as of the general good to recede from his mind, and
gave himself up wholly to furthering the schemes and interested views
of his own party. By this means, he was enabled to maintain his
position. But what a sacrifice for an honourable, high-minded man! A
few years in the State legislature, where he was an active member,
prepared him for going up higher. He was, accordingly, nominated for
Congress, and elected, but by the same means that had accomplished all
of his previous elections. And he went there under the mistaken idea
that he was becoming a great man, when it was not with any particular
reference to his fitness for becoming a representative of one section
of the country for the good of the whole that he was sent there, but as
a fit tool for the performance of selfish party ends. Thus he became
the exponent in Congress of the same principles that he had laid down
for his own government, viz. such as were thoroughly selfish and
interested.

In the course of time, it so happened that, as eminent lawyers, the
two individuals we have introduced were again thrown together as
inhabitants of the same city, and became practitioners at the same bar.
At first, Abercrombie did not fear Harvey; but he soon learned that, as
an opponent, not even he could gain over him, unless his cause were
just. For some years Abercrombie went regularly to Congress, usually
elected over the opposing candidate by a large majority--for his party
far outnumbered the other. At length the time seemed to have arrived
for him to take another step. The senatorial term for the district in
which he lived was about to expire, and there was to be an election for
a United States senator. For this vacancy he was nominated as a
candidate by his party, and as that was the strongest party, he looked
confidently for an election. The opposing interest cast about them for
some time, and at last fixed upon Harvey, who, after mature
deliberation, accepted the nomination.

It is needless here to recapitulate the principles which governed these
two individuals; they have already been fully stated. At the time that
they became rivals for a high station, each had confirmed in himself
the views of life expressed many years before, and was acting them out
fully. One was thoroughly selfish--the other strove to regard, in all
that he did, the good of others.

A few months before the day of election, a woman dressed in deep
mourning came into the office of Mr. Harvey. S