the old world found happy homes there; civilization drove the buffalo from his wonted haunt to give place to man; man himself yielded to the power of progress marching westward.  ‘Now, Littlejohn.’ said I, ’seeing that your people have but an imperfect geographical knowledge of our country, let me tell you that yon black ridge you see afar down is the range of rocky mountains.  Colonel Fremont, a small man, slim enough to split the wind, but as tough as Uncle Seth’s whip-stock, climbed the loftiest peak, hung his hat on it, made the stars and stripes on a rag—­(in accordance with necessity and the go-ahead spirit of our country)—­hung them flying in a snowstorm, whistled Yankee Doodle three times and proclaimed them ours in the name of the United States.  All this was smooth and fair,—­done in the spirit of our go-ahead, all-accomplished diplomacy.’

“‘Ah!’ interrupted Littlejohn, ’your appetite for bits of territory runs monstrously that way.’

“‘Yes!’ I replied; ’but, John, give us your hand-on that point we may honestly embrace, and declare ourselves now even two.  You are as modest as an archbishop on salary day, and seldom openly embrace territory; we prefer the frank style in all our adoptions.  Let us not quarrel over that—­you love freedom, we love free government.  Our political thoughts are moulded in one die, though self-interest may vary them.  To be mutually just toward each other, to live on terms of friendship, and preserve that amity which is our bulwark, serves well that unity of great principles which conserves and preserves our happiness.  Yea! cursed be the hand, and stagnate the breath raised against that peace and good-will which saves us from the monster of war.’  Here I grasped firmly and earnestly John’s hand, and would fain he forgot the past and thought only of the future.  Looking down, ’that is New Mexico,’ said I, ’a small corner we just hooked on to our large establishment; we let all these little ones come into the same nursery, where a generous mother watches their wants and provides for them as circumstances demand.  You, John, treat your colonial babies with singularly cold diet; in fact, you often permit them to become stunted and ill-tempered for want of proper care in the home nursery.  You see, Texas was well nursed, and now her territory is fast filling up with the hardy sons and daughters of your land; but, would they become new beings, and enjoy equal rights and equal privileges, they must divest themselves of those servilities which in your country one class unfortunately endeavors to enforce upon the other.’  John bowed, but gave no further heed.  Presently we came to the Mormon settlement, and here he set to chaffing me about equal privileges.  ’We always had inconsistencies in our social system,’ he said; ’just see how many wives these Mormons have got, and what a nice thing they are making of equal rights.  You beat us there, Smooth; we Englishmen would never think of such sort of thing.’  John looked very innocent and honest, which, added to his dignity so naturally put on, was enough to make one’s face square up into a broad smile.