' He told me once that if it was only a twinge, he
chose a man of his own size; but if it was a positive wrench, he struck out
at the biggest he could find."
The Major leaned back, laughing. "That was Dick, sir, that was Dick!" he
exclaimed, "and it was his father before him. Why, I've had my own blows
with Taylor Wythe in his day, and never a hard word afterward, never a
word." Then his face clouded. "I saw Dick's brother Tom in town this
morning," he added. "A sneaking fellow, who hasn't the spirit in his whole
body that was in his father's little finger. Why, what do you suppose he
had the impudence to tell me, sir? Some one had asked him, he said, what he
should do if Virginia went to war, and he had answered that he'd stay at
home and build an asylum for the fools that brought it on." He turned his
indignant face upon Mrs. Ambler, and she put in a modest word of sympathy.
"You mustn't judge Tom by his jests, sir," rejoined the Governor,
persuasively. "His wit takes with the town folks, you know, and I hear that
he's becoming famous as a post-office orator."
"There it is, sir, there it is," retorted the Major. "I've always said that
the post-offices were the ruin of this country--and that proves my words.
Why, if there were no post-offices, there'd be fewer newspapers; and if
there were fewer newspapers, there wouldn't be the _Richmond Whig_."
The Governor's glance wandered to his writing table.
"Then I should never see my views in print, Major," he added, smiling; and
a moment afterward, disregarding Mrs.
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