entucky, where they had built
the cabin they lived in, and cleared the ground they tilled. Among their
household goods, they had brought along with them quite a curious medley
of such little notions as fancy ribbons and kerchiefs, books, big wood
engravings, odd pieces of ware--china, silver and glass--odd pieces of
family jewels, strings of bright-colored beads, and the like. Among the
rest, were several locks of hair, some of which were gray, the others
black or brown, golden-yellow, or flaxen, or white, as the case might
be; locks of hair in those simple times being viewed pretty much in the
same light that photographs now-a-days are, and, perhaps, even more
highly prized and tenderly preserved.

As you have already anticipated, these little notions were gifts for
dear remembrance sake from the loved ones they had left so far behind
them and whom they were to meet no more for long, long years--perhaps,
forever. Precious relics, which the lonely young pair took out, from
time to time, to look at them; when, with a smile and a tear, they would
tell of the sweet recollections, which this lock of hair, or that piece
of chinaware, this book or that old picture was conjuring up from out
the lights and shadows of such days as no land but brave old
Virginia--happy old Virginia--ever knew.

Now, in this same pack, along with these odds and ends of dear
remembrance, there chanced to be an old show bill, which Jervis and
Elster had brought along with the rest just to keep them in mind of the
happy, happy day, when they two had united their hearts and fortunes for
life. On that self-same day they had gone to the show, which was blazed
by this self-same show bill; and the occasion made their bridal tour as
complete a thing of its kind as nothing short of a centennial could make
in these latter days do for the like excursions. On the show bill, in a
variety of fancy colors, such as we sometimes see in pictures of Daniel
in the den of lions, and the like, were the representations of the
animals which were to be seen at the show; and more, you may be sure,
than were seen there on that day, or ever had been seen in the land, or
ever shall be seen in the world, unless, indeed, what African travelers
tell us, backed by Barnum and the man in the moon, should some day turn
out to be true. To lend their rustic home a more genteel and civilized
appearance, as well as to keep them in mind of the
ever-to-be-remembered day just mentioned, El