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but he took advantage of the first lull to say he had a friend in his sleigh at the door.

'Think of that, Otis!

This intelligence increased the delight. Another cousin come to see us! Two on 'em in one night! Here, wake up, children, we've got cousins from abroad come to see us.'

While trundle-beds and bunks gave up an incredible number of whiteheaded, barefoot occupants, cousin Otis was at the sleigh welcoming Mr. Cobb. 'Walk right in! walk right in! do n't stop to knock off the snow; I am powerful glad to see you, and so is Hepsy.'

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So I be, and proud to know you took the pains to come and see poor folks like us,' said Hepsy, coming forward with a coarse shabby dress hanging in disorder about her gaunt form, and not a bit of grace or polish in her manner; yet with such cordiality and warmth of heart lighting up her hard, care-worn face that she seemed almost comely to the weary travellers.

The poor room, too, with its uneven floor and scanty furniture, looked cheerful and attractive, as the biggest boy raked open the coals in the great stone fire-place, and heaped on wood, which sprang into flames, and sparkled and roared up the blackened chimney.

Cousin Otis put the horse in his cow-shed, turning the cow in for a night's lodging with the pig; tipped up the sleigh to protect it from the snow, and brought in the buffaloes to dry by the fire.

'He is a cousin too, is n't he?' said Hepsy, looking at Mr. Cobb, as she proceeded to stir up a johnny-cake for their supper.

'Not a cousin exactly, but a nigh neighbor of mine, and a most excellent one, I can assure you!' replied Mr. Wiggin.

'I thought we were all cousins together, but he's just as welcome, I'm sure; and it is all the kinder in him to come out of the way to see poor folks like us, that an't no blood relation to him,' replied Hepsy, putting the cake before the fire to bake, in a spider.

When done, it was served with milk, and eaten with relish; while cousin Otis and his admiring family looked on, considering every mouthful eaten as an especial favor and compliment to themselves.

When the meal was over, with ready thoughtfulness, Hepsy reckoned they must be tired, and would n't feel like visiting any more that night. 'I am going to have you turn into our bed,' said she hospitably. 'We can get along well enough to camp down among the children. It would be kinder handy to have another room, but I hope you will put up with it, seeing as we are all cousins together, as it were.'

Weariness of body and a clear conscience brought untroubled sleep to guests and hosts, although a wild storm of wind and snow howled in at the broken windows, and down the wide chimney, until, at the proper time, morning came, bringing with it fair weather, and a breakfast of potatoes roasted in the ashes, and garnished with salt.

In honor of the visitors, the rickety table was covered with a sheet, taken from the bed; and Hepsy ate her breakfast with a large butcher's knife and unalloyed satisfaction.

'I want you to grant me the favor and privilege of giving my name to this ere little chap of yourn, if he is n't already provided with one,' said Mr. Wiggin, who had been pondering on some delicate method of recompensing his entertainers.

'It's a her,' replied Hepsy, looking at the scrawny monthling with affectionate pride, ' and we laid out to call her Hepsy after me, but it don't make no odds, we had just as loose save it for the next one.'

'Call her Polly, then, after my wife; and you could n't name her after a better woman, though I say it, and here's a little present for her from me and my Polly.'

Mr. Wiggin threw a golden half-eagle in the lap of the mother, as he spoke, which brought the children swarming about her, like flies around a cup of molasses.

'Now what is it, marm?'

'Let me see it!'

'You get away and let me look!'

'Oh! 'tan't nothin', only a yeller cent!'

'It's the yeller gold, and it's worth more than forty cents, I reckon,' said the mother in her superior wisdom, putting it carefully away in a broken cup on the top-shelf of the dresser.

When the travellers left, cousin Otis went along with the 'fire-slice,' to help them through the drifts, until they reached the main road; then, giving encouragement that if he could get Mr. Gibson's old mare and wagon, he would visit them after berry-time, with Hepsy and the children, he took a friendly farewell, and returned to his home and its joys.

'Well, neighbor Cobb,' said Mr. Wiggin, after plunging through the drifted snow for a while in silence, 'I don't know how it may be with you, or what your thoughts may be, but my mind and opinion is, that for true, hearty, friendly, thorough hospitality and cordiality, give me the poor rather than the rich in this world's goods!'

After another pause, and another drift conquered, he continued: 'But, however, and furthermore, I have been thinking, if you are agreed, we will put up at the tavern during the remainder of our tour, and not 'cousin' any more.'

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I long to lie on thy patient breast,

And feel thy deep pulses start;

That the strong, sweet life that is in thy veins
May beat in my waiting heart.

O mother! I'm tired of every thing,
And I've found no place to rest;
Shut all the tiresome world away,
And pillow me on thy breast.

O blessed mother! who never fails,
GOD gave me to thee to keep!

Out of thy measureless joy and peace,
Grant me thy rest and peace!

CARL ALMENDINGER'S OFFICE:

'OR, THЕ

MYSTERIES OF CHICAGO.

CHAPTER THIRD.

HAD the Legislature of Indiana been made acquainted with the fact that the projector of the International' and 'the Home' was subjecting himself to such discomforts because of their unfriendly legislation; that occasionally he ate his dry crust, and washed it down with self-made coffee- he who had contributed to every charitable object of the day, and liberally, too; who had volunteered help to the railroad company in their streets; who was even then educating an orphan boy because he gave promise of future usefulness, and was of the blood of freedom's heroes and heroines; whose solicitude for his two favorite institutions was based on the good of his fellow-men as much as his own pecuniary interests; had the Legislature known all this, would they not have repented and made haste to grant the charters? But human nature, at best, is weak. So Carl soon got tired of his self-imposed privations, and by way of set-off for the penance he had done in lack of gravies, sauces and other knick-knacks, proceeded to the best hotel in the city and engaged board, while the mists still encircled 'the International' and 'the Home.' Indeed Carl said he could 'stand it no longer;' that boarding one's self was not what it was 'cracked up to be;' that it was 'a perfect dog's life;' and for one, he would discard it forAs a matter of fact, Carl was never known to board himself thereafter. Soon after his instalment in his new quarters, he unexpectedly got into trouble. On one occasion he had heard a law-lecture delivered by a professor in the law-school at Harvard University, in which that gentleman advised his students whenever they had a criminal to defend, to have him always appear at the bar of the court in his best attire, and look as pleasant and gentlemanly as possible. This remark, which he thus casually heard, sank deep into his

ever.

mind, and will be remembered by him to his dying-day. So whenever the name of Carl Almendinger appeared on the docket of any court, (as the names of the best of us are liable sometimes to appear,) and the case was called for trial, that gentleman was invariably present, the very impersonation of easy dignity; his broadcloth, new and lustrous; his cassimere of the best doe-skin in the market, and his white cravat tied with unusual precision. To look at him on such occasions, one would think that he delighted in litigation, but the fact was far otherwise. He, however, gave the injunction of the professor a wider range than was intended, and adapted it so as to comprehend civil as well as criminal litigation.

Thus Carl was one of those queer compounds of shrewdness and carelessness; of forethought and no thought at all; of punctilio and bluntness that defy all dissection; but a better heart has seldom beat in human bosom. He had a queer way, too, of taking it for granted that every one was acquainted with his business. For instance, if he alluded to a piece of land, he supposed the applicant ought to know, as a matter of course, what piece it was, without identifying it by any further description than 'that piece of land, you know.' So, if he had a dozen horses, he would always speak of that horse of his, and expect the hearer to understand which horse he meant. It was certainly carrying the Horatian rule of in medias res to a greater extent than its originator ever intended. Thus it was that his narratives were often as unintelligible as a sick man's dream.

Having digressed to premise thus much, be assured, therefore, reader, that whenever Carl Almendinger throws aside his business-clothes on a secular day and dons his broad-cloth and his cassimere and his white cravat, and, moreover, looks prim and contented, as if his heart was at peace with his MAKER and all mankind, that a storm is brewing, and the Almendinger name will soon be called from the dockets of the courts.

Such was Carl's appearance when, at the time we have already designated, he entered the office of his lawyer, Colonel Roach.

'Good morning, Colonel.'

'Good morning, friend Almendinger. Got on your court clothes What's to pay now?'

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'I have just been before the United States Commissioner. My case comes off at three o'clock to-day. I wish you would be there to attend to it.'

'Your case! What in the devil do I know about your case! What a queer way you have of talking, Almendinger."

'Why, did n't you know I was arrested for violating the post-office laws?' 'No. I know nothing about it. Sit down and let me hear.' 'Why, I thought you knew all about it. You see I had Sigmund to copy off some printed matter for me, as I had only the loan of it; and after he copied it, I added a word or two to the party to whom I sent it. I then gave the copy and a large printed document to Sigmund to mail, supposing of course, he would envelop them separately, as he always envelops and addresses my papers and letters. But he goes and folds up the written matter with the printed document, and pays only newspaper postage on the whole of it.'

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