its front door must have a wooden latch on the inside; but the latch-string must run through the door; for the claim which 40 the friends of General Harrison especially insisted upon was that he not only lived in a log cabin, but that his latch-string was always out, in token that all his fellow-citizens were welcome at his fireside.

Another element in the campaign was hard cider. Every log 45 cabin must have its barrel of this acrid fluid, as the antithesis of the alleged beverage of President Van Buren at the White House. He, it was asserted, drank champagne, and on this point I remember that a verse was sung at log-cabin meetings which, after describing in a prophetic way the arrival of the "Farmer of North 50 Bend" at the White House, ran as follows:

"They were all very merry, and drinking champagne

When the Farmer, impatient, knocked louder again;
Oh, Oh, said Prince John, I very much fear

We must quit this place the very next year."

55

Another feature at the log cabin, and in all political processions, was at least one raccoon; and if not a live raccoon in a cage, at least a raccoon skin nailed upon the outside of the cabin. This gave local color, but hence came sundry jibes from the Democrats, for they were wont to refer to the Whigs as "coons," 60 and to their log cabins as "coon pens." Against all these elements of success, added to promises of better times, the Democratic party could make little headway. Martin Van Buren, though an admirable public servant in many ways, was discredited. M. de Bacourt, the French Minister at Washington, during his admin- 65 istration, was, it is true, very fond of him, and this cynical scion of French nobility wrote in a private letter, which has been published in these latter days, "M. Van Buren is the most perfect imitation of a gentleman I ever saw." But this commendation had not then come to light, and the main reliance of the Demo- 70 crats in capturing the popular good will was their candidate for the Vice-Presidency, Colonel Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky. He, too, had fought in the Indian wars, and bravely.

Therefore it was that one of the Whig songs which especially 75 rejoiced me, ran:

"They shout and sing, Oh, humpsy dumpsy,

Colonel Johnson killed Tecumseh."

Among the features of that period which excited my imagination were the enormous mass meetings, with processions, coming 80 in from all points of the compass, miles in length, and bearing every patriotic device and political emblem. Here the Whigs had infinitely the advantage. Their campaign was positive and aggressive. On platform wagons were men working at every trade which expected to be benefited by Whig success; log cabins 85 of all sorts and sizes, hard-cider barrels, coon pens, great canvas balls, which were kept "a-rolling on," canoes, such as General Harrison had used in crossing western rivers, eagles that screamed in defiance, and cocks that crowed for victory. The turning ball had reference to sundry lines in the foremost 90 campaign song. For the October election in Maine having gone Whig by a large majority, clearly indicating what the general result was to be in November, the opening lines ran as follows: "Oh, have you heard the news from Maine-Maine-Maine?

Another feature in the campaign also impressed me. A blackguard orator, on the Whig side, one of those whom great audiences applaud for the moment and ever afterwards despise, 100 made a speech which depicted the luxury prevailing at the White House, and among other evidences of it, dwelt upon the "gold spoons" used at the President's table, denouncing their use with such unction that, for the time, unthinking people regarded Martin Van Buren as a sort of American Vitellius. As a matter of fact, 105 the scanty silver-gilt table utensils at the White House have been shown, in these latter days, in some very pleasing articles written by General Harrison's grandson, after this grandson had himself

retired from the presidency, to have been, for the most part, bought long before;-and by order of General Washington.

In November of 1840 General Harrison was elected. In the 110 following spring he was inaugurated, and the Whigs being now for the first time in power, the rush for office was fearful. It was undoubtedly this crushing pressure upon the kindly old man that caused his death. What British soldiers, and Indian warriors, and fire, flood, and swamp fevers could not accomplish in over 115 sixty years, was achieved by the office-seeking hordes in just one month. He was inaugurated on the fourth of March and died early in April.

From "Autobiography."

GLOSSARY. Whig; Northwestern Territory; Tippecanoe; apotheosis; acrid; antithesis; Farmer of North Bend; Prince John; M. de Bacourt; scion; Tecumseh; October election; unction; Vitellius.

STUDY. This very vivid picture of what was perhaps the most remarkable campaign in American politics has the advantage of being written from personal recollections. Do you agree that this campaign was "an apotheosis of tomfoolery"? Point out what seem to you the best examples of "tomfoolery." Compare with what you have observed in campaigns of the present day. Does the author seem to give a well-balanced account and avoid partisanship?

THE RECESSIONAL

RUDYARD KIPLING

God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget-lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;

The captains and the kings depart:

5

GLOSSARY. Recessional; contrite; dune; Nineveh; Tyre; Gentiles; reeking; shard.

STUDY. This poem was written at the time of the great celebration of the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign in 1897, when the general theme in all minds was the greatness and glorious accomplishments of the empire. How does the theme in this poem differ from that suggested? In what direction does the poet try to turn men's minds? What is it that there is danger of forgetting? What was the "sacrifice" of line 9? What national danger is referred to in stanza 4? mere might? What more is needed?

What kind of heart trusts in

ON REPUTATION

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Cassio. Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!

Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more sense in that than in reputa- 5 tion. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: you are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in policy than in malice; 10 even so as one would beat his offenseless dog to affright an imperious lion. Sue to him again, and he's yours.

Cassio. I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swagger? 15 swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow?-O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

Iago. What was he that you followed with your sword? What had he done to you?

Cassio. I know not.

Iago. Is't possible?

20

Cassio. I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore.-O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we 25 should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!

Iago. Why, but you are now well enough; how came you thus recovered?

Cassio. It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place 30 to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself.