148 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



Arkansas was admitted into the " Union." Mo, from 

 this fact, received great glory, of course ; his father's 

 greatness alone would have stamped him with supe- 

 riority ; but his having been twice to the " Capitol'' 

 when the legislature was in session, stamped his claims 

 to pre-eminence over all competitors. 



Mo Mercer was the oracle of the renowned village 

 of Hardscrabble. 



" Mo" knew every thing ; he had all the consequence 

 and complacency of a man who had never seen his 

 equal, and never expected to. " Mo" bragged exten- 

 sively upon his having been to the " Capitol" twice, — 

 of his there having been in the most " fashionable soci- 

 ety," — of having seen the world. His return to town 

 was therefore received with a shout. The arrival of the 

 piano was announced to him, and he alone of all the 

 community, was not astonished at the news 



His insensibility was considered wonderful. He 

 treated the piano as a thing that he v/as used to, and 

 went on, among other things to say, that he had seen 

 more pianos in the " Capitol " than he had ever seen 

 woodchucks ; and that it was not an animal, but a musi- 

 cal instrument, played upon by the ladies ; and he wound 

 up his description by saying that the way " the dear 

 creeters could pull music out of it was a caution to 

 hoarse owls." 



The new turn given to the piano excitement in 

 Hardscrabble by Mo Mercer, was like pouring oil on 



