CHAPTER XX.

These Chronicles draw to a close. The New Lights not displeased with Eliphalet Fox's discomfiture. Passage of the Independent Treasury Bill, and rejoicing thereon in Quodlibet. Changes. Interesting letter from the Dibble family. Mr. Flam returns to Quodlibet. His views of the Canvass. The President's reliance on the intelligence of the people. Ignominy and Insult of Federalism. Elections in Kentucky, Indiana, and North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, and Illinois. Presidential election. Consternation of the Quods. Meeting of the Club. Quarrel of Theodore Fog and Hon. Middleton Flam. Defection of Fog and sundry True Grits. Second Split. Great uproar and confusion. 254

INTERLOCUTORS, ACTORS, AND OTHERS NOTED IN THIS HISTORY.

NEW-LIGHT QUODLIBETARIAN DEMOCRATS.

THE HON. MIDDLETON FLAM.--Head of the New Lights, Representative of the district in Congress, President of the Copperplate Bank, intimate with the Secretary of the Treasury, an orator, a philosopher, and a man of large estate.

NICODEMUS HANDY.--Projector of the Copperplate Bank, Cashier of the same, and some time second in command of the New Lights.

SIMON SNUFFERS.--Superintendent of the Hay Scales, and President of the New-Light Club.

NATHANIEL DOUBLEDAY.--Clerk of the Court and Vice of the Club.

S. S.--Author and Editor of this History, Principal of the District School, honorary member of several literary societies, and Secretary no less to the New-Light Club than to the Grand Central Committee of Unflinching New-Light Quodlibetarian Democrats--_quorum magna pars fui_.

AGAMEMNON FLAG.--Attorney-at-Law, formerly of Bickerbray. At one time the Regular Nomination Candidate. Disposed to be in love with Miss Handy.

JACOB BARNDOLLAR.--Son-in-law of Jesse Ferret--of the firm of Barndollar & Hardbottle, Forwarding and Commission Merchants.

ANTHONY HARDBOTTLE.--Counterpart in said Firm. Elected President of the bank upon the resignation of Mr. Flam.

ZACHARY YOUNGHUSBAND.--Postmaster of _Quodlibet_, Tin-plate worker, and member of the Grand Central Committee.

THEODORE FOG.--Attorney-at-Law. At one time Director of the bank, but compelled to resign on account of his habits. Independent candidate against Agamemnon Flag--member of the Legislature--a distinguished popular orator, and original founder of that branch of the New Lights known by the name of the True Grits.

DR. THOMAS G. WINKELMAN.--Druggist, and soda-water pavilion keeper, physician in ordinary to the True Grits, and a man of great influence in that sect. Coroner of the county, contractor for the supply of medicines to the Almshouse, and ready to take any other office which might be vacant.

NIMROD PORTER.--Bar-keeper at The Hero, fond of betting, famous for trotting horses. A True Grit, but well inclined to the Mandarins.

ELIPHALET FOX.--Formerly editor of "The Gabwrangle Grimalkin," but, through the influence of Mr. Flam, transferred to "The Quodlibet Whole Hog,"--an expectant of the Marshal's place, but disappointed. The Orderly of the True Grits.

_True Grits Rank and File._

DABBS.--His Compositor.

NEAL HOPPER.--The Miller in Christy M'Curdy's mill.

SAMUEL PIVOT.--The County Assessor.

THOMAS CROP.--Constable of the Borough and an aspirant to the Sheriffalty.

WILLIAM GOODLACK.--Merchant Tailor and seller of ready-made clothes.

MAGNUS MOREHEAD.--Shoemaker, and looking to be made clerk to the Marshal in place of Washington Cutbush.

SIMPSON TRAVERS.--Keeper of the Refectory at the lower end of the Canal Basin, and expecting to have the exclusive supply of Liquors to the Recruiting Station.

SANDY BUTTERCROP.--Express rider, message carrier, baggage porter, and of sundry other accidental occupations--promised the place of Corney Dust, Marshal's porter.

FLAN SUCKER.--A distinguished loafer, a great admirer of Theodore Fog, and a regular attendant on public meetings.

BEN INKY, JEFF DRINKER, MORE M'NULTY.--Friends and followers of Flan Sucker.

FEROX TIGERTAIL.--Marshal of the district, resident in Bickerbray, an old Federalist, but reformed into a New-Light Democrat: choleric, and difficult to keep in harness.

WASHINGTON CUTBUSH.--His clerk, suspected of having an opinion of his own in politics.

CORNEY DUST.--His porter, charged with being lukewarm, and attending to nothing but his office.

VIRGIL PHILPOT.--Editor of The Bickerbray Scrutinizer, and an out-and-out friend of the Hon. Middleton Flam.

ABRAM SCHOOLCRAFT.--Nurseryman in Bickerbray, member of the Legislature.

CURTIUS SHORT.--Cheap store-keeper in Tumbledown, member of the Legislature.

CALE GOODFELLOW.--Sportsman, Farobanker, etc., of Tumbledown, and entirely devoted to Theodore Fog.

WHIGS.

MICHAEL GRANT.--Formerly a tanner, occupying the land on which Quodlibet was built. Having amassed an independence, he has retired to his farm at the foot of the Hogback, where he lives, surrounded by his four sons.

ANDREW GRANT.--His youngest son, educated to the engineer service, but preferring to be at home, married the daughter of Stephen P. Crabstock, and lives near the Hogback.

ABEL BRAWN.--A substantial blacksmith, but unfortunately infected with Whig principles--a matter of great regret to his friends among the New Lights.

DAVY POST.--Wheelwright.

GEOFFRY WHEELER.--Teamster.

PETER OUNCE.--Keeper of the Boatmen's Hotel, on the Canal.

STEPHEN P. CRABSTOCK.--Iron-master, and proprietor of the Hogback Furnace--a man who in spite of his adherence to the dangerous doctrines of the Whigs, has arisen from poverty to wealth by his own exertions.

AUGUSTUS POSTLETHWAITE TOMPKINSON.--Editor of The Thorough Blue Whole Team--a paper characterized by its mendacity, its ferocity, and utter disregard of the feelings of the purest New Lights in the nation. A bitter enemy of the Hon. Middleton Flam, and having the audacity to speak lightly of the President of the United States.

JOHN SMITH.--A gentleman generally known throughout the Union, and several times run for Congress.

OF DOUBTFUL POLITICS.

JESSE FERRET.--Inn-keeper and proprietor of The Hero--a cautious man, and somewhat afraid of his wife.

SAM HARDESTY.--Carpenter, so much under the weather as to have had no time to make up his mind, notwithstanding Mr. Flam's generosity toward him.

QUIPES.--House and sign, plain and ornamental painter, glazier, and artist in the portrait and landscape line.

NICHOLAS HARDUP.--Cattle dealer, a borrower of money from Mr. Flam, and, strange to tell, not yet satisfactorily settled in his opinions.

ISAIAH CRAPE.--Undertaker and conductor of funerals--Cabinet and furnishing store-keeper.

SERGEANT TRAP.--On the recruiting service at Quodlibet.

HIS DRUMMER.--A short and ferocious martialist.

CHARLEY MOGGS.--Boss loafer of Bickerbray, and promoted in the army as Sergeant Trap's fifer.

WOMEN.

MRS. MIDDLETON FLAM.--Lady of our member, and mother of a large family.

MISS JANET FLAM.--Sister of Mr. Middleton.

MADEMOISELLE JONQUILLE.--French Governess to the Misses Flam.

POLLY FERRET.--Commander-in-chief of all the forces of The Hero.

SUSAN BARNDOLLAR.--Her daughter, wife of Barndollar & Hardbottle, and remarkable for having her own opinion.

MRS. YOUNGHUSBAND.--The Postmaster's lady.

MRS. SNUFFERS.--Lady of the Superintendent of the Hay Scales, a woman of great consideration in the Borough.

HESTER HARDBOTTLE.--Maiden sister to Anthony Hardbottle.

MRS. HANDY.--Lady of the Cashier, and leader of the fashion in Quodlibet.

HENRIETTA HANDY.--Her daughter--supposed to have been favorably impressed by Mr. Agamemnon Flag.

MRS. TROTTER.--Mrs. Handy's housekeeper.

* * * * *

SERVANTS, ETC.--Sam, the waiter; William, the footman; Nace, the coachman; and Sarah, the maid, in Mr. Handy's service. Black Isaac, Kent bugle player; Yellow Josh, clarionet--Cicero, Neal Hopper's factotum. Billy Spike, Abel Brawn's fly-flapper, etc. etc.

QUODLIBET.