The house is entirely of black walnut; the finish, doors, window-casings, and mantels, of the same, all nicely polished. The paper of white satin, with a neat flower, in one room, while pretty wood-colors, in rosebuds and leaves, cover other walls, and give the whole a pleasing contrast. The furniture is mostly of the same wood, in pretty styles, while library, seraphine, pictures, which I prize both for their beauty and my long vested rights in them, with many other treasures of my girlhood, make this new home seem indeed like the old one, though so far transplanted. I would exchange its simplicity for no place where art and splendor have sway, while possessor of such living beauty as spreads itself around us,

In my drives of the last few weeks circumstances have brought me in contact with people of various mould, and I have been a learner of life by contrasts. The illness of a lady called me to

the low door of her dwelling. It was built against a rock in a side hill, that forming one side. Logs and thatch completed the remaining sides and roof. The inside had the same rough aspect. Rude tables, of home-made manufacture, and three-legged stools, with one rocking-chair, completed the furniture. Several little children, neatly though poorly dressed, clung around the sadlooking mother, upon whose brow care had furrowed deep lines; but whose manner and appearance betokened better days than these in the past. Although ill, she was performing some domestic drudgery. She had friends east who would feel sadly did they know the circumstances which surrounded her here. The trials of the Kansas home had been many, yet she was still hopeful. Assuring her that anything we could do for her comfort should be gladly done, and thinking what a sad, thorny way the life-path is to many, we bade her “ good-by."

Another day our fleet horses took our guests and us to see a person whose acquaintance was formed on the river, who was now boarding about six miles from Lawrence. The carriage halted in front of a large cabin, or two cabins rather, the space which is usually left open between them being made into a broad hall. G. said, "This is Judge W.'s." The lady whom we came to see opened the door before we reached it, being glad to see a familiar face. She was very pretty and intelligent, and the mother's heart

could be seen in the soul-full eye as she caressed the little boy of a twelvemonth. Their home had been Wisconsin, while her husband was from the aristocratic old state of Virginia, and of a gentlemanly, dignified bearing.

This house is a home for travellers, and its capacious rooms were now full. Young mothers with their little children sat by the fire, and looked weary with their travels. Supper, too, was being prepared for the old judge, who came in from Lawrence, and with cheerful words, always so full of humor, greeted us as he distributed the letters he had brought from there. The beds were partitioned from this common sitting-room by long curtains. Baskets were hanging on poles over our heads, and bags of most capacious size were suspended from the walls, while meat and other articles for cooking found a place in the room. Judge W. is from Iowa, and has been, since his first coming here, one of the standardbearers in freedom's army.

As we were returning, we met a very youthful lady and her husband, who have had some of the romance of life, and who are testing the sweets of not exactly love in a cottage, but love in a log-cabin, on the wide prairies. The lady was from a wealthy family in Cincinnati. Her friends opposed her in the choice of a husband, and while from home, at boarding-school, the marriage ceremony was performed, the young husband leaving the same day for Kansas. Some months after, when she had made known to her friends that she was already married, she also came.

A gentleman from Wisconsin was here in the early part of the month. He came to examine the country, its inducements to settlers, with reference to the sending out of a large company from Wisconsin. As he wished to meet the people of Lawrence, a reception had been proposed. The last afternoon of his visit had arrived, and the gentlemen in whose hands the arrangements had been left, declared themselves unable to accomplish anything on so short notice. Two of our ladies then took the matter in charge, and the evening found some one hundred persons assembled in a large hall, with refreshments of cake, nuts, fruit, and lemonade, provided.

A few days after, the New Haven company arrived. They

must have a welcome and the right hand of fellowship extended to them by our people. The hall was filled to its utmost capacity, and as our people briefly recounted the history of their stay here, their dangers and perils, they offered to the newly-arrived people the blessings of the civilization which a year and a half has wrought; while they offer, with the shield of an unwasted hope, and the buckler of unwearied energies, to stand by us in hours when evil shall threaten our liberties. Pleasantly thus the hours passed away, and the "Stubs" were loudly called for to close the assembly with their song.

CHAPTER XIV.

COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION

'SHERIFF JONES

SHOT.

THE second month of spring was quickly passing away, and quiet reigned a quiet which seemed almost fearful from the very stillness. Since the threats of arrest in the early part of March, the voice of Missouri had been mostly silent. Save the oaths and imprecations which still fall on the ear, on passing her citizens, and an occasional opening of boxes designed for the territory, at Kansas city, there has been no outrage, and the press is silent as to her plans. Notwithstanding the persevering efforts of Douglas, the champion of the slave power, and the no less zealous exertions of Missouri's representatives, who hesitated not to utter untruths, declaring that no one came from Missouri to vote, - one of them, at least, being present at the election, committee has been appointed to investigate the wrongs of which Kansas has complained to Congress. We, as well as our eastern friends, anticipated that quiet would continue while the investigation was entered into; that, from motives of policy alone, the enemy would hide in their lair, and attempt to gain the favor of the committee by a present show of fairness. Emigration was again pouring into the territory; a company of one hundred, from Ohio, had just arrived, while the camp-fires at evening, and the white-covered wagons of the western emigrant, dotting the highways, told of a general desire to make one's self a home in Kan

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About the 17th of April the commissioners arrived. The hotel, which we had long waited for, was nearly finished, and rooms for

their accommodation were put in order by our people, before the proprietor of the hotel could get his furniture up from Kansas city. The commissioners went to Lecompton, and spent two or three days in copying the records of the elections from official books kept there.

On the 19th, Sheriff Jones, who has from the first seemed to be the apple of discord among us, his presence at once making tumult of quiet, again appeared in our midst, and attempted to arrest S. N. Wood, just returned from Ohio, after a winter's sojourn. He said to Wood, "You are my prisoner.”

'By what authority?" was the very natural reply.

"As Sheriff of Douglas County."

"I do not recognize such authority," said Wood, adding, however, that he would go with him if he would allow him to go to his house, only a few steps distant, first.

This the sheriff refused, and Wood declared, "Then I'll not go with you at all!" and very coolly walked away.

Jones walked away also, minus a pistol, which had passed from his pocket. The whole affair only lasted two or three minutes.

The next day Jones came in town again to disturb the Sabbath's quiet, and arrest somebody. He was accompanied by four men from Lecompton, and he called upon a number of our citizens standing by to act as a posse, in assisting in the arrest of Wood. These citizens were looking on, simply, and it was an established fact, whenever Jones was seen in the streets of Lawrence, that something rich would happen, and, involuntarily, almost, they gathered around to see.

Jones looked for Wood in his house; but he was not there. Seeing T., another of the Branson rescuers standing by, and who had made the attempt to carry his own case to the Supreme Court, but had never been able to get a hearing at Lecompton, Jones pounced upon him. He took hold of him so fiercely, T. thought it was his intention to knock him down; so, forgetting his nonresistance, he struck Jones, whereupon the bold sheriff, with his comrades, left for Lecompton, muttering, however, "he would bring in the troops, and the arrests should be made. He had now