Disposing of the day's mail, even with such aid, is not infrequently a hard day's work, especially for a man past three score and ten.
Political campaigns in Massachusetts with its small territory and compact population are easy as compared with most of the other States.

But I have been expected every second year to make many political speeches, commonly from thirty to forty.
Mr.Blaine, and Mr.Fry, and Mr.Reed, and a great many others who could be named, were called on for a much larger number.
A man at all prominent in public affairs is also expected to give utterance to the voice of the people on all great occasions of joy or sorrow, at high festivals, or at colleges and schools, on great National anniversaries, when great men die and great historical events are celebrated.

So it was a life of hard work upon which I entered when I took my seat in the House of Representatives on the 4th of March, 1869.
The thirty-four years that have followed have been for me years of incessant labor..