As the precious animal calmly went to sleep, the major sallied out, having first drawn his sword to disperse the noisy boys who had gathered about his door, and who hurled no few missiles at his head before they were routed.  He then set out for the church, where he had an altercation with the sexton, which had resulted in blows but for his courage giving out.  Twice he lost his temper, and twice he regained it.  He at length got into the church, in search of his chickens; and to his great surprise and mortification, found that some political or military enemy (he would swear it was no one else) had broken his coop, and set them loose among the pews.  Indeed it was high noon when the major got possession of his fowls, which he did with the aid of the sexton and several mischievous boys.  He then secured them nicely in his coop, and having shouldered it, returned to his wife, presenting her with another proof of the success of his voyage, and relating how he got the advantage of Mrs. Trotbridge in the trade of the Shanghais.  After which he seated himself in a chair, and for several minutes seemed absorbed in deep study.  “Now, I tell thee, my dear Polly,” he suddenly broke out, “Major Potter was born for no ordinary man.  My enemies can inflict no injuries that will discourage me, for I have got scars enough, heaven knows; and scars are the proofs of a brave soldier.  Major Potter never ran from an enemy!  And that is something for a man to say who has been in the Mexican war.  It was, as you know, by the merest slip in the world that I did not succeed to fortune the two last times I was in public life.  And, dear Polly, I have now a better chance than ever, having fallen in with a great politician in search of fame.  By joining our fortunes I will so manage it as to get the better of my enemies; and with a little aid from my friends of the newspapers, you will yet see me in power.  I am a man of valor, I mix but little honey with my brimstone; and let my enemies say what they will, take my word for it, you shall yet see yourself the wife of a foreign minister.”

“As to your valor, dear husband,” returned his affectionate wife, “no one ever doubted it who knew you; and though there is nothing I so much covet as to be the wife of a foreign minister, and to move among great people abroad, and talk about it when I get home, our family is growing up, and need all we can earn to get them bread.  And as they might become a town tax, while you were getting the office, perhaps we had better thank heaven, and remain humble folks until we can get to be fine ones without being sneered at.”

“Indeed, Polly,” said the major, in reply, “if any such mishap should befall you while I am gone, you must pray heaven, and get along as well as you can until I send relief.  It is noble to struggle on and wait for the reward, which always comes.”  The good woman heard these words with tears in her eyes, and began to tax her resolution for means to meet the emergency; for she saw clearly that the major had got a freak into his head, and was about to give up the business of peddling tin ware, at which he made an honest living, and again lead the vagabond life of a politician.