tion this winter, enough to keep 'em firing all summer; and I guess it wont be long before you'll see the smoke rising all over the State, wherever there's a newspaper. I think these newspapers are dreadful smoky things; they are enough to blind any body's eyes any time. I mean all except the Daily Courier and Family Reader, that I send my letters in; I never see much smoke in them. But take the rest of the papers, that talk about politics, and patriotism, and republicanism, and federalism, and Jacksonism, and Hartford Conventionism, and let any body read in one of 'em half an hour, and his eyes will be so full of smoke he can't see better than an owl in the sunshine; he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a corn-stalk and the biggest oak tree in our pasture.

:

You know, uncle, these Legislaters have had some dreadful quarrels this winter about a book they call the constitution and had to get the Judges of the great Court to read it to 'em. They made such a fuss about it I thought it must be a mighty great book, as big agin as grandfather's great bible. But one day I see one of the Sinneters have one, and my stars, it was n't so big as my old spelling book. Thinks I to myself, if ax handles will by one, I'll have one and see if I cant read it myself. So I went into a store where they had a nation sight of books, and asked 'em for a constitution. They showed me some nice little ones, that they asked a quarter of a dollar apiece for. I was out of money, so I told the man I'd give him four good white oak ax handles, well finished, for one: and he said, being 'twas me, I might have it. So now I've got a constitution of my own, and if I find I can read it, I shall let you know something about what's in it before a great while.

Your neffu,

JACK DOWNING.

LETTER XVI.

In which Mr Downing tells how the Legislature cleared out, and how Elder Hall went home.

To Cousin Ephraim Downing up in Downingville.

Portland, Monday, March 22, 1830.

COUSIN EPHRAIM, I kind of want to say a few more words to you about the Legislaters. You know they came together here in the first of the winter in a kind of a stew, and they had storms and tempests among 'em all the time they staid here, and finally they went off Friday in a sort of whirlwind or hurricane, I dont know which. Some folks say they hope it will blow 'em so fur they wont get back again. — But I guess there aint much danger of that; for you know squire Nokes always used to say the bad penny will return. They were dreadful kind of snappish the last day they were here; they could n't hardly touch a single thing without quarrelling about it. They quarrelled about paying some of the folks they hired to work for 'em; and they quarrelled ever so long about paying them are four Sinneters that were chosen in the convention; and at last they got to quarrelling like cats and dogs to see if they should thank the President and Speaker for all the work they've done this winter. But they had to thank 'em at last. And then Mr Goodnow, the Speaker in that Legislater they call the House, got up and talked to 'em so pleasant, and kind, and scripture-like, it made 'em feel a little. bad; some of 'em could n't hardly help shedding tears I tho't them are, that had been quarrelling so, must feel a little sheepish.

That are Elder Hall, that was President of the Sinnet, seemed to be the most poplar man in the whole bunch of both Legislaters. There was n't one of the rest

of 'em that could work it so as to make both parties like 'em. But some how or other, he did. The national republicans liked him so well, that they all voted for him for President; and the democratic republicans liked him so well, that they all voted to thank him when they went away. And I dont so much wonder at it, for he seemed to me to be about the cleverest, good natured old gentleman that ever I see.

Its true the old gentleman had rather hard work to keep the wheels of government going in the Sinnet this winter; and they would get trig'd every little while in spite of all he could do. I spose this made him rather shy of all kind of wheels; for he would n't go home in a stage, nor a waggon, nor a shay. These kind of carts all have wheels, and I spose he thought they might get trig'd and he would n't hardly get home all summer. So he concluded to go by water; and he went aboard a vessel Saturday night, and sailed for down east; and as true as you are alive, before the next day noon the wheels of the vessel got trig'd; tho' they said the vessel did n't go on wheels, but some how or other it got trig'd, and back they came next day into Portland again, and there they had to stay till Monday, because the wind did n't blow according to the constitution. But President Hall you know is n't the man to leave his post in time of difficulty; so he never adjourned, nor came ashore, but stuck to the rack till Monday, when a good constitutional breeze sprung up, and they sot sail again. And I wish him a pleasant passage home, and peace and happiness after he gets there; for as I said afore, I dont think there's a cleverer man any where down east.

I was going to tell you something about a town-meeting that I've been tu to day; but as uncle Joshua is sleckman and survayor I spose he would like to hear about it more than you, so I guess I shall write to him. From your cousin,

JACK DOWNING.

LETTER XVII.

In which Mr Downing hints to Uncle Joshua that he has a prospect of being nominated for Governor.

To Uncle Joshua Downing up in Downingville.

Portland, April 14, 1830.

UNCLE JOSHUA, -I spose you remember that are story about the two dogs, that uncle Joe Downing used to tell; how they got to fighting, and snapped and bit, till they eat each other up, all but jest the tip ends of their tails. Now I never could exactly see through that story, enough to know how it was done, till lately. I almost thought it was a kind of tough yarn, that had been stretched a good deal. But fact, uncle, I begin to think it 's true, every word on't; for there's something going on here as much like it as two peas in a pod. The Portland Argus and the Portland Advertiser, have fell afowl of each other and gone to biting one another's noses off. And if they keep on as they 've began, I guess before summer is out, they'll not only eat each other all up, tails and all, but believe they are going to devour them are tu outrageous wicked parties, that plagued the legislature so all winter; I mean the Jacksonites and the Huntonites. They've only been at it a week or two, and they 've made quite a hole into 'em aready. The Advertiser eats the Jacksonites, and the Argus eats the Huntonites, and they are thinning of 'em off pretty fast. This will be a great comfort to the State, as it will give the two republican parties a chance to do something another winter. The Advertiser has eat up the Jacksonites in some places away down East, such as Eastport and so on, and away up t'other way in Limerick, and Waterborough, and Fryeburg.

And the Argus has eaten up the Huntonites in Newfield, and Sanford, and Berwick, and Vinalhaven, and

so on. All these towns, on both sides, now have good fair republican majorities. I spose about by the middle of next August they 'll get 'em all killed off, so there wont be the skin of a Jacksonite or Huntonite left to be sent to the next legislature.

I hope, uncle Joshua, you will be more careful about meddling with politics; for so sure as you get hitched on to the Jackson party or the Hunton party, these bark ing, deep-mouthed creatures will fix their teeth upon you and you'll be munched down before you know it.

There's one thing, uncle, that seems to wear pretty hard upon my mind, and plagues me a good deal; have n't slept but little this tu three nights about it. wish you would n't say any thing about it up ther amongst our folks, for if it should all prove a fudge they'd be laughing at me. But I tell it to you, becaus I want your advice, as you've always read the paper and know considerable about political matters; tho' be honest, I don't spose any one knows much more abo politics by reading the papers, after all.

But what I was going to tell you, is now, uncl don't twist your tobacco chaw over to t'other corner your mouth and leer over your spectacles, and say Ja 's a fool-what I was going to tell you, is this: Is by a paper printed down to Brunswick, that they talk nominating me for Governor to run down Smith a Hunton. Think of that, uncle; your poor neefu Ja that last summer was hoeing about among the potato and chopping wood, and making stone walls, like enou before another summer comes about, will be Gover of the State. I shall have a better chance to flog I