The leaders themselves said nothing, and in a few
weeks the rank and file recovered their cheerfulness. Even Mrs.
Whiston, with all her experience, was a little puzzled by this
change of mood. Alas! she was far from guessing the correct
explanation.
It was a great comfort to me that Mrs. Whiston was also elected to
the Legislature. My husband had just then established his
manufactory of patent self-scouring knife-blades (now so
celebrated), and could not leave; so I was obliged to go up to
Gaston all alone, when the session commenced. There were but four
of us Assemblywomen, and although the men treated us with great
courtesy, I was that nervous that I seemed to detect either
commiseration or satire everywhere. Before I had even taken my
seat, I was addressed by fifteen or twenty different gentlemen,
either great capitalists, or great engineers, or distinguished
lawyers, all interested in various schemes for developing the
resources of our State by new railroads, canals or ferries. I then
began to comprehend the grandeur of the Legislator's office.
Pages:
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430