Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-19
CHAPTER ".
THE POLITICIANS.


and naturally enough, being both lawyer
and politician. He allowed politics to oc-
cupy so much Of his time that he was
obliged to overwork in order to perform his
legal duties. He often dined down town,
and remained studying and writing IN his
office until s late hour, and not infrequent-
ly prepared cases at home, where he kept
part of his law library, especially duplicate
volumes of reference and authority. He
was ambitious both as a lawyer and poll
tician, though he regarded eminence in his
profession chiefly as an aid to political ad-
vancement He had already been mem.
Der of the Assembly and State Senator,
and had also held one or two important
though not lucrative municipal Offices. He
had higher aspirations, however; he
wanted, among other things, to go to Con-
gress, to be national Senator and Gov.
ernor of the State.
By no means vulgar politician-he did
not seek place Tor sake OF plunder-he was
necessarily leagued, being on the side Of
numerical strength in New York city, with
most unscrupulous, corrupt men, at whose
character and transgressions he was CON-
PEELED to blink on behalf of the party and
his standing therein.
Inside of so, he had acquired wealth by
his practice-he had the management of
several commercial cases of consequence
and was absorbed in the two professions
he had so ardentlY embraced. Whether
domestic by disposition or not, it would be
hard to decide he was not, assuredly,
domestic in fact, owing, perhaps, to cir
cumstances. His wife, whom he had found
early in an interior town, loved him with
such an approach to worship as not to de-
mand, or indeed to feel the need of active
reciprocity. Whatever Thomas did,
or failed to do, he was absolute-
ly right, in her eyes there could
be no sound ethical law Independent of or
at variance with his conduct Her mind
was narrow, and could not be broadened
his was capable of expansion and continual
growth She was domestic to the core.
When she went to New York to reside, she
could not take it in it was too large for
her, and to her later surroundings she had
never grown accustomed. She had borne
four children, two boys and two girls, and
all of them except Elise (she had been
christened Eliza, after her mother) had
died at tender age, in consequence, her
friends thought, OF over-care. The loss of
her children had augmented her repugnance
to society, also her theologic fervor, to
which she had been inclined from the first
by a wistful and gloomy temperament.
She was always so intent on her children
in Heaven, as she expressed it, that her
single remaining child on earth received
very little of her thought
Mrs Northrup prayed much and long,
and prayer, she was fond of saying, afford
ed her the greatest comfort and consola-
tion, though nobody who had seen her dis
tressed face aud depressed manner would
have had the remotest suspicion of the
fact. She saw but little of her husband
or daughter, but she daily besought God
to watch over and guide them; and so
complete was her faith in Him, that she
might have regarded any active exercise of
her domestic duties as interference with
the will of Divine Providence.
Although the present was not the season
of politics, political managers, of whom
Northrup was one, always feel more or less
called upon to serve their own interests, or
those of their party, which they are apt to
consider Identical Within fortnight
after the reception at his house, at which
Mrs. Northrup had as usual on social &C.
casions, been so dim and shadowy figure
as to make ne impression on her guests, he
attended meeting of his. party to arrange
for the next campaign, whose results were
expected, of course, to have extraordinary
influence.
The hall, in Fourteenth street, was small,
and the meeting, being in the nature of
caucus, was designed to include the WIRE
pullers mainly-not the blind, irresponsi-
BILE obeyers of party behests. The fact,
however, that the meeting was to be held
had reached the ears of these, and num-
Der of them had appeared before the hour,
and demanded admittance. The worst
specimens were either foreign or of foreign
extraction, as, in truth, many of the mag
mates were. Their peculiar features, as
well as their accent, betrayed their nation
atty. They seemed to suspect that some
important action was to be taken to their
detriment, and the suspicion made them
ugly and venomous. Some of them were
partially intoxicated, and were growing
out threats, mingled with profanity, against
various men mentioned with familiar vio-
lence. It was the snarl of the cur at hie
master, who with kick would soon reduce
the cross beast to submission.
Before the meeting had been called to
order, Northrup, who was seated near one
of his political associates of his own race,
ran his eye over some of the fellows OF the
baser sort, ard said 81 find it hard
sometimes, Porter, to repress my disgust
for some of my constituents. They do not
seem like men they are brutes in feature,
not less than in nature. 1t is enough to
convert any thoughtful man to Darwin
ism to attend our conclaves. Look at that
noxious creature, just opposite He ap-
pears to be cross between baboon and a
bvena and there are thousands like him.
I'll venture to say that he'd commit muir
der for five dollars, and would steal on
instinct. It's an outrage on intelligent
government to give such wretches vote.
It's like putting a torch into the hands of
I.Lap rrfnan whn Ii ahnsinr Won in