was the matter above
common. There ain't nothin' to England shows its wealth like this.

"Says father to me when I came back, 'Sam,' sais he, 'what struck you
most?'

"'Ascot Races,' sais I.

"'Jist like you,' sais he. 'Hosses and galls is all you think of.
Wherever they be, there you are, that's a fact. You're a chip of the old
block, my boy. There ain't nothin' lake 'em; is there?'

"Well, he was half right, was father. It's worth seein' for hosses and
galls too; but it's worth seein' for its carriage wealth alone. Heavens
and airth, what a rich country it must be that has such a show in that
line as England. Don't talk of stock, for it may fail; or silver-smiths'
shops, for you can't tell what's plated; or jewels, for they may be
paste; or goods, for they may be worth only half nothin'; but talk of
the carriages, them's the witnesses that don't lie.

"And what do they say? 'Calcutta keeps me, and China keeps me, and
Bot'ney Bay keeps me, and Canada keeps me, and Nova Scotia keeps me, and
the whales keep me, and the white bears keep me, and every thing on the
airth keeps me, every thing under the airth keeps me. In short, all the
world keeps me.'"

"No, not all the world, Sam," said Mr. Hopewell; "there are some
repudiative States that _don't keep me_; and if you go to the auction
rooms, you'll see some beautiful carriages for sale, that say, 'the
United States' Bank used to keep me,' and some more that say, 'Nick
Biddle put me down.'"

"Minister, I won't stand that," said Mr. Slick. "I won't stay here and
hear you belittle Uncle Sam that way for nothin'. He ain't wuss than
John Bull, arter all. Ain't there no swindle-banks here? Jist tell me
that. Don't our liners fetch over, every trip, fellers that cut and run
from England, with their fobs filled with other men's money? Ain't
there lords in this country that know how to "repudiate" as well as
ring-tail-roarers in ourn. So come now, don't throw stones till you put
your window-shutters to, or you may stand a smart chance of gettin' your
own glass broke, that's a fact.'

"And then, Squire, jist look at the carriages. I'll bet you a goose and
trimmin's you can't find their ditto nowhere. They _are_ carriages, and
no mistake, that's a fact. Look at the hosses, the harness, the paint,
the linin's, the well-dressed, lazy, idle, infarnal hansum servants,
(these rascals, I suspicion, are picked out for their looks), look at
the whole thing all through the piece, t