By bleeding sire bequeathed to son,
Though baffled oft is ever won."
The chairman now arose, amid frantic applause, and said that the meeting was now at an end; but proposed that all the persons present should enroll themselves as members of a Union League for the Prevention of Distress among our Irish Soldiers in the Field. This was responded to with a thundering "Ay." He also proposed that each person present should contribute one dollar as a basis of a fund for the purpose. A gentleman here moved that the chairman's last suggestion should be amended by omitting the words "dollar" and "fund." Carried unanimously.
Then all the Accomackians went pleasantly home, my boy, except one seedy chap who had stood patiently before the platform during all the proceedings; and there he still stood, with his arms folded, when all the rest had gone. He was a somewhat loaferish chap, with some appearance of the philosopher.
The chairman looked at him, and says he:
"What are you waiting for, my friend?"
The chap gave an extra chew to his tobacco, and says he:
"I'm waiting for that ere Great Union meeting to come off."
"Why," says the chairman, "the meeting is all over."
"Yes, I know—thatmeeting," says the chap, explainingly; "but I mean the Great Unionmeeting."