was made of, or that they would tell 'em what it was made of, or why they thought it would do any good to take it. But the Jacksonites said they shouldn't tell 'em any thing about it, it would be casting pearls before swine,' and the good book said they mustn't do so.

6

The men who had fixed the dose knew what they were about, they had fixed it right, and the Huntonites must open their mouths and take it, and not parley any more about it. And now the real tussle and the hard fight begun. The House seemed to be so full of Jacksonites and Huntonites that I guess there was n't but a few republicans left. And I could n't help minding that the Jacksonites took the seats of the democratic republicans, and the Huntonites took the seats of the national republicans. Well, the Jacksonites took the dose in one hand,and grab'd the Huntonites with the other, and tipped their heads back, and were jest agoing to pour it down their throats, when the Huntonites fetched a spring and kicked it away to the fourth day of April. But the Jacksonites run after it and got it back again in about half an hour, and clinched 'em again, and got all ready to pour it down; but jest as they got it almost to their lips, the Huntonites fetched another spring and kicked it away to the fourth of March. Away went the Jacksonites after it again, and brought it back, and clinched the Huntonites in the same manner as before, and they kicked it away again, but they didn't kick this time quite to the end of February.

So they kept it agoing all the forenoon, but every time the Huntonites kick'd the bitter dose away, it didn't go so far as it did the last time before. I spose they begun to grow tired and could n't kick so hard. Well, then they tried to adjourn so as to get some dinner, but the Jacksonites would n't let 'em. And they kept 'em there till four o'clock in the afternoon without any dinner, and I dont know but they thought the Huntonites would get so hungry after a while that they would swallow it down without much fuss. But it all would n't do, the nearer

it come to 'em, the tighter the Huntonites gritted their teeth together, and I guess they'd a starved before they would take it. Well after the Jacksonites had tried nearly twenty times to pour down the bitter dose, and the Huntonites had kicked it away as many times, both parties seemed to be nearly tired out, and so they finally agreed to adjourn till nine o'clock this morning. I thought the Huntonites, if they once got out, would cut and run home and get clear of the plaguy stuff. But instead of that they all come in again this morning, and they've been at it again all day, hammer and tongs, the Jacksonites trying to pour it down, and the Huntonites fighting against it, tooth and nail.

How it'll come out I cant tell. Whether the State will be ruined if they dont take it, I cant tell; or whether it will cure them if they do take it, I can't tell. But I can assure you, dear uncle, there's a greater fuss here, than there was when the little boy said he run and jumped over a fence and tore his trowses as if the heavens and earth were coming to pieces. If we live through it, I shall let you know something more about it.

Your loving neffu,

JACK DOWNING.

LETTER XXIX.

In which Mr Downing tells how the Jacksonites at last got the healing act' down the throats of the Huntonites.

Portland, Saturday, March 5, 1831.

DEAR UNCLE JOSHUA.—I aint dead, but I spose you begin to feel kind of uneasy about me, bein I have n't writ home so long. Well, I'll tell you how 'twas; I've had this ere cold and one thing another, so bad, I did n't feel hardly smart enough to write. And besides I got so skeer'd that night the Jacksonites poured their doctor

stuff, what they call the healing plaster, down the throates of the Huntonites, that I did n't dare to go nigh 'em agin for a good while for fear they'd pour some of their pesky stuff down my throat. But I'm sorry I did n't write afore, for I've let it alone so long now, that my work has got desputly behindhand. When I writ to you before, the Jacksonites were holding the Huntonites by the hair of the head with one hand and trying to cram the healing plaster down their throats with 'tother, and the Huntonites were kicking and scrabbling, and gritting their teeth together with all their might, and doubling up their fists and stamping, and declaring up hill and down, that they would never take it. And they were so upstropulous about it for a while, I did n't know as they ever would swallow it. But the Jacksonites were the stoutest, and held on to 'em like a dog to a root, and kept 'em there all day and all the evening till about midnight, and then the poor Huntonites seemed to be a most dragged out. I fairly pitied 'em. Along in the first of it they threatened pretty stoutly, and declared by everything that's black and blue, if they had to take this dirty dose and should happen to be strongest next year, they'd make the Jacksonites take a dose worth two of this. But all the threatening did n't do any good; and then they fell to begging and coaxing, and that did n't do any good nother. The Jacksonites said they should not only take it, but they should take it that night before they slept. At last they got their hands and feet tied, and kept bringing it up a little nearer and little nearer to their mouths, and the Huntonites got so they could n't do nothing but spit. But the Jacksonites did n't mind the spitting, for you know it is n't for the doctor to stand about being spit upon a little, when he's giving medicine. Just before the last ont, the poor Huntonites rolled their eyes dreadfully, and I believe some on 'em lost their senses a little; one of 'em took a notion that they were agoing to make him

swallow a whole live goose, feathers and all; and he begged of 'em, if they would n't take out the gizzard and t'other inside things, that they'd jest pull out the pin feathers, so that it would n't scratch his throat going down. But they did n't pay no attention to him, and just before the clock struck twelve they grabbed 'em by the throat, and pried their mouths open, and poured it in. The Huntonites guggled a little, but they had to swallow it. A day or two arterwards they made some of the Sinneters take it in the same way. They had a considerable tussle for it, but not quite so bad as they had in the House.

Some thought this healing dose would make the Huntonites worse, and some thought it would make 'em better. I've watched 'em ever since they took it whenever I dared to go near the Legislater, and I can't see much alteration in 'em. But that, or something else, has kicked up a monstrous dust amongst other folks all over the world amost. I've been looking over the newspapers a little, and I never see the world in such a terrible hubbub before in all my life. Every body seems to be running mad, and jest ready to eat each other up. There's Russia snapping her teeth like a great bear, and is just agoing to eat up the Poles, I don't mean Ephraim's bean poles, but all the folks that live in Poland; not that are Poland up there where Mr Dunn lives, but that great Poland over along side of Russia. And there's the Dutch trying to eat up Holland, and the Belgians are trying to eat up the Dutch, and there's five great powers' trying to pour a healing dose down the throat of the king of the Netherlands, and there's Mr O'Connell trying to make the king of England and Parliament take a healing dose, and there's Ireland jest ready to eat up Mr O'Connel, and all the kings of Europe are trying to eat up the people, and the people are all trying to eat up the kings.

And our great folks in this country too, away off

there to Washington, have got into such a snarl, I guess it would puzzle a Philadelphy lawyer to get 'em out of it. There's the President and Mr Calhoun and Mr Van Buren and the two great republican papers, and half a dozen more of 'em, all together by the ears; but which of 'em will eat up the rest I don't know. I have heard a good many guess that Mr Van Buren would eat up the whole toat of 'em; for they say although he's a small man, there isn't another man in the country, that can eat his way through a political pudding so slick as he can. These are dreadful times, uncle; I don't know what 'll become of the world, if I dont get an office pretty soon.

It seems to me there must be something out of the way to make so much confusion in the world; and I hope the Legislater before they adjourn will pass a general healing act to cure all these difficulties. They 've been talking about passing a healing act to cure our State House up to Augusta, for they say its too small, and they intend to bring it down here to Portland to cure it. But I guess it'll give 'em a pull, for they say the Kennebeckers are master fellers to hold on.

They had a kind of a flusteration here to-day in the Legislater. The Speaker 's cleared out, and left 'em, because the Governor said he'd taken his turn sitting in the Chair long enough, and he must go and sit on the Bench awhile now. And then they went to work and chose that good natured man from Monmouth for Speaker. I meant to a told you about them are two great meetings they 've had here to make Governors and Presidents and one thing another: but I haven't time to-day.

One of 'em made Mr Smith Governor for next year and Gineral Jackson President; and t'other made Mr Sprague governor, and kind of put Mr Clay a brewing for President.