major drew up his team, and, dismounting, proceeded to fill his
bucket. Having drank of the limpid water from one of his tin cups,
and placed the bucket before old Battle, whom he patted with great
fondness, the major next proceeded to take care of his disconsolate
chickens, which for the last three miles had been keeping up an
opera of discordant sounds, to his great annoyance. Uncovering his
coop, which he carried at the tail of his wagon, he set two tin cups
of water before them, and scattered moistened meal at their feet,
enjoining them to hold their peace in the future. And while in the
act of doing this, he reminded me that great men were exalted by
small things, and however bemeaning the nursing of chickens might be
regarded in a military man, there was in it a nobleness the great
only could appreciate. The chickens, however, did not seem to
appreciate his sacrifice of dignity, for they devoured their food
with an increase of music. Having attended to the wants of his live
stock, the major frisked round his wagon to see that his wares were
all safe, and then commenced singing a song, as if a transport of
joy had suddenly come over him. "I tell you what it is, my friend,"
said he, pausing in the middle of his tune, and drawing his favorite
flask from his breast pocket, "the world 'll think none the less of
us for traveling thus shabbily. There may be nothing courtly in the
profession of tin-peddling, yet it is an honorable enterprise, and
has its obstacles as well as other honorable enterprises." I
besought him not to make himself uncomfortable on my account; that I
was not yet so famous that I could not ride over the country on a
tin-wagon, without feeling it a sacrifice of dignity.

We now sat down by the spring together, and proceeded to refresh
ourselves with his crackers and cheese, to which I added a
newly-baked pumpkin pie my mother, in the outpouring of her