he had climbed, was
profoundly affected by the show it made.

The Trapper had charge of the meat department, and it is safe to say
that no Delmonico could undertake to serve venison in greater variety
than did he. To him it was a grand occasion, and--in a culinary
sense--he rose grandly to meet it. What bosom is without its little
vanities? and shall we laugh at the dear old man because he looked
upon the opportunity before him with feeling other than pure
benevolence,--even of complacency that what he was doing was being
done as no one else could do it?

There was venison roasted, and venison broiled, and venison fried;
there was hashed venison, and venison spitted; there was a side-dish
of venison sausage, strong with the odor of sage, and slightly dashed
with wild thyme; and a huge kettle of soup, on whose rich creamy
surface pieces of bread and here and there a slice of potato floated.

"I tell ye, Bill," said the Trapper to his companion, as he stirred
the soup with a long ladle, "this pot isn't act'ally runnin' over with
taters, but ye can see a bit occasionally ef ye look sharp and keep
the ladle goin' round pretty lively. No, the taters ain't over
plenty," continued the old man, peering into the pot, and sinking his
voice to a whisper, "but there wasn't but fifteen in the bag, and the
woman took twelve of 'em fur her kittle, and ye can't make three
taters look act'ally crowded in two gallons of soup, can ye, Bill?"
And the old man punched that personage in the ribs with the thumb of
the hand that was free from service, while he kept the ladle going
with the other.

"Lord!" exclaimed the Trapper, speaking to Bill, who, having taken a
look into the old man's kettle, was digging his knuckles into his eyes
to free them from the spray that was jetted into them from the
fountains of mirth within that were now in full play,--"Lord! ef there
isn't another piece of tater gone all to pieces! Bill, ef I make
another circle with this ladle, there won't be a whole slice left, and
ye'll swear there wasn't a tater in the soup." And the two men, with
their faces within twenty inches, laughed and laughed like boys.

How sweet it is to think that when the Maker set up this strange
instrument we call ourselves, and strung it for service, He selected
of the heavy chords so few, and of the lighter ones so many! Some
muffled ones there are; some slow and solemn sounds swell sadly forth
at intervals, but blessed be God that we a