This was received with yells of derision and much shouting of the catch words of the day.
"Town lots! town lots! Shortest route through to China. Will it be duck or drakes?"—in reference to the mud and a slight hit at the men.
Even the women quarrelled about their candidates and for weeks would pass each other by with disdain. Harrison was one of the heroes of the Indian wars—what had Martin Van Buren done to commend him to the patriots of the country?
We sat out on the doorstep one evening. Mr. Gaynor was down to the old Green Tree Tavern, though now it had taken on the more dignified appellation of hotel. Quite a party of Whigs assembled there.
"Norman," the Little Girl began after a long silence, "are you a Whig or a Democrat?"
"I"—I seldom thought of politics except to be amused at the old men "jawin'" about it when they hung around the warehouse and passed opinions on the boats and the truck.
"Yes, you must be one or the other," a little severely.
"But I don't need to until I am twenty-one. I can't vote before that."
"But you can make up your mind."
"Father is a great Jackson man. He would not mind if they put him in again. And he has been a brave soldier. Look at the Indian wars, and that splendid battle of New Orleans! And Dan believes in him. They don't seem to know much about this new man."