The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-03-28
JUDGE DOUGLASS IN ILLINOIS.

IA correspondent of the N. Y. Evening Mirror
in giving some sketches of Judge DOUGLASS, of
Illinois, puts the following story into his mouth.
Referring to his early career in the Sucker State,
the question was asked:l ....
How do you adapt yourself to the people' How
do you nat1aiiSe yourself, as it were'
'Oh, nothing easier: you see like it. It's dem
ocradc. But it did come awkward at first You
know | am, or rather tras, bashful, to rather a
painful degree. Well, now, nine tenths of my
constituents, despise uxlries, and have no such
thing as second room in their houses In beat.
ing up Tor votes, live with my constituents, eat
with my constituents, drink with them, lodge
with them, pray with them, laugh hunt, dance
and work with them. | eat their corn dodgers
and fried bacon, and sleep two in a bed with them.
Among my first acquan,ances were the Is,
down. under the Bluffs. Fine fellows the LIS,
by the way | am sure Of FIVE votes there Well,
you perceive h ID 10 Hre therc-and did live
there But, sir, was scared the first night slept
there. own it; yes, sir, | acknowledge the corn.
An ice bath in August, is something; but was
done 10 an iciee had periodical chills for ten days
Did you ever see Venus in linsey-woolsey!"
MOI,
'Then you shall see Serena l.. They call
her the white Pover:' seventeen: plump as pid.
geon: and smooth as persimmon. How the devil
said to myself, soloquizing, the first night
slept tbere-am to go to bed before this young
lady! ! do believe my heart was topsy tirvied,
for the idea Of pulling off my boots before the girl
was death; and as to doffng my other fixtures, I
would sooner have had my leg taken off with a
wnodsaw. The crisis was tremendous. 1t was
nearly midnight, and the family had been hours
in bed Miss Serena alone remained. Bright as
the sun the merry mink talked On. 1t was porten-
Gously obvious TO me at last that she was deter
mined to out-sit me. BY yrepeated spasmodc efforts
my coat, waistcoat. cravat, boots and socks were
brought off, During the process, my beautiful
neighbor talked TO me with unaverted eyes, and
with that peculiar kind of pacidity employed by
painters to embody their idea of the virgin.
dumped myself down in chair, in cold perspi-
ration. A distressing thought occurred to me-
Does not the damsel stand on point Of local eti-
quette! 1t may be the fashion of these people to
see people in bed before retiring themselves? May
have not kept those beautiful eyes open from
ignorance Of what these people deem good breed
ingi Neither the lady's eyes NOR tongue had in
deed betrayed fatigue. Those large jet eyes SEEM
ed to d.late and gov brighter as the blaze of the
wood fire died away; but doubtless this was from
kind consideration for the strange wakeiulness of
her guest. The thing was clear. ! determined to
retire and without delay. arose with firmness
unloosed my suspenders, and in voice nat alto.
gether steady said:
'Mss Serena, I think will retire.
"CertainIy, sir, she quietly observed, "you will
lodge there, sr;" inclining her beautiful head TO-
wards bed standing few yards from where she
was sitting. Iproceeded to uncase; entrenching
myself behind chair the while iondly imagining
the position offered some security. 1t is simply
plain to a man in his senses, that chair of the
fashion of the one I had thrown between myself
and the enemy as military man would say,
offered almost security at ALL No more, in
fact than standing up behind ladder--nothng in
the way Of the artillery Of bright eyes, as poet
wouIdsay, sweeping one downb platforms. Then
! bad ! dead open space of ten feet between me