larly eventful and striking. A friend of mine who
visited a sanctum (ours) for the first time, said, as he left, that he
had never experienced such an interesting hour in his life. _Firstly_,
came our chief city reporter, exulting in the manner in which he had
circumvented the police, and, despite all their efforts, got, by ways
that were dark, at all the secrets of a brand-new horrible murder.
_Secondly_, a messenger with an account of how I, individually, had
kicked up the very devil in the City Councils, and set the Mayor to
condemning us, by a leader discussing certain municipal abuses.
_Thirdly_, another, to tell how I had swept one-half the city by an
article exposing its neglect, and how the sweepers and dirt-carts were
busy where none had been before for weeks, and how the contractor for
cleaning wanted to shoot me. _Fourthly_, a visit from some great
dignitary, who put his dignity very much _a l'abri_ in his pocket, to
solicit a puff. _Fifthly_, a lady who, having written a very feeble
volume of tales which had merely been gently commended in our columns,
came round in a rage to shame me by sarcasm, begging me as a parting shot
to at least _read_ a few lines of her work. _Sixthly_, a communication
from a great New York family, who, having been requested to send a short
description of a remarkable wedding-cake, sent me _one hundred and fifty
pages_ of minute history of all their ancestors and honours, with strict
directions that not a line should be omitted, and the article printed at
once most conspicuously. {225} _Seventhly_, . . . but this is a very
mild specimen of what went on all the time during office-hours. And on
this subject alone I could write a small book.

Now, at this time there came about a very great change in my life, or an
event which ultimately changed it altogether. My father had, for about
two years past, fallen into a very sad state of mind. His large property
between Chestnut and Bank Streets paid very badly, and his means became
limited. I was seriously alarmed as to his health. My dear mother had
become, I may say, paralytic; but, in truth, the physicians could never
explain the disorder. To the last she maintained her intellect, and a
miraculous cheerfulness unimpaired.

All at once a strange spirit, as of new life, came suddenly over my
father. I cannot think of it without awe. He went to work like a young
man, shook off his despair, financiered with marvellous ability, b