charity heaven could not fail to record to the credit of any good
natured bachelor.

"And this, too, I will say, that nothing could have been more
elegantly conducted than the parties to which I was invited. Indeed,
I saw no occasion for repaying hospitality after the manner of those
malicious writers, who take pleasure in sneering at the quality of
entertainment given by our aristocracy, merely because it is
composed of men who have got rich by the very republican business of
sailing ships and selling eatables. Now I by no means underrate the
man of letters who truly represents genius, or learning; but that
every dabbler in small satire should dub himself a man of letters,
and therefore set up for an idol before whom better men must bow, or
have their social affairs battered to pieces, is something I cannot
condescend to admit. By all means, if the little fellows will have a
court, let them have one of their own, and to their liking; for they
will quarrel over those ills they seem born to; and if they can
quarrel without interfering with the rights of others, the peace of
the earth may be preserved. In fine, I would have them cram
themselves into everything great and good, and ask only that they be
careful not to weaken those pedestals upon which our republic is
expanding itself. But enough of this.

"Having passed through fetes of unequaled splendor the politicians
began to put questions to me, which, in many instances, it was not
convenient for me to answer, inasmuch as by a single word I might
commit myself to principles my party would not sanction. They,
however, took me into their keeping, and so delayed my journey to
Washington that I began to feel that I had got among friends of the
wrong kind." We were now entering a short curve in the road, between