Still believin' that the Goddess of Liberty is about as well
sot up with as any young lady in distress could expect to be,
I am
Yours more'n anybody else's,
A. Ward.

2.6. THE DRAFT IN BALDINSVILLE.

If I'm drafted I shall RESIGN.

Deeply grateful for the onexpected honor thus confered upon me I shall feel compeld to resign the position in favor of sum more worthy person. Modesty is what ails me. That's what's kept me under.

I meanter-say, I shall hav to resign if I'm drafted everywheres I've bin inrold. I must now, furrinstuns, be inrold in upards of 200 different towns. If I'd kept on travelin' I should hav eventooaly becum a Brigade, in which case I could have held a meetin' and elected myself Brigadeer- ginral quite unanimiss. I hadn't no idea there was so many of me before. But, serisly, I concluded to stop exhibitin', and made tracks for Baldinsville.

My only daughter threw herself onto my boosum, and said, "It is me fayther! I thank the gods!"

She reads the "Ledger."

"Tip us yer bunch of fives, old faker!" said ARTEMUS, Jr. He reads the "Clipper."

My wife was to the sowin' circle. I knew she and the wimin folks was havin' a pleasant time slanderin' the females of the OTHER sowin' circle (which likewise met that arternoon, and was doubtless enjoyin' theirselves ekally well in slanderin' the fust-named circle), and I didn't send for her. I allus like to see people enjoy theirselves.

My son ORGUSTUS was playin' onto a floot.