r work. We must place the opposition at a disadvantage
from the first; then we could afford to ignore it altogether and rise
to a level with the humane issues of the campaign. It was accordingly
arranged that the friends should make appointments and secure us
suitable escort to neighboring towns; and to distant and less
accessible points a gentleman was engaged to take us in a private
carriage,--his wife, a woman of rare talent and fine culture, to
accompany us. A programme which was advertised in the local papers and
happily carried out.

From Delavan we returned to Milwaukee to perfect our arrangements.
From thence our next move was to Waukesha, the shire town of Waukesha
County, twenty miles by rail, to a Temperance meeting advertised for
"speaking and the transaction of business." The meeting was held in
the Congregational church, the pastor acting as chairman. The real
business of the meeting was soon disposed of, and then was enacted the
most amusing farce it was ever my lot to witness. The chairman and his
deacon led off in a long-drawn debate on sundry matters of no
importance, and of less interest to the audience, members of which
attempted in vain, by motions and votes, to cut it short. When it had
become sufficiently apparent that the gentlemen were "talking against
time" to prevent speaking, there were calls for speakers. The chairman
replied that it was a "business meeting, but Rev. Mr. ----, from
Illinois, would lecture in the evening." Several gentlemen rose to
protest. One said he "had walked seven miles that his wife and
daughters might ride, to hear the ladies speak." Another had "ridden
horseback twelve miles to hear them." A storm was impending; the
chairman was prepared; he declared the meeting adjourned and with his
deacon left the house.

There was a hurried consultation in the ante-room, which resulted in
an urgent request for "Mrs. Nichols to remain and speak in the
evening." The speaker noticed for the evening, joined heartily in the
request; "half an hour was all the time he wanted." But when the
evening came, he insisted that I should speak first, and when I should
have given way for him, assured me that he "had made arrangements to
speak the next evening," and joined in the "go on, go on!" of the
audience. So it was decided that I should remain over the Sabbath, and
Mrs. F. return with the friends to Milwaukee.

Meantime it had transpired that in the audience were several
Vermonters from