est had
been greatly excited in the hero of the Bugaboo and Kickapoo campaign.

However, the delightfully luminous conversation of Brevet Brigadier
General John A. B. C. Smith soon completely dissipated this chagrin. My
friend leaving us immediately, we had quite a long _tete-a-tete_, and
I was not only pleased but _really_--instructed. I never heard a more
fluent talker, or a man of greater general information. With becoming
modesty, he forebore, nevertheless, to touch upon the theme I had just
then most at heart--I mean the mysterious circumstances attending the
Bugaboo war--and, on my own part, what I conceive to be a proper sense
of delicacy forbade me to broach the subject; although, in truth, I was
exceedingly tempted to do so. I perceived, too, that the gallant soldier
preferred topics of philosophical interest, and that he delighted,
especially, in commenting upon the rapid march of mechanical invention.
Indeed, lead him where I would, this was a point to which he invariably
came back.

"There is nothing at all like it," he would say; "we are a
wonderful people, and live in a wonderful age. Parachutes and
rail-roads--man-traps and spring-guns! Our steam-boats are upon every
sea, and the Nassau balloon packet is about to run regular trips (fare
either way only twenty pounds sterling) between London and Timbuctoo.
And who shall calculate the immense influence upon social life--upon
arts--upon commerce--upon literature--which will be the immediate result
of the great principles of electro magnetics! Nor, is this all, let me
assure you! There is really no end to the march of invention. The most
wonderful--the most ingenious--and let me add, Mr.--Mr.--Thompson, I
believe, is your name--let me add, I say, the most _useful_--the most
truly _useful_ mechanical contrivances, are daily springing up
like mushrooms, if I may so express myself, or, more figuratively,
like--ah--grasshoppers--like grasshoppers, Mr. Thompson--about us and
ah--ah--ah--around us!"

Thompson, to be sure, is not my name; but it is needless to say that
I left General Smith with a heightened interest in the man, with an
exalted opinion of his conversational powers, and a deep sense of
the valuable privileges we enjoy in living in this age of mechanical
invention. My curiosity, however, had not been altogether satisfied,
and I resolved to prosecute immediate inquiry among my acquaintances
touching the Brevet Brigadier General himself, and particula