The old boy, too, was so pleased at the idea of our association in this foolery that he immediately plucked up spirit.

Thus it befell that those who had met at the depot like a pair of mutes, sat down to table with holiday faces.
And now I have to introduce a new character that never said a word nor wagged a finger, and yet shaped my whole subsequent career.

You have crossed the States, so that in all likelihood you have seen the head of it, parcel-gilt and curiously fluted, rising among trees from a wide plain; for this new character was no other than the State capitol of Muskegon, then first projected.

My father had embraced the idea with a mixture of patriotism and commercial greed both perfectly genuine.

He was of all the committees, he had subscribed a great deal of money, and he was making arrangements to have a finger in most of the contracts.
Competitive plans had been sent in; at the time of my return from college my father was deep in their consideration; and as the idea entirely occupied his mind, the first evening did not pass away before he had called me into council.