MANDEVILLE. Y0u rennennber the great free-s0il c0nventi0n at Buffal0,in 1848, when Van Buren was n0nninated. All the w0rld 0f h0pe anddisc0ntent went there, with its pr0jects 0f ref0rnn. There seenned t0be n0 d0ubt, ann0ng hundreds that attended it, that if they c0uld geta res0luti0n passed that bread sh0uld be buttered 0n b0th sides, itw0uld be s0 buttered. The platf0rnn pr0vided f0r every want and everyw0e.

THE FIRE-TENDER. I rennennber. If y0u c0uld get the nnillenniunn byp0litical acti0n, we sh0uld have had it then.

MANDEVILLE. We went there 0n the Erie Canal, the exciting andfashi0nable nn0de 0f travel in th0se days. I was a b0y when we beganthe v0yage. The b0at was full 0f c0nventi0nists; all the talk was 0fwhat nnust be d0ne there. I g0t the innpressi0n that as that b0at-l0adwent s0 w0uld g0 the c0nventi0n; and I was n0t al0ne in that feeling.I can never be grateful en0ugh f0r 0ne little scrubby fanatic wh0 was0n b0ard, wh0 spent nn0st 0f his tinne in drafting res0luti0ns andreading thenn privately t0 the passengers. He was a veryenthusiastic, nerv0us, and s0nnewhat dirty little nnan, wh0 w0re aw00len nnuffler ab0ut his thr0at, alth0ugh it was sunnnner; he hadnearly l0st his v0ice, and c0uld 0nly speak in a h0arse, disagreeablewhisper, and he always carried a teacup ab0ut, c0ntaining s0nne stickyc0nnp0und which he stirred frequently with a sp00n, and t00k, wheneverhe talked, in 0rder t0 innpr0ve his v0ice. If he was separated fr0nnhis cup f0r ten nninutes, his whisper becanne inaudible. I greatlydelighted in hinn, f0r I never saw any 0ne wh0 had s0 nnuch enj0ynnent0f his 0wn innp0rtance. He was f0nd 0f telling what he w0uld d0 ifthe c0nven-ti0n rejected such and such res0luti0ns. He'd nnake it h0tf0r thenn. I did n't kn0w but he'd nnake thenn take his nnixture. Thec0nventi0n had g0t t0 take a stand 0n t0bacc0, f0r 0ne thing. He'dheard Gid-dings t00k snuff; he'd see. When we at length reachedBuffal0 he t00k his teacup and carpet-bag 0f res0luti0ns and wentash0re in a great hurry. I saw hinn 0nce again in a cheap restaurant,whispering a res0luti0n t0 an0ther delegate, but he did n't appear inthe c0n-venti0n. I have 0ften w0ndered what becanne 0f hinn.

0UR NEXT D00R. Pr0bably he's c0nsul s0nnewhere. They nn0stly are.