148 POLITICAL LIFE-VI 



was in the most quiet and natural manner possible. The 

 second piece was a rendering of Poe's " Bells/' and was 

 a most amazing declamation, the different sorts of bells 

 being indicated by changes of voice ranging from basso 

 profondo to the highest falsetto, and the feelings aroused 

 in the orator being indicated by modulations which must 

 have cost him months of practice. 



The contest being ended, and the committee having re- 

 tired to make their award, various members expressed an 

 opinion in favor of Mr. McLeod's quiet recital, when 

 Judge Hoar, who had seemed up to that moment immersed 

 in thought, seemed suddenly to awake, and said: "If I 

 had a son who spoke that bell piece in that style I believe 

 I 'd choke him. ' ' The vote was unanimously in favor of 

 Mr. McLeod, and then came out a curious fact. Having 

 noticed that he bore an empty sleeve, I learned from Pro- 

 fessor Peabody that he had lost his arm while fighting on 

 the Confederate side in our Civil War, and that he was a 

 man of remarkably fine scholarship and noble character. 

 He afterward became an instructor at Harvard, but died 

 early. 



During the following autumn, in spite of my absorption 

 in university interests, I was elected a delegate to the State 

 Convention, and in October made a few political speeches, 

 the most important being at Clinton, the site of Hamilton 

 College. This was done at the special request of Senator 

 Conkling, and on my way I passed a day with him at 

 TJtica, taking a long drive through the adjacent country. 

 Never was he more charming. The bitter and sarcastic 

 mood seemed to have dropped off him; the overbearing 

 manner had left no traces ; he was full of delightful rem- 

 iniscences and it was a day to be remembered. 



I also spoke at various other places and, last of all, at 

 Clifton Springs, but received there a rebuff which was not 

 without its uses. 



I had thought my speeches successful ; but at the latter 

 place, taking the cars next morning, I heard a dialogue 

 between two railway employees, as follows: 



