rest, was so singular as to deserve our notice.
Patriots who had long been known for an indomitable resolution to
support their friends, openly abandoned their claims on the rewards of
the little wheel, and went over to the enemy; and this, too, without
recourse to the mysteries of the "flapjack." Judge People's Friend was
completely annihilated for the moment--so much so, indeed, as to think
seriously of taking another mission--for, during these eclipses, long
service, public virtue, calculated amenity, and all the other bland
qualities of your patriot, pass for nothing, when weighed in the scale
against profit and loss. It was fortunate the Leapthrough question was,
in its essence, so well disposed of, though the uneasiness of those who
bought and sold land by the inch, pushed even that interest before the
public again by insisting that a few millions should be expended in
destroying the munitions of war, lest the nation might improvidently
be tempted to make use of them in the natural way. The cruisers were
accordingly hauled into the stream and converted into tide-mills,
the gun-barrels were transformed into gas-pipes, and the forts were
converted, as fast as possible, into warehouses and tea-gardens. After
this, it was much the fashion to affirm that the advanced state of
civilization had rendered all future wars quite out of the question.
Indeed, the impetus that was given, by the effects of the shadow, in
this way, to humanity in gross, was quite as remarkable as were its
contrary tendencies on humanity in detail.

Public opinion was not backward in showing how completely it was acting
under the influence of the shadow. Virtue began to be estimated by
rent-rolls. The affluent, without hesitation, or, indeed, opposition,
appropriated to themselves the sole use of the word respectable, while
taste, judgment, honesty, and wisdom, dropped like so many heirlooms
quietly into the possession of those who had money. The Leaplowers are
a people of great acuteness, and of singular knowledge of details.
Every considerable man in Bivouac soon had his social station
assigned him, the whole community being divided into classes of
"hundred-thousand-dollar monikins"--"fifty-thousand-dollar
monikins"--"twenty-thousand-dollar monikins." Great conciseness in
language was a consequence of this state of feeling. The old questions
of "is he honest?" "is he capable?" "is he enlightened?" "is he wise?"
"is he good?" being all comprehend