ife. No other company had more than fifes or
clarionets. It was a grand crash which the band gave. The next moment
the people were astonished to see a company of boys marching proudly
upon the green,--up and down,--changing front, marching by files, in
echelon, by platoons.

"We took our place in line on the field, were inspected, reviewed, and
complimented by Maj.-Gen. Anthony Colby, afterwards governor of the
State.

"When I gave the salute, the crowd applauded. It was the great day of
all others in my boyhood. Several of the farmers gave us a grand
dinner. In the afternoon we took part in the sham fight with our
little cannon, and covered ourselves with glory--against the big
artillery.

"I think that I manifested good common sense when, at the close of
the day, I complimented the soldiers on their behavior, and resigned
my commission. I knew that we could never attain equal glory again,
and that it was better to resign when at the zenith of fame than to go
out as a fading star."

CHAPTER IV.

POLITICS, TRAVEL, AND BUSINESS.

Let us quote again from Mr. Coffin's autobiographical notes:

"In 1836 my father, catching the speculation fever of the period,
accompanied by my uncle and brother-in-law, went to Illinois, and left
quite an amount of money for the purchase of government land. My
father owned several shares in the Concord Bank. The speculative fever
pervaded the entire community,--speculation in lands in Maine and in
Illinois. The result was a great inflation of prices,--the issuing of
a great amount of promises to pay, with a grand collapse which brought
ruin and poverty to many households. The year of 1838 was one of great
distress. The wheat and corn crop was scant. Flour was worth $16 a
barrel. I remember going often to mill with a grist of oats, which was
bolted into flour for want of wheat. The Concord Bank failed,--the
Western lands were worthless. Wool could not be sold, and the shearing
for that year was taken to the town of Nelson, in Cheshire County, and
manufactured into satinets and cassimeres, on shares. One of the
pieces of cassimere was dyed with a claret tinge, from which I had my
first Sunday suit.

"Up to this period, nearly all my clothing was manufactured in the
family loom and cleaned at the clothing and fulling mill. In very
early boyhood, my Sunday suit was a swallow-tailed coat, and hat of
the stove-pipe pattern.

"The year 1840 was one of great political excitement,