have faith in Abraham,
Yet another County for the Rail-sputter, Abe the Giant-killer,"--so the
banners read. Here, much bedecked, was the Galena Lincoln Club, part of
Joe Davies's shipment. Fifes skirled, and drums throbbed, and the stars
and stripes snapped in the breeze. And here was a delegation headed
by fifty sturdy ladies on horseback, at whom Stephen gaped like a
countryman. Then came carryalls of all ages and degrees, wagons from
this county and that county, giddily draped, drawn by horses from one
to six, or by mules, their inscriptions addressing their senatorial
candidate in all degrees of familiarity, but not contempt. What they
seemed proudest of was that he had been a rail-splitter, for nearly all
bore a fence-rail.

But stay, what is this wagon with the high sapling flagstaff in the
middle, and the leaves still on it?

"Westward the Star of Empire takes its way.
The girls link on to Lincoln; their mothers were for Clay."

Here was glory to blind you,--two and thirty maids in red sashes and
blue liberty caps with white stars. Each was a state of the Union,
and every one of them was for Abraham, who called them his "Basket of
Flowers." Behind them, most touching of all, sat a thirty-third shackled
in chains. That was Kansas. Alas, the men of Kansas was far from being
as sorrowful as the part demanded,--in spite of her instructions she
would smile at the boys. But the appealing inscription she bore, "Set me
free" was greeted with storms of laughter, the boldest of the young men
shouting that she was too beautiful to be free, and some of the old
men, to their shame be it said likewise shouted. No false embarrassment
troubled Kansas. She was openly pleased. But the young men who had
brought their sweethearts to town, and were standing hand in hand with
them, for obvious reasons saw nothing: They scarcely dared to look at
Kansas, and those who did were so loudly rebuked that they turned down
the side streets.

During this part of the day these loving couples, whose devotion was so
patent to the whole world, were by far the most absorbing to Stephen.
He watched them having their fortunes told, the young women blushing and
crying, "Say!" and "Ain't he wicked?" and the young men getting their
ears boxed for certain remarks. He watched them standing open-mouthed
at the booths and side shows with hands still locked, or again they were
chewing cream candy in unison. Or he glanced sidewise at them, seate