I profited much by the advice of a hard-headed old countryman--who was unconsciously paraphrasing the Duke of Wellington, who was himself doubtless paraphrasing somebody else.

The advice ran: "Don't speak until you are sure you have something to say, and know just what it is; then say it, and sit down." My first days in the Legislature were much like those of a boy in a strange school.

My fellow-legislators and I eyed one another with mutual distrust.

Each of us chose his seat, each began by following the lead of some veteran in the first routine matters, and then, in a week or two, we began to drift into groups according to our several affinities.

The Legislature was Democratic.