Flat, (bully number 2,) "and I'd 'a' kept up all and asked every body to vote for him. By these sorts o' rolling and tumbling over this barbecue ground, before I'd 'a' seen the 'Squire hurt." 66 Oh, but Sammy," said Johns, Fields and Snatch, in one voice, "its all over now. Drop it-We all see Darby was wrong." "Oh, yes," said John White, reeling under a pint of rum, "drop it; it's all got in-a wrongfix-by not knowin'-nothin' 'bout it. I heard it every bit 'Squire didn't say what Darby said and Darby didn't say what 'Squire said and none of you didn't say what all of you said and that's the way-you all got to quarr'lin' and fightin'. We're all friends and let's go take a drink. Which whipp'd ?" Before White concluded this very luminous and satisfactory explanation, the attorneys and their friends had retired, and Darby proceeded: "Gentlemen, when I first talked 'bout bein' a cand'date, I had no notion of bein' one-I jest said it in fun, as all the boys here knows; but now you see since they go to puttin' on me after this sorts, I'll be blamed if I don't be a cand'date, even if I git beat. This is a free country, in which every man has a right to do as he pleases, and 'cordin' to their chat, no body ha'n't got no right to be cand' dates but lawyers. If that's the chat, I don't know what our rev'lution was for, and I fit in it too. Gentlemen, you see how I've been persecuted!" means, his popularity increased wonderfully. Three months lay between the barbecue and the election; and before the expiration of the first, the wise began to fear, and the foolish to boast, that Darby Anvil would be elected. Another month placed the matter beyond dispute; and left to either of the other candidates the alternative of making common cause with Darby, or of staying at home. The temptation was too strong for Smith's integrity. He formed a secret alliance with Darby. It was affected with great care, and much cunning: but it was soon exposed by his conduct, and its results. It was the first instance of such self-abasement that I ever witnessed in Georgia, (would that it had been the last!) and it was received with becoming indignation by the virtuous and intelligent of the county. They took the field almost to a man in behalf of Jones; and but for his magnanimity, they would have succeeded at last in giving Smith the just reward of his treachery. But Jones implored them, by their regard for the future welfare of the State, to level all their forces against Anvil, and not against Smith. "If Smith," said he, "is returned to the legislature, he will serve you with profit, if not with honor; but if Darby be elected, he will be worthless as a member, and ruinous as an example. Encouraged by his success, hundreds of stupid asses like himself, will make their way to Darby's resolution was applauded by some, and the General Assembly; and the consequence will his insulted dignity soothed by others. He now be, our government will become a despotism of surrendered himself unreservedly to electioneering. fools, and a disgrace to republicanism." By these, His first object was to secure the favor of John and many other more forcible arguments, which I Reynolds; for the bully of a county was then (as have not room to repeat, Jones prevailed upon his he still is, though lessened much in importance,) friends to sacrifice their private prejudices to the a very desirable auxiliary in a canvass. This was public good, and to bend all their exertions to the easily effected by a little kindness, and a little hy-exclusion of Anvil. They did so, and for a time, pocrisy, and Darby wanted neither when his in- wonderful were the effects of their efforts. So terest was at stake. He soon persuaded John, that commanding was their position, that even the comall he had said to Mr. Jones was a joke, or, (what mon people were attracted by it, and many came was the same thing to John) an error in Darby; and over to them from the ranks of the coalition. Smith as the bully of a county is too much occupied in was cowed by the noble bearing of his old friend seeking glory, to attend much to his trade or his towards him, and remorse greatly paralized his exfarm, and is therefore constantly in need of some ertions. Darby, too, grew so much alarmed, that little assistance from his more industrious neigh- he became serious; and by as much as he grew bors, Darby had opportunities enough of conciliating John by kind offices. These he improved so handsomely, that John was soon won by gratitude, and came out his open supporter. Marvellous was now the " change" which " came over the spirit of" Darby's "dream." His shop was committed to the entire management of Sambo and Cuffy, and his "little strangers," to Nancy. He rode night and day-attended every gathering in the county-treated liberally-aped dignity here, cracked obscene jokes there-sang vulgar songs in one place, talked gravely in another-told long, dry The winds are not more propitious to the “silstories-gave short, mean toasts-jested with the ler'd lassie, than unpropitious to the candidate. If women, and played with the children-grew liberal ever he has committed a fault, no matter when or in suretiships-paid promptly-dunned nobody-' where, the wind will blow a babbler to him. It was serious, by so much did he lose his influence. In short, there was every reason to believe, that after all, Darby would have been beaten, had not a little incident occurred, which secured his election, in spite of opposition. It was a strange incident to be followed by such an effect. There is an old Scotch song which says: Be a lassie e'er sae black An' she hae the name o' siller, The wind will blaw a man till her. so with Darby-though unfortunate, only in a mo- | finally succeeded in gathering round him every voter ral, not a political sense. on the campus. They were soon reduced to siAbout three weeks before the election, a travel-lence, and Bugg commenced reading, in a slow and ler stopped at a public house in the county where audible voice, the cruel certificates. In the mean several persons had collected, and among the rest time Darby, as one very truly observed, "look'd was Your Uncle Nicky Bugg. This was a title powerful bad." He stared like an owl at noonday, which he assumed himself, and which was accord- and trembled like the shoe of a grist-mill. He ed to him by universal consent. The company changed feet as rapidly as if he had been upon hot were all supporters of Jones, and their conversa- embers; and as for his hands, suffered them to do tion turning upon the approaching election, they as they pleased; and they pleased to go through denounced Darby Anvil in unmeasured terms. The evolutions that no pen can describe. I can only stranger, probably emboldened by their sentiments, say of them, that they seemed to be in frantic after putting a few questions as to Darby's personal search for the mind that had deserted them; for identity, stated, that Darby had left Virginia be- they wandered all over his body and all through tween two days, in order to avoid a prosecution for his apparel-giving occasional hints to the materiperjury. The stranger said, he was not himself alists, that the mind may at last be seated, where personally acquainted with the facts, but referred none of them have ever yet placed it. To add, if to a number of persons in Virginia, who would con- possible, to Darby's embarrassment, your uncle firm his statement by certificates. The certificates Nicky was one of those men to whom a fight was were immediately written for; and to make their an accommodation; Darby could not therefore with effect the more decisive, it was resolved by the safety resort to the usual expedient in such cases-company, that they would not whisper the impor- a quarrel with the author of his mortification. He tant discovery, until the certificates arrived. For- received a consolation, however, the most grateful tunately for Darby, they did not arrive until the that could have been offered to his tortured feelevening before the election. At an early hour of ings, even before Bugg had disposed of the certithe succeeding day Darby made his appearance at ficates-it was from the cry of "persecution!" the court-house, at the head of about thirty men- which issued from a number of voices, accompasome in wagons, some on horseback (single and nied by other consolatory expressions, which indouble) and some on foot. They all had their creased as soon as Bugg had concluded. tickets in their hats, with the names of Smith and "It's too bad," exclaimed one, to attack a man Anvil, written on them, in large characters. As so, right on the 'lection day, to his face, when he they proceeded to the polls, they made the village ha'n't got no chance o' defending himself!" ring with shouts of "Hurra for Smith!" "Hurra 66 "Ah, well now," said a second, "if they go to ́for Anvil!” “Hurra for the Blacksmith, and the takin' these in-turns upon a fellow, they a'nt gwine people's candidate!" Darby had provided a table to get no good of it; and you'll see it. The clean and a dozen bottles of rum, to which he led his thing's the clean thing; but this whapping a fellow friends, and told them to drink freely and vote up all at once, when he's no chance, is no sort o' boldly. He was reminded, that if he should be doin's." elected, he would have to swear that he had not "Walk ticket!" exclaimed a third, (tearing up a gained his election by treating, canvassing, &c., ticket on which was Jones' name) and come over &c., to which he replied, that he "could swaller the old blacksmith! Into my hand flitter: fair play's that oath mighty easy, for he reckoned nobody a jewel; and that's what I goes for in 'lectioneering wa'n't so mean as to vote for him just because he treated 'em." as well as every thing else." "Never mind, Darby," added a fourth, "you a'n't dead yet, if you are down and kicking. There's enough here'll stand by you yet, keep a stiff upper lip and you'll come through yet." Owing to some misunderstanding of the magistrates who were to preside at the election, or from some other cause unknown, the polls were not opened until an hour or two after the usual time. The delay was extremely annoying to Darby; for in the interim his friends paid such profound res-unbeknowens." pect to his first injunction above mentioned, that These and many other expressions of the like several of them were fast becoming hors de suf- kind so far restored Darby's equanimity, that he frage, if I may be allowed the expression. At was able to take the step in his defence, as soon length came the magistrates however, and no sooner as Bugg descended from it. When he mounted had they entered the court-yard, where was col- the rostrum, his appearance was quite unparliamenlected an immense throng, than your uncle Nicky tary. He was dressed in a full suit of mud-colored took the topmost step at the door of the court- homespun; the workmanship of Nancy's own house, and demanded the attention of every gen- hands, from the carding to the weaving. His pantleman present. The demand had to be repeated taloons were supported only by his hips, for susseveral times before it was heeded by all, but it penders were not then worn; and even with this "I swear," added a fifth, "it's too bad! It's enough to hurt any man's feelings to be so put upon VOL. X-7 "Tuck in your shirt tail, and norate away the best you can; we'll see you out!" "Why Darby," cried the third, "what makes you swaller so? Stand up to your fodder like a man! You've got a plenty o' friends here yet." hardest case I ever hearn of in all my born days. Gentlemen, my charricter's as much to me, and any hard workin' man, as any man's charricter is to him; if he's lawyer, or a doctor, or a storekeeper, or I don't care what he is. For what's a man worth that a'n't got no charricter? He's like advantage at the one extremity, they were full five inches too short at the other. They reached his socks only, when he stood firm on both legs-that is, when they were suffered to hang in a right line: but as Darby rarely used both limbs at the same time, there was an alternate flashing of naked skin "Why, gentlemen," proceeded Darby, "it's from either limb, of the most agreeable and be- enough to make any body swaller, and feel bad too, witching novelty. His vest was more uncourteous to be put upon after this sorts, all unbeknowens, to his pantaloons, than were his socks; for no po- when he ha'n't got no chance o' defendin' himselfsition of Darby's body, could induce it to come no manner o' chance. Gentlemen, I fit in the rewithin an inch of them. His under-garment, how-volution, and if I'm now to lose my character, beever, acted as a mediator between them, and grace-cause I'm took all unawars, I shall think it the fully rolled out into the vacant space, seemingly to encircle the orator, with a sash of coarse, but clean, white sausage. Darby wore no cravat, and from accident or design, (the former, I suppose,) his shirt collar was thrown entirely open; leaving exposed, an most unsightly Adam's-apple, that gave to his neck the appearance of a little dromedary. a pair o' bellowses that ha'n't got no nose, or a saw Upon his coat, Nancy had obviously "spread her- that ha'n't got no handle-they a'n't no manner o' self," as we say in Georgia. She seemed to have count-you can't use 'em at all. (That's the taken the pattern of it from the wings of a horse- truth, Darby,' interposed a voice, gravely.) Genfly. From a point about seven inches above the tlemen, I've lived a long time with you; did any os coxygis, it debouched to the right and left, with of you ever hear of my usin' perj'ry? I reckon if daring encroachments upon his calves. Two large, I had time I could get ce'tif'cates too; but you all plano-convex, covered buttons, marked the salient see I a'n't got no time at all. Gentlemen, I dont' points of the skirts; and as many (on either, skirt think I ever seed any one that was so persecuted, one,) their nether limits. The moulds of these gorgeous ornaments were cut by the measure of a half dollar, from a dried gourd of course, therefore, it was in the covering that they took the shape, which I have given to them. Five buttons more, ejusdem generis, stood in open order upon each lapel; and from every button, advanced in marvellous length a button-hole, worked with "indigo-blue," so that they looked like two little detachments of artillery, drawn up in battle-array The cry of" hurra for Anvil!" from many voiagainst each other. Coarse sharp-pointed shoes, ces, as Darby descended from the steps, plainly tesand a low crowned, broad-brimed white hat, com- tified that he had the sympathies and support of pleted the costume of the first orator that I ever the majority. In vain did Jones and his friends had the pleasure of hearing address the electors of reason with them, upon the difference between exa county in Georgia. Indeed, he was the last posing vices, and persecuting innocence. It was also; for though it is not now an unusual thing, in vain that they argued against the injustice of for candidates" to respond in strains of glowing visiting Bugg's fault, (if fault it was,) upon the eloquence" (see gazettes passim) at dinner par-head of his friend Jones. The time, and the seties and barbecues, it is a very rare thing for them verity of the attack, were sufficient to transfer to address "the sovereignty" when assembled to Darby to an object of persecution, in their eyes. exercise the elective franchise. But Darby had To make matters worse, if possible, for Jones, no alternative. The greetings which he met with your uncle Nicky undertook to reason with the from the crowd, when he ascended the tribune, were malcontents. This was a very unfortunate step: such as would have confounded any one, who did not understand the spirit with which they were uttered. Strange as it may seem to the reader, they were meant for encouragement, and were so understood by Darby. in all my born days; and if I'm beat now, I shall think I'm beat by persecution, and there's my wife and ten children, and they must all lose their charricters too, just by bein' taken unawars. I never knowed nobody to git nothin' by persecutin', but if me and my wife and children's all to lose our charricters by it, why I s'pose it must be so; but I shall think it mighty hard. Gentlemen, you can do as you please with me; and whatever you do I can't help it." for though he was fully competent to reason, and reason well, with reasonable beings, he was the last man on earth who, in this way, should have undertaken to reclaim those, who were won to Darby's support, by what we have seen. He was easily excited, and utterly intolerant of folly. Irritable as he was, however, he rarely gave signs of anger, either in voice or countenance: so far "Never mind that, Darby!" cried another. from it, his composure was always greatest just at "Hey Darb!" vociferated one," you're too strong in your runners; you've pushed your legs too far through your breeches!" the fighting point. The first that your uncle Nicky undertook to correct, was Jimmy Johns, who had pretended to have a great friendship for him, for reasons to be found in Jimmy's deportment to John Reynolds. “Jimmy," said Bugg, "you surely are not going to vote for that fool, Darby Anvil?” “Yes I is,” said Jimmy; "and the more and the better of it is, I mean to give him a plumper too." "What, to such a despicable character!" "Yes; despical or no despical character, I can't go agin a persecuted man, with a wife and ten children-Miss Anvil is-" "But it's no persecution to tell the truth on a man; especially when the truth goes to show that he is unfit for an office to which he is aspiring. Your way of reasoning will make rascality a passport to office." "Oh, I don't blame you, uncle Nicky-I know what you did was for the best but now you'll confess yourself-now won't you, uncle Nicky-that if he was 'spirin,' and 'passport,' you aughtn't to come down on him as you did, right at the 'lection. That was rubbin him too hard-now wa'n't it, uncle Nicky? 'Twas enough to make any body feel sorry for him, and Miss Anvil—” 66 'What difference does it make, when or where you expose a villain? And what has Miss Anvil to do with it? Is she a candidate?" Here they ate, drank, sang vulgar songs, and told more vulgar stories, until about one o'clock; when they, or some of them, sallied forth, and with drum and fife and yells, drove sleep from the village, until the dawn. An inveterate hostility between Smith and Jones followed this election, the traces of which may be seen in their descendants to this day. Darby was elected again and again; and though he did nothing in the legislature but vote as Smith voted, and drink grog in the recess of the session, he always returned to his constituents with wonderful stores of what "we did," and "we tried to do." In the mean time, things about home began to run rapidly to decay. Sambo and Cuffy worked up immense quantities of iron, for they both worked a great deal harder, as they said themselves, when massa was away than when he was there; “jist dat white folks might see dat nigger didn't want no watching; and that massa might know how to trust 'em," but then they had little or nothing to show for it. A number of good customers deserted the shop; some from political hostility to the owner, and others because Sambo and Cuffy were always too busy to attend to them. Mrs. Anvil grew dissatisfied with politics, as soon as Darby returned the first time from the legislature with no money in his pockets; for she had taken up the idea that all who stepped into the assembly, stepped into a fortune; she therefore advised Darby "to quit it, as not bein' the thing it was cracked up to be; and to come home and mind his own business." But Darby had become too much enamored of the public service to take her counsel. He told her it would never do in the world for him to take his name down-his party would never forgive him. This logic was unsatisfactory to Nancy, at first, and it became still more so as troubles thickened about the house; she therefore became crusty, petulent and boisterous by turns; greatly to the disturbance of Darby's domestic peace and tranquillity. He had anticipated this emergency, and took to drink privately, before hand; but he now began to come home drunk, out of spite; and Nancy gave him spite for spite. Still, however, wife-like, she struggled hard to keep things together, and save her family from ruin; and her increased industry and economy would probably have balanced Darby's waste from drink, and kept a supIn this way did your uncle Nicky proceed to port in hand till he burnt out; but alas! tickets dispense light among the plebs, until he raised a began to pour in upon them by the deck, from the battle-royal in the court-yard. At one time I ob- courts of conscience, and other more unconscionaserved not less than eight couple, who were en-ble courts, inviting Darby to appear here and apgaged in interchanging uncle Nicky's ethics. pear there, to answer for countless debts of his The day rolled away, and at 10 o'clock at night constituents. Then came the officers of justice the state of the polls was announced. Darby and and reduced them to beggary. A little before Smith were elected. They were both hoisted, and matters reached this crisis, Darby was beaten for borne about on the shoulders of their friends, with the legislature; and it distressed him beyond meahuzzas of triumph. They then invited all who sure. The friends for whom he had done the most, lingered about the court-yard at that late hour to a were the first to desert him; alleging as a reason, supper at one of the public houses of the village. his want of qualification, and their thorough con “No, but she's a mighty good woman, and you know yourself, uncle Nicky, she a'n't to blame. And wouldn't it be wrong to hurt her charricter? now, I leave it to yourself, uncle Nicky. Jist take it to yourself-s'pose you'd been guilty o' parj'ry and Miss Bugg-" "Stop a little Jimmy," said Bugg, very calmly, "until your uncle Nicky tries another argument better suited to your capacity, and which I think will brighten your ideas." So saying, he "fetched Jimmy a sentimental jolt," (as one afterwards described it.) in the burr of the ear, that laid him out in short order. Jimmy "hollo'd" in time to arrest uncle Nicky's experimental philosophy at the first blow and the second kick. Jimmy would have fought longer with another man; but with uncle Nicky, he knew that the longer he fought, the worse he would be flogged; so he acted wise for once at least. viction, after three years' reflection, that the Virginia certificates were true. Thus ended Darby's nomothetic career; but here ended not the consequences of it. Encouraged by his success, worthless candidates sprung up in every county. If their presumption was rebuked, they silenced the reprover and repressed their own shame, with "I know that I am better qualified than Darby Anvil." Under this plea, and by such artifices as Anvil On his lips and cheeks, his eyes and brow; "Nay, Lady, I ask no place but this To be the scene of our wedded bliss." "Lord! His Ghost would haunt us and I should scream; Don't you think 'twere better to turn the stream?" Old times were changed-old manners gone, had used, they made their way to the councils of DE MORTIER; A TALE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. the State, where they became the worthy progenitors of a series of acts extending through many years, which, for extravagance and folly, have no parallel in the codes of enlightened nations. The penalties of these acts are now upon our heads; ed the coming storm, and believe me, La Frere, and upon our children's children will they descend winter comes not in peace to France. with unmitigated vigor. I forbear to follow the consequences farther-in charity to my native land I forbear. And yet I am not so sure but that such charity is treason to the State, and allegiance to her most deadly foes. Presumptuous ignorance should be reprimanded with a fearless tongue; its sins should be proclaimed abroad, in warning to the people; and all good men should unite their efforts to redeem the state entirely from its dominion. But I leave these offices to be performed by persons of more skill and influence than BALDWIN. WIDOWED GRIEF A PAIR OF PORTRAITS. There is a look of uncomplaining sadness List to that song! How cheerful is the strain! "AND ON THIS." The Lady sat by a new-made grave, That stream had witnessed the plighted vow You may be a true prophet, Duc, but I doubt it. Whence think you the storm menaces, and whom? Ere long, and Louis ceases to tenant the throne of his fathers. He has trampled upon a peoplethat people will turn and sting him. Oppression has nerved them to despair-they have nothing to lose, every thing to gain; muttered discontent, and sullen endurance will give place to mad defiance and unbridled license. A people will burst from their thraldom, and the excesses of the emeute will blow the spark of rebellion into the flame of revolution. And why-Think you the Canaille of Paris can subvert a throne strengthened by an existence of centuries? The mob may be spurred by oppression and misery to madness: they may turn with their unarmed hands upon their tyrants, and drench a street with gore, or wrap a Faubourg in flames; but, as their madness knows no bounds when the passion is upon them, so will the fever heat of destruction soon cool in their veins, or the bayonets of the National Guard quench it in their blood." Rebellion there may be, but revolution never. Aye, revolution, and at no distant day. The torrent of their sufferance has been too long pent up, and when goaded into desperation they burst its barriers, it will gush forth strong and powerful, bearing upon it the corse of Louis and the fragmentary wrecks of royalty. They have before their eyes the shining example of America, and already dream of republicanism and liberty. France never can be free, but she will struggle manfully with her oppressors. We shall soon see the day when the country will be deluged with blood, and Paris be but one great shamble for the best and bravest. De Mortier, you are mad! exclaimed his friend. The cause of the king will succeed, and the Canaille are as contemptible as rebellious. But beware how you speak thus. Those who know you not so well might think you too would stir the people to the commission of the folly you predict. The name of De Mortier alone would refute the 'suspicion. Hated as I am by Barentin, he dare not |