Says I, “It hain't the worst piece in the world, Josiah Allen! It is as sensible as lots of political pieces I have read.” Says I, “Chirk up!” “It hain't the piece! It is the way it was took,” says he. “Life has been a burden to me ever sense that appeared in 'The Gimlet.' Tongue can't tell the way them Jonesvillians has sneered and jeered at me, and run me down, and sot on me.” I sithed, and remained a few moments almost lost in thought; and then says I,-- “Now, if you are more composed and gathered together, will you tell your companion how you come to write it? what you did it _for?_” “I did it to be populer,” says he, out from under his hand. “I thought I would branch off, and take a new turn, and not act so fierce and wolfish after office as most of 'em did. I thought I would get up something new and uneek.” “Wall, you have, uneeker than you probable ever will agin. But, if you wanted to be a senator, _why_ did you refuse to have any thing to do with politics?” “I did it to be _urged_,” says he, in the same sad, despairin' tones. “I made the move to be loved--to be the favorite of the Nation. I thought after they read that, they would be fierce to promote me, fierce as blood-hounds. I thought it would make me the most populer man in Jonesville, and that I should be sought after, and praised up, and follered.” “What give you that idee?” says I calmly. “Why, don't you remember Letitia Lanfear? She wrote a article sunthin' like this, only not half so smart and deep, when she was nominated for school-trustee, and it jest lifted her right up. She never had been thought any thing off in Jonesville till she wrote that, and that was the makin' of her. And she hadn't half the reason to write it that I have. She hadn't half nor a quarter the cares that I have got. She was a widder, educated high, without any children, with a comfortable income, and she lived in her brother's family, and didn't have _no_ cares at all. “And only see how that piece lifted her right up! They all said, what right feelin', what delicacy, what a noble, heart-stirrin', masterly document hern was! And I hankered, I jest hankered, after bein' praised up as she was. And I thought,” says he with a deep sithe, “I thought I should get as much agin praise as she did. I thought I should be twice as populer, because it wus sunthin' new for a _man_ to write such a article. I thought I should be all the rage in Jonesville. I thought I should be a lion.” [Illustration: LETITIA LANFEAR.] “Wall, accordin' to your tell, they treat you like one, don't they?” “Yes,” says he, “speakin' in a wild animal way.” Says he, growin' excited, “I wish I _wuz_ a African lion right out of a jungle: I'd teach them Jonesvillians to get out of my way. I'd love, when they was snickerin', and pokin' fun at me, and actin' and jeerin' and sneerin', and callin' me all to nort, I'd love to spring onto 'em, and roar.” “Hush, Josiah,” says I. “Be calm! be calm!”