A Prairie-Schooner Princess

he roads were good, shade and water abundant, and where pretty towns and villages lined the way

d the first part of the trip was like nothing so much as a prolonged family picnic. Their night camp was made in beautiful woods beside murmuring streams, and if b

at followed traveled across the western part of Ohio and crossed into

quential town, where they made a stop of a few hours to lay in a fresh suppy of meat, fresh fruits, bread, butter, and vegetables, then struck into the main road lead

s enjoyed it, much as they would have enjoyed a prolonged picnic, they were looking eagerly

r, and made their camp upon its banks for the night, where t

But the day they began their journey across the State of Illinois the weather changed and

own upon it. But when day followed day and the rain continued to fall, when they had to make camp at night in we

were beginning to leak, and the family woke morning after morning to find the rain spraying down into their faces, and to cra

hite-topped wagons crawled along; all day long while the horses plodded monotonously along through puddles of water or mud that went over thei

it would give them shelter for the night. They found both husband and wife down with the ague, and little cheer or comfort in the neglected house, but were glad to accept the shelter of its roof and the

Then, as a shrill squeal pierced the air his eyes brightened and an idea seemed to strike him. "But I tell you what I will do," he drawled, "I'll sell you two of the nicest little suckin' pigs you ever see. Their mother up an' died of the cholery

he drew from his pocket a nursing-bottle filled with warm milk and held it to the little white pig's mouth. It took hold lik

ng the protesting young porker, and sitting down in the straw took the little

e that s

a long-headed thought for the possible needs of the future Mr. Peniman agreed, and the

, hanging lovingly over them. "They are such

et," said Mr. Peniman, wi

ent, and by their advice had left the road over which they came and striking north and west came out upon a much better road, that in the course of a few days' traveling brought them to the Sangamon River,

rove into Springfield, the capital of the State, on the evening of the third of July, and Joshua Peniman suggested to his wife that the wagons be put up in

elebration again. I believe that all young Americans should love and honor that day. I think we had better stay over to-morrow in Springfie

ns had begun to pall a trifle, and the thought of a day in a city, a night at a hotel, and the

ckets were purchased at the first store they came to, and in the intervals of other excitement the boys revelled in pops and bangs

ds, and flower-decked carriages. Long columns of men of both parties marched and shouted, bearing transparencies extolling the v

ner the boys and their father followed the crowd to the pretty shaded inclosure, wh

y pushed their way through the throng and succeeded in g

able to look directly into the speaker's face and hear his every word, b

d flutter passed through the crowd as a party of gentlemen in frock coats with tall "chimney-p

and avoided discussion of the question that was beginning to seethe and burn through the length and breadth of the land,

r power to elect their candidates. Arguments, discussions, public speeches and inflammatory meetings were taking place in every part

ng with his young sons he listened to the conversation that went on about him. Joe, too, felt the electric atmosphere. His eyes brightened and his co

ng against the statements he made. The boy knew nothing of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, the Wilmot Proviso, or the Missouri Compromise, but as the speaker

ther?" he aske

glas. He is a United States Senator

ng to put into words a thing that was not clear in his own mind, "but somehow-I suppos

a quick, pleased loo

ess trouble. He is a Democrat, and though he claims that he does not care whether 'the cause of slavery be voted up or vote

a terrific storm of cheers and hoots and yells as a tall, gaunt

ity of humor, now and then a deep note of pathos, there was a general craning forward in the

his own heart. His blood tingled, his color rose, he clenched and unclenched his hands, a great s

ere stopped by the wild cheers that burst from the throats of the thousands of listeners. And when he leaned forward, pointing his long, gaunt finger at them,

tagonism, and when brought into collision so fiercely as slavery extension brings them, shocks and throes and convulsions must ceaselessly follow. These two principles cannot stand together. They are as opposite as God and Mammon; and whoever holds to one must despise

moment the speaker stood silent, his black hair fallen forward over his forehead, his sad grey eyes, deep-set and hollow, gazing out

rance when the audie

he asked breathlessl

saw that his cheeks were flushed and his

ort from the thoughts the address had set running in his mind. "He is a la

thing else, but he did not hear him. When he spoke again the

uld ever be a lawyer

ravely, "I have no doubt you could

the legislature

my son. That man appears to me to be a rather unusual sort of a p

oing to do when I'm a m

he lifted his eyes

n the abolition o

ly. "As Mr. Lincoln said 'No man has a right to ow

very enough to fight for it, Father,-if

ight, Joe. We are

the boy, "if we should have to f

the storm that was raging in his heart. "May God forbid such a catastrophe! Let us not talk of it. Let us no

ression that he surprised upon his father's face caused him to c

man, stirred, anxious, feeling a prescience of the storm that was brewing in the country, was eager to get away; to get his young lads out of the spirit of rancor

eyes the two prairie schooners were on their way, and the young pioneers, with f