right off. Splitting kindlings is the
royal road to all their good graces. It means a doughnut, or a piece of
pie, any time, at a moment's notice. All the same it is somewhat sweaty
work," he added, noticing my perspiring brow. "I go a little easy on it
myself; I never refuse when they ask me; but I don't try to make such a
pile as that at one time."

Halse, who had been turning the cows to pasture, now came in; and
breakfast being not quite ready, we went to the wagon-house and got down
the lengths of iron pipe from the loft, preparatory to loading them into
the cart, to be taken to the "Little Sea." It was what hardware dealers
term inch and a quarter pipe, and it was in lengths or sections, each
twelve feet long. These were somewhat heavy, and had screw threads cut
at each end, so that the ten or twelve lengths could all be joined
together by screwing them into couplings, and thus form one continuous
pipe. The pipe-tongs and wrench were needed to turn the couplings.

Addison had called at the post-office, and the Old Squire at once
became engrossed in the papers, containing further news of President
Johnson's quarrel with Congress. He and Addison were discussing politics
during breakfast. It made me feel uncomfortably ignorant, to hear how
well Addison was informed upon such matters, and how much interested
Theodora appeared to be in their conversation. Addison even undertook to
say what was Constitutional and what wasn't.

Not to be utterly outstripped, I ventured to express my opinion that
General Hancock ought to be the next President; but neither Addison nor
grandfather agreed with me, and I was afraid Theodora did not, for I
thought she looked at me compassionately, as if my opinion was immature.

Halstead did not say a word, but ate his breakfast with an air of
supreme indifference. Afterwards, as we were going out through the
wood-shed, he remarked to me that it made him sick to hear Republicans
palaver. "I'm a Democrat," said he. "I'm a 'Secesh,' too. I would be a
Democrat anyway, if Ad was a Republican."

I confess to feeling somewhat "mugwumpish" myself that morning, for it
was pretty plain that I never could lead the Republican party in that
house, as long as Addison was about. Still, I did not like the idea of
being a "copperhead;"--for that was the unhandsome designation which
Addison applied to all lukewarm or doubtful citizens. On the whole, I
decided that I had better be a quiet, not very talkativ