There
were cries of, "Vote! Vote!"--the mobocrats wanted to cut the matter
short. Still others shouted: "Fair play! Let us hear the boy!" The young
man stood there, calm, composed--handsome in the strength of youth. He
waited until the audience came to him and then he spoke in that dulcet
voice--deliberate, measured, faultless--every sentence spaced. The
charm of his speech caught the curiosity of the crowd. People did not
know whether he was going to sustain the Attorney-General or assail him.
From compliments and generalities he moved off into bitter sarcasm. He
riddled the cheap wit of his opponent, tore his logic to tatters, and
held the pitiful rags of reason up before the audience. T