And I gin the man credit where credit wuz due; it wuzn’t the money worth of the gem that he cared for, though it wuz very valuable. No; it wuz the memory of lovely Kate Fairfax, and the blendin’ of their two names on it, and a part of their two selves, as you may say—the curl of her golden hair twisted in with his dark locks. And all the tender memories of the happy time when she gin him this jewel with her first true love, and he gin her his hull heart. Memories bitter-sweet now as he mourned his losses. Wall, I see the Senator wuz all melted down and broke up; and as is my way, havin’ the good of the human race on my mind and heart, and havin’ to do for ’em all the while, I see that now wuz the very time for me to tackle the relation from Delaware about a matter that I had long wanted to tackle him on, concernin’ a law of his own State— A statute so full of burnin’ injustice, and shame, and disgrace that it wuz a wonder to me, and had been for some time, that the very stuns along the banks of the Delaware didn’t cry out to its Senators as they passed along to and from their law-makin’ expeditions. And when he wuz a goin’ on the very worst about Raymond’s doin’ such a dretful thing, and what a irreparable loss it wuz, I spoke up, and sez I, “Why, Raymond had a right to it, didn’t he?” “A right?” he thundered out in his agitation, “a right to throw away this priceless jewel? What do you mean, madam?” “Why,” sez I calmly (for I wuz a workin’ for Duty and Right; and they always brace me up and keep me calm), “Raymond has passed the age of consent, hasn’t he?” He wuz a few days over seven years old. “What!!!” cries the Senator, “_what_ do you mean?” “Why, children in your State can consent to their own ruin if they are over seven.” “It is girls that can do this,” hollered the Senator from Delaware, “it hain’t boys.” But I went on calm as I could: “What are a few diamonds, that can be bought and sold, to be compared to the downfall of all hope and happiness, the contempt and derision of the world, the ruin of a life, and the loss of a immortal soul? And your laws grant this privilege to children if they are a day or two over seven.” “That law was made for girls,” cried the Senator agin in stentorian axents. “Yes,” sez I, “men made that law, and girls and wimmen have to stand it. But,” sez I, lookin’ and actin’ considerable fierce, as the mighty shame and disgrace of that law come over me, “it is a law so infamus that I should think the old Atlantic herself (bein’ a female, as is spozed) would jest rare herself up and wash over the hull land, to try to wipe out or bury the horrible disgrace that has been put upon her sect—would swash up and cover your little State completely up—it ort to, and hide it forever from the heavens and the eye of females.” [Illustration: BABE. ]