“Why,” says I, “I'll have the girl Ury is engaged to, come here and do the chores, and work for herself; they are goin' to be married before long: and I'll give her some rolls, and let her spin some yarn for herself. She'll be glad to come.” “How long do you s'pose you'll be gone? She hain't no cook. I'd as lives eat rolls, as to eat her fried cakes.” “Your pardner will fry up 2 pans full before she goes, Josiah; and I don't s'pose I'll be gone over four days.” “Oh, well! then I guess I can stand it. But you had better make some mince-pies ahead, and other kinds of pies, and some fruit-cake, and cookies, and tarts, and things: it is always best to be on the safe side, in vittles.” So it wus agreed on,--that I should fill two cubbard shelves full of provisions, to help him endure my absence. I wus some in hopes that he might give up the idee of bein' United-States senator, and I might have rest from my tower; for I dreaded, oh, how I dreaded, the job! But as day by day passed, he grew more and more rampant with the idee. He talked about it all the time daytimes; and in the night I could hear him murmur to himself,-- “Hon. Josiah Allen!” And once I see it in his account-book, “Old Peedick debtor to two sap-buckets to Hon. Josiah Allen.” And he talked sights, and sights, about what he wus goin' to do when he got to Washington, D.C.--what great things he wus goin' to do. And I would get wore out, and say to him,-- “Wall! you will have to get there first.” “Oh! you needn't worry. I can get there easy enough. I s'pose I shall have to work hard jest as they all do. But as I told you before, if every thing else fails, I have got a grand plan to fall back on--sunthin' new and uneek. Josiah Allen is nobody's fool, and the nation will find it out so.” Then, oh, how I urged him to tell his plan to his lovin' pardner! but he _wouldn't tell_. But hours and hours would he spend, a tellin' me what great things he wus goin' to do when he got to Washington. Says he, “There is one thing about it. When I get to be United-States senator, uncle Nate Gowdey shall be promoted to some high and responsible place.” “Without thinkin' whether he is fit for it or not?” says I. “Yes, mom, without thinkin' a thing about it. I am bound to help the ones that help me.” “You wouldn't have him examined,” says I,--“wouldn't have him asked no questions?” “Oh, yes! I'd have him pass a examination jest as the New-York aldermen do, or the civil-service men. I'd say to him, 'Be you uncle Nate Gowdey?' “'Yes.' “'How long have you been uncle Nate Gowdey?' “And he'd answer; and I'd say,-- “'How long do you calculate to be uncle Nate?' “And he'll tell; and then I'll say,-- “'Enough: I see you have all the qualifications for office. You are admitted.' That is what I would do.”