prescribing a reduction in the number of officers, the elimination of drunkards, great strictness and impartiality in discipline, the discontinuance of extensive repairs of old wooden ships, the diminution of navy-yard expenses, and the beginning of the construction of a new navy of modern steel ships and guns according to the plans of a skilful naval advisory board. The first of such vessels, the cruisers 'Chicago,' 'Boston,' and 'Atlanta,' and a steel despatch-boat 'Dolphin,' with their armaments, were designed in this country and built in American workshops. The gun foundry board referred to above was originated, and its reports were printed with that of the department for 1884. A special message of 26 March, 1884, urged continued progress in the reconstruction of the navy, the granting of authority for at least three additional steel cruisers and four gun-boats, and the finishing of the four double-turreted monitors. Two cruisers and two gun-boats were authorized by the act of 3 March, 1885.

"An Arctic expedition, consisting of the steam whalers Thetis' and Bear,' together with the ship 'Alert,' given by the British admiralty, was fitted out and despatched under the command of Commander Winfield Scott Schley for the relief of Lieut. A. W. Greely, of the U. S. army, who with his party had been engaged since 1881 in scientific exploration at Lady Franklin bay, in Grinnell Land; and that officer and a few other survivors were rescued at Cape Sabine, 22 June, 1884. On recommendation of the president, an act of congress was passed directing

the return of the 'Alert' to the English government."

It will be interesting to those who wish to know more of Mr. Chandler's advent into politics, to read the following from the pen of Hon. Jacob H. Ela:

"In June, 1859, he was appointed by Gov. Ichabod Goodwin law reporter of the New Hampshire supreme court, and published five volumes of the reports. He entered the service of the Republican party with great earnestness at its beginning, in 1856, and gave much of his time, in the office of the state committee, to assist the movement during its early campaigns, becoming secretary first, and afterwards chairman in 1864 and 1865. The election of 1863 took place during the darkest period of the war, following the battle of Fredericksburg, when gloom and almost despair overshadowed every town in the state. It was evident to all that a draft was impending, and it seemed as though the ability of the towns and the state had been exhausted, and no more money could be raised or volunteers be found to enlist. All those opposed to the war were united and active in the Democratic party, and were aided by those Republicans who were alarmed by the burden of the debt, and by those who would compromise the safety of the Union sooner than expose themselves to be drafted to save it. It was the most important political campaign ever conducted in the state, and brought the executive ability of Mr. Chandler prominently into view, and led to his future advancement.

"President Lincoln watched this campaign more closely, probably,

than any other outside his own state. It was the opening election of the year following a depressing defeat, and he felt that to lose it at such a critical time would be as disastrous in its effects upon the army and the country as the loss of a great battle. It was his interest in this election which first brought Mr. Chandler to his attention, and there is no doubt that he noted when, in the New Hampshire Republican state convention, in 1864, Mr. Chandler offered the following resolution, which was unanimously and by acclamation adopted:

Resolved, That Abraham Lincoln, by the exercise, during the severest and most dangerous crisis in the nation's history, of unequalled sagacity and statesmanship, and that moderation and prudence which experience has shown to be the highest wisdom; by his spotless integrity of personal character, above reproach and above suspicion; and by his slowly formed yet unalterable determination that the triumph of the constitution and the Union over seces

sion and rebellion shall be the final triumph of liberty throughout the nation,—has received and merited the abiding confidence of the people to an extent never awarded any other public man since Washington; that the best interests of the country demand that the complete destruction of the Rebellion and the restoration of peace, prosperity, and the Union, should be achieved under his administration of the government; and that we therefore declare Abraham Lincoln to be the people's choice for reëlection to the presidency in 1864.

"The adoption of the resolution, and the conduct of the canvass in the spring of 1864, on the basis of Mr. Lincoln's renomination, resulted in a very large Republican majority; and Mr. Chandler, who had been a member of the legislature of 1862, and, at the age of twenty-seven, had been elected speaker of the house of representatives in 1863, was again

chosen speaker; and in August, 1864, presided over the legislature in which occurred the eventful conflict and riotous disturbances over the veto by Governor Gilmore of the bill allowing soldiers in the field the right to vote. Mr. Chandler gained his earliest reputation for persistency, coolness, and moral courage in this celebrated conflict, so well remembered by the Republicans of the state."

Mr. Chandler has been twice married,-in 1859, to a daughter of Gov. Joseph A. Gilmore, and in 1874, to a daughter of Hon. John P. Hale. He has four sons,-Joseph Gilmore, born 1860; William Dwight, in 1863; and Lloyd Horwitz, in 1869; also, John P. Hale Chandler, born March 22, 1885.

Mr. Chandler's father died in 1862. His mother died in 1883, in Concord. His two brothers,--John K. Chandler, formerly a merchant in Boston and the East Indies, now resides on a farm in Canterbury, N. H. ; and George H. Chandler, who was first adjutant and afterwards major of the Ninth New Hampshire regiment, was, till his death, a lawyer in Baltimore. Mr. Chandler's father was a Whig-a man of great intelligence and firmness of character. His mother was a woman of equally positive traits, and contributed much to the formation of the character which has given success to her sons.

Mr. Chandler's popularity is confined to no one section of the state. With the sturdy rank and file of the Republican party, from Cheshire county to the upper Coös, from the Connecticut river to the ocean, he has staunch and enthusiastic friends.

Our landlady belongs to faded gentility. She has that fat and forty look, wears that selfsame alpaca overdress, and usually has her spectacles thrown back on her forehead, all of which are characteristic of landladies. She came to town from the Cape Cod country at the close of the late war, marrying a man with a comfortable competency. At length, some six years later, after she had presented him with an olive branch, Mr. Chick balanced his accounts with this world and went to the next, but went penniless, leaving the widow in poverty. In this cheerless situation she gazed piteously about her for some opportunity that would not compromise her gentility, or lessen her high standing in society, but still replenish her depleted coffers.

Finally, on desperate speculation, and knowing the proverbiality with which jurors are wont to decide such cases, despite evidence and reason, in favor of the plaintiff,—or, rather, to say true, her lawyers had told her this, and, moreover, that a lone woman in distress generally enlisted the sympathy of juries, whether the contention be breach money or alimony-in face then of all this, Mrs. Chick purposely slipped on the treacherous sidewalk, sustaining simple fracture of the ankle, then sued the city for damages. She limped painfully about on crutches till the suit terminated, then, as would be very natural, threw them away. With this money she embarked in a less successful undertaking, a millinery establishment, which went,

for reasons unknown to me, rapidly to the dogs and bankruptcy.

Taking the next regular step in the progress downwards from gentility to the common people and nothingness, she became landlady of this boarding-house in Temple Place. These are the principal points in Mrs. Chick's history that I have been able to authoritatively establish. It is true there have been other stories told about her; but they lack the proper authentication. These I have regarded it best to withhold. One was to the effect that she had fallen desperately in love with a car conductor in riding down town on Sunday morning. Its truthfulness I have always doubted.

Mrs. Chick's son is a stupid, bowlegged hind, enormously given to tobacco, and dreadfully repugnant to soap. Tim looks upon work as a deadly poison, or, at least, he never touches it. The only tools he uses to advantage are a knife and fork. In using these he is unrivalled, or so the cook complains. Still Tim has a soft heart, and a soft head to boot. There are three theories regarding his head. The most general one is to the effect that he was born with it so. The most improbable is that the Bot climate of Arizona, whither he went with his regiment, melted it, and it never returned to its normal condition. The most reasonable is, that the tobacco he consumes is the occasion of it.

Parenthetically I will say that Mrs. Chick has come to grief again. She

became immersed badly in debt, whereat her household goods were knocked down under the hammer. I have heard it definitely stated that she is letting lodgings on Lyman street-last sad scene of all.

Although Mrs. Chick once kept a carriage, once said her prayers, I can best liken her case to a disabled ship that has dropped out of fire, and is lost sight of in the din and smoke of the engaging vessels, and though it keeps on the surface awhile it soon goes to the bottom.

So there are hundreds of women, who once moved in the front lines of society, who have gone down, like Mrs. Chick, step by step, until lost altogether in the noise and bustle of this great crowded city.

One fancies he sees such shivering on street corners in winter, unclad for the cold; and, as he looks into their haggard, careworn faces, he reads the story of their sins and sufferings.

With what infinite secret satisfaction we say, "Jones is growing old," "Smith is aging fast," "Robinson wo n't live long." "Brown has seen his best days," we say with a chuckle. How we like to roll those sweet morsels on our tongue.

Having disposed of Mrs. Chick, a la mode of a novelist, a few words touching her boarders will be in order. The occupant of the front flat is a corpulent lady who goes to the Baptists. This sainted soul divorced her first husband because of his Orthodox views, marrying for her second liege one Smalls, a haberdasher on Hanover street, a stout adherent to the immersion principle. He is an asthmatic, acquiescing little old man, in red

German whiskers, mortally in fear of his wife, to whom he is habitually deferential. This morbid fear is enhanced the more because he carries a small insurance on his life. Mr. Smalls imagines that she cares more about that than about him.

Smalls smokes, which incessant practice has originated a virulent cancer on his tongue. Dead set against smokers the feminine side of the house is. He protests to her that he has renounced the dirty habit; but she always detects by the peculiar odor in his habiliments a painful lack of veracity in these statements, whereat, being much the more muscular, she will shake him till he roars for mercy, and unfaithfully promises for the hundredth time to desist entirely from the abominable practice. Take it all ways, Mr. Smalls is a terribly wretched, abused, and henpecked lord.

The lodgers on the second floor are a nondescript Hibernian and wife. He comes home in his cups occasionally, and beats his wife accordingly, till the roundsman bears him away to the station, to which institution he is indeed no stranger. He usually remains in durance vile about one week, until his dear wife, who tugs and labors-albeit she is endeavoring to meet the payments on her teeth, which she has bought on the instalment plan-appears and releases him, at which he is inexpressibly grateful, and they go home as good and flippant as two old maids over a dish of

tea.

The top tenants are a middle-aged couple for whom my heart goes out in sympathy. They once had a little daughter, so angelic, so gentle, she seemed a being strayed from that bet

ter land. For a while gentle Genevieve was contented down here; but when the flowers lost their sweetness and the birds stole away, she all too soon grew lonely in our cold world, and wanted to go too.

Oh! how often, when the forests cast the leaf and the sweet summer dies in its voluptuous beauty, the soul mindful of the change throws off its human appendage. She longed for her old home beyond the stars, where the flowers are ever blooming, where

the birds are always singing, and no night is there. One wild, terrible night in autumn they watched over her with anxious, praying hearts: but she was "better in the morning!"

Little Genevieve loved a particular flower, the violet, which in floral language is expressive of hope. When brought where it was she would point her baby, chubby hands towards it, smiling, speaking in a language none could understand;-and in summer it waves over her grave.

The prosperity of a nation comes from well directed industry; its happiness, from an impartial administration of good, wholesome laws; its preservation, from good habits and an impregnable defence; but its lasting glory comes from its letters.

Of the states of New England, Connecticut may be said to have produced artists; the Bay State, men of letters; the Granite State, statesmen. Notwithstanding this is found to be the case, it is with a pardonable pride that New Hampshire points to her past literary history. Measured by posterity, it will secure an enviable position in the realm of literature.

RICHARD B. KIMBALL.

Born in Lebanon, educated at Meriden and Dartmouth, from which he graduated at the early age of seventeen, Richard B. Kimball ranks among New Hampshire's best known literary men; in truth, he is about the only

novelist worthy of the name that the state has produced. At college he bore the reputation of a diligent student, a clever writer, and was exceedingly popular among his fellows, of whom he was the youngest. The class of '34, to which he belonged, contained many men who have achieved prominence in the various walks of life. Such is Prof. E. A. Lawrence, of the Connecticut Theological Institute; such is Judge Daniel Clark, of Manchester; such is the Hon. Moody Currier, of the same city,-not to mention others.

After graduation, young Kimball entered upon the study of law with his brother at Waterford, N. Y., which declining health soon obliged him to relinquish. To recuperate his debilitated constitution, never very strong, he went on a trip to Europe, whither he has made fourteen voyages, one of which was in company with Washington Irving. While abroad, he