Leaving the history of political and professional for the present, it will now be necessary to revert and give in some detail matters more personal and affecting more nearly my own private life. I have already given an account of my marriage and removal to Des Moines. On the 18th of February, 1863, my wife and myself were made happy by the birth of our only child. This hope deferred came after ten years of waiting. Whilst the child was still an infant I was compelled to be absent on professional business at Indianola in Warren county. I concluded my business as soon as possible and hurried home, feeling an unpleasant premonition that everything was not all right with the mother and the child. Heavy rains had swollen the streams between Indianola and Des Moines, and as I approached the small bridge crossing the creek about four miles south of Des Moines, I found the water running several feet deep over the floor of the bridge. I knew this made the passage very dangerous because frequently such floods took away the flooring and made it probable that the horse and buggy in which I was riding might be cast into the flood of the stream. After some hesitation, however, I determined to take the risk and plunged into the stream accordingly. I got safely over and was much relieved when I found myself again on solid ground. I got home a little after dark and found an old lady who had been employed as nurse to the little one, who was squalling violently, engaged in trotting the infant upon her knee, as my wife lay on the bed on the very verge of hysterics. The next morning early I put out to find a nurse woman possessed of more flesh and patience, and the domestic trouble subsided. The first six months after the arrival of the little stranger my wife could scarcely obtain an hour's consecutive rest. The normal condition of the child appeared to be colicky. As I had to be engaged throughout the day in my business we finally established a second bedroom and I divided the time at night as well as I could with my wife, taking my turn at walking the floor at "half dress." The child, however, proved a great comfort to us and a pleasure, though for many months it was the pursuit of pleasure under difficulties.