d in
the open places with the world so far below them that even the insistent
sound of the fifes and drums rose but faintly to their ears.

And perhaps,--we shall not say positively,--perhaps Mr. Brice's thoughts
went something like this, "O that love were so simple a matter to all!"
But graven on his face was what is called the "Boston scorn." And no
scorn has been known like unto it since the days of Athens.

So Stephen made the best of his way to the Brewster House, the elegance
and newness of which the citizens of Freeport openly boasted. Mr.
Lincoln had preceded him, and was even then listening to a few remarks
of burning praise by an honorable gentleman. Mr. Lincoln himself made a
few remarks, which seemed so simple and rang so true, and were so free
from political rococo and decoration generally, that even the young
men forgot their sweethearts to listen. Then Mr. Lincoln went into the
hotel, and the sun slipped under a black cloud.

The lobby was full, and rather dirty, since the supply of spittoons was
so far behind the demand. Like the firmament, it was divided into little
bodies which revolved about larger bodies. But there lacked not here
supporters of the Little Giant, and discreet farmers of influence in
their own counties who waited to hear the afternoon's debate before
deciding. These and others did not hesitate to tell of the magnificence
of the Little Giant's torchlight procession the previous evening. Every
Dred-Scottite had carried a torch, and many transparencies, so that
the very glory of it had turned night into day. The Chief Lictor had
distributed these torches with an unheard-of liberality. But there
lacked not detractors who swore that John Dibble and other Lincolnites
had applied for torches for the mere pleasure of carrying them. Since
dawn the delegations had been heralded from the house-tops, and wagered
on while they were yet as worms far out or the prairie. All the morning
these continued to came in, and form in line to march past their
particular candidate. The second great event of the day was the event
of the special over the Galena roar, of sixteen cars and more than a
thousand pairs of sovereign lungs. With military precision they repaired
to the Brewster House, and ahead of then a banner was flung: "Winnebago
County for the Tall Sucker." And the Tall Sucker was on the steps to
receive them.

But Mr. Douglas, who had arrived the evening before to the booming
of two and thirty gu