The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-05-01
CHAPTER xViII--continued.
Copyright, by Irving Bachelor,

en- NViIi--Continued,
--18-
lie mad priceless and unusua, FOL
ent Tor avoiding school-reader English
u''u tne arts of defamation and for
preparing a difficult subject TO enter
the average brain. The underlying Sc.
cret OF his power was soon apparent
10 me. lie stood always for that great
,n,ng IN America which, since then,
whitman has called "the divine aggre.
gaze and seeing clearly how every
measure would be likely to affect its
weliare, he followed the COMPASS. II
hau led him to height of power
above all others and was to lead him
unto me lonellest summit of accom-
piishment In American history.
Not much in my term of service
there Is important to this little task
OF mine. l did my work well, If may
believe the senator, and grew familiar
with the gentle and ungentle arts of
the politician.
one great fact grew In magnitude
ana sullen pOrtent as the months
passed: the gigantic slave-holding in
terests of the South viewed with grow
ing alarm the spread of abolition SEN
timent. Subtly, quietly and naturally
they were feeling for the means to de-
Tend and increase their power. Straws
we're coming to the surface In that
session which betrayed this deep I'M
hercurrent of purpose. We felt 1t and
che senator was worried / knew, but
held his peace. He knew how to keep
his opinions until the hour had struck
that summoned them to service. The
senator neTef played with his lance.
BY and bs Spencer openly sounded the
note Of conflict.
The most welcome year of my life
dawned on the first of January, 1874.
l remember that ! arose before day
light that morning and dressed and
went out on the street to welcome 1t.
had less than six months to walt
for that day appointed by Sally. had
no doubt that she would be true to me.
l had had my days of fear and depres-
sion, but always my sublime faith In
her came back in good time.
Oh, yes, indeed, Washington was a
fair of beauty and gallantry those
days. / saw it all. have spent many
years in the capital, and tell you the
girls of that time had manners and
knew how to wear their clothes, but
again the magic of old memories kept
my lady on her throne. There was
one of them-just one of those others
who, | sometimes thought, was almost
as graceful and charming and noble
hearted as Sally, and she liked me, l
know, but the ideal Of my youth
glowed in the light of the early morn
ing. so to speak, and was brighter than
oil CHEERS. Above all, had given my
word to Sally, and-well, v'u know,
the old-.sime Yankee Of good stock was
fairly steadfast. whatever else may
&c said of him-Often little too
Jteadfast, as were Ben Grimshaw and
Squire Fullerton.
The senator and l went calling that
New Years day. We saw oil the
great people and some of them were
more cheerful than they had right
TO be. It was weakness of the time.
| shall not go into details for fear OF
wandering too far from my main road.
Let me step aside moment to say,
however, that there were two clouds
IN the sky of the Washington society
of those days. One was strong drink
and the other was the crude, rough
coated aggressive democrat from the
frontiers of the West. These latter
wore often seen in the holiday regalia
Of farm or village at fashionable rune
tions. Some of them changed SLOWLY,
and nv and by reached the stage OF
,,hite linen and diamond breastpins
md wo;stcoats Of figured silk. IL
must he said, however, that their mo-
tives were always above their taste.
The winter wore away slowly In
hord work. Mr.. Van Buren, came down
% gee the senator one day from MS
country seat on the Hudson. The ex-
president had been solicited to accept
the nomination again. / know that
senator Wright strongly favored the
MAN but feared that the South woulu
defeot him in convention, 1t being wen
Known that Van Buren, was Opposed 70
the annexation of Texas. However,
no advised his friend to make a nehl
FOR ., the nomination and this the latter
,osoIved to do. Thenceforward unt'l
middle May gave my time largely TO
,he inditing of letters for the senator
IN Van Buren's behalf.
The time appointed for the conven-
.,on in Baltimore drew near. one uay
the the senator received an intimation that
No would be put in nomination II van
p y failed. Immediately ne wrote
:" Sudee Fine of ogdensburg, chair
u ~ Of the delegation from the north
ON district of New York. forpidding
snch use of his name on the ground
snst his acquiescence would involve as
,ov.,ty TO his friend the ex-president.
80 mo leave to 20 to the con-