about.
I like war stories, myself. Senator," said he, turning to Senator
Hammond, "the first time I ever saw you--and then it was some distance
off--you were in the biggest kind of a hurry; I never saw a man so
anxious to get from here, say, to over there."

"When was it? I do not recollect," said the old veteran pleasantly.

"Why, at Bull Run; don't you remember Bull Run?"

"Do I? Well, I should say I did. You fellows certainly had us going that
day, and if you had been smart you would have pushed matters, captured
Washington, and thus ended the war, or at least have been in a position
to dictate your own terms. As to our retreat, I remember so well the
disgusted tones of a staunch Union lady living in Washington, speaking
to one of the boys on the night of our return.

"'You coward!' she said bitterly, 'to run away at the first fire! Don't
you know that the finger of scorn will be pointed at you all the rest of
your life?'

"'That may be so, lady,' said the soldier doggedly, 'but I'd ruther hev
the finger o' scorn pinted at me any time than one o' them damned Rebel
cannon!'

"And another of the boys limping by, foot-sore and weary, was accosted
by this same angry dame, 'You ran, did you? You ran! Shame! Shame! A big
fellow like you! Why did you run?'

"'I run, mum, 'cause I couldn't _fly_, that's why I run!'"

"Yes, quite true; and yet, after all, how like the moon we are,"
muttered one of the newspaper men disconnectedly.

"How so?" inquired Senator Hammond acidly.

"Why, here we are, full--gloriously full--on the twentieth of the month,
and eight days later, down to our last quarter."

"That's bad, very bad, O'Brien," said another scribe mournfully.
"Forgive him, Senator. I will have something to say to him later."
Withering glances were cast at the unlucky one, who seemed about to sink
under the table, and the wind outside howled dismally, and rattled the
windows in its rage.

[Illustration: Senator Pennypacker.]

The situation was steadied somewhat by Senator Pennypacker. The Senator,
who entered public life five years ago a poor man, and who, by living
economically, saving his pay, and borrowing his chewing tobacco, is at
present worth considerably over a million dollars, now favored the
company with some sage remarks as to the tendency of the times toward
extravagance, the high cost of living in Washington, the iniquity of the
boarding-house keepers, and the difficulty he had to make both ends
m