going to be a big mass meeting this fall. Ben Butler and Jake Ely and
lots of old pelters are going to be here, and they is going to be 4 or
5 bands and lots of fun. well before that comes they is going to be lots
of political meetings and the first one is to be next week, and father
is going to make a speach. Gim Luverin and Bil Morrill and General
Marsten and Tom Levitt, and he is a ripper to holler. and they want
father to make a speach. father says he must work for the party and
perhaps he can get his salery rased. so he has been a riting every nite
and mumbling it over to hisself and last nite he said he had got it.
tonite he is a going to speak it to us.

Aug. 22. last nite father studed his speach over and let us stay up
to hear it. he stood up and looked auful stirn and put one hand in the
buzum of his shert. i coodent help laffin, but he told me to shet up
or i cood go to bed and so i shet up. i tell you it was fine. It begun
Mister Moddirator had i supposed, or for 1 moment dremp that i a humble
offis holder under this glorious government, wood have been called upon
to speak, i shood have remained at home with my wife and my children.

i said, if you dont want to make a speach why dont you stay at home
that nite, and he said 1 more word from you sir and you go to bed. so i
dident yip again.

then he went on like this, were it not that a crool axident in my erly
youth, in my far away boyhood days prevented me from voluntearing and
desecrating my life to my countrys welfare, in the strugle jest ended
i wood have poared out evry drop of my blud to have maintaned her owner
and the owner of her flag. mother began to laff and said George how
can you tell such feerful stories, you know you were scart most to deth
becaus you was afraid you wood be drafted.

father said they was a lot of old fellows traveling round the country
and talking that way who coodent have been drug into the war with a ox
chane. then he stood on the other leg a while and said, it is peculiarly
aproprate that Exeter, the berth place of Lewis Cas, the educater of
Webster, the home of Amos Tuck, of General Marston shood be fourmost
in the party strife, and as for me i wirk only for my partys good, my
countrys good, without feer or hope of reward. they was a lot more to
it, and some of it you cood hear about a mile he hollered so.

Aug. 23. We are all going the nite of the rally. mother says she wont go
for she wood be ashamed to hear father t