Two negroes brought and tossed into the cavernous fireplace a mighty backlog of hickory.

The sound of the fire mingled with the rustle of large thin sheets of paper, the crisp turning of Auroras, National Intelligencers, Alexandria Expositors, Gazettes of the United States, excited journals of an excited time, with softly uttered interjections and running comment, and with now and then a high, clear statement of fact or rumour.

At home, the hour's burning question was that of English and Spanish depredation at sea, attack upon neutral ships, confiscation and impressment of American sailors.

In Washington, the resolutions of Gregg and Nicholson were under consideration, and all things looked toward the Embargo of a year later.

Abroad, the sign in the skies was still Napoleon--Napoleon--Napoleon! Now, at Lynch's, as the crowd increased and the first absorbed perusal of script and print gave way to exchange of news and heated discussion, the room began to ring with voices.
Broken sentences, words, and talismanic phrases danced as thick as motes in a sunbeam.