Hurrah for our New-England! Through the battle's fearful brunt, Through the red sea of the carnage, Still she struggles in the front; And victory's war-eagle, Hovering o'er the fiery blast, On her floating, starry standard. Is settling down at last. There is glory for New-England, When Oppression's strife is done, When the tools of Wrong are vanquished, And the cause of Freedom won; She shall sit in garments spotless, And shall breathe the odorous balm Of the cool green of contentment, In the bowers of peace and calm. _WAS HE SUCCESSFUL?_ 'Do but grasp into the thick of human life! Every one _lives_ it--to many it is _known_; and seize it where you will, it is interesting.--_Goethe_. 'SUCCESSFUL.--Terminating in accomplishing what is wished or intended.'--_Webster's Dictionary_. CHAPTER I. The little village of Burnsville, in Connecticut, was thrown into a state of excitement by the report that Hiram Meeker was about to remove to the city of New-York. Two or three elderly maiden ladies with whom Hiram was an especial favorite, declared there was not a word of truth in the ridiculous rumor. The girls of the village very generally discredited it. The young men said Hiram was not such a fool; he knew on which side his bread was buttered; he knew when to let well enough alone, and so forth. Still the report was circulated. To be sure, nobody believed it, yet it spread all the faster for being contradicted. I have said that the young ladies of Burnsville put no faith in the story. Possibly Sarah Burns was an exception, and Sarah, it was well understood, was an interested party, and would be apt to know the truth. She did not contradict the statement when made in her presence, and once, when appealed to for her opinion, she looked very serious, and said it might be so for all she knew. At length there were two parties formed in Burnsville. One on whose banner was inscribed: 'Hiram Meeker is going to New-York.' The other with flag bearing in large letters: 'No such thing: Hiram is not going.' It would have been easy, one would suppose, to settle the important controversy by a direct appeal to Hiram Meeker himself. Strange to say, this does not appear to have been done, both sides fearing, like experienced generals, to risk the result on a single issue. But numerous were the hints and innuendoes conveyed to him, to which he always gave satisfactory replies--satisfactory to both parties--both contending he had, by his answers, confirmed their own particular view of the case. This state of things could not last forever. It was brought suddenly to an end one Friday afternoon.