"I have been reading the life and writings of Jefferson, and I am a thorough Democrat."
"A Democrat!" exclaimed Charlie, with a hearty laugh at the same time. "Do you know what a Democrat is?"
"Perhaps I don't; but if anybody is not satisfied with such principles as Jefferson advocated, he is not easily suited."
"But Jefferson was not a Democrat. The Federalist calls him a Republican."
"I know that," replied Nat. "The Jefferson party were called Republicans in their day; but they are called Democrats now. I don't like the name so well, but still the name is nothing in reality,--the principles are what we should look at."
"You don't like company very well, I should judge," said Charlie; "I should want to belong to a party that could say _we_."
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Nat.
"Father said there wasn't but four democratic votes cast in town at the last election; that is what I mean. I should think you would be lonesome in such a party."
"If _I_ had been old enough," continued Nat, "there would have been _five_ votes cast. I don't care whether the party is great or small, if it is only right."
"I glory in your independence," replied Charlie, "but I am sorry you have so poor a cause to advocate."
"I guess you don't know what the cause is, after all. Have you read the life of Jefferson?"
"About as much as _you_ have read the Federalist," replied Charlie. "We are probably about even on that score."
This interview occurred some time after Nat and Charlie entered the factory, perhaps a year and a half or two years. Charlie really thought he was in advance of his fellow-student on this subject. He did not know that Nat had been reading at all upon political topics. Being himself the greatest reader of the two, he knew that he read upon some subjects to which Nat had given no attention. He was very much surprised to hear him announce himself a Democrat, and particularly for the reason named. It was about thirty years ago, when the followers of Jefferson were first called Democrats. Many of them were unwilling to be called thus, and for this reason they were slow to adopt the title. It was a fact that only four persons cast votes in Nat's native town, at the aforesaid election as avowed _Democrats_. But the incident shows that the hero of our tale was an independent thinker, voluntarily investigating some subjects really beyond his years, with sufficient discrimination to weigh important principles. In other words, he was a student, though a bobbin boy, loving knowledge more than play, and determined to make the most of his very limited opportunities. It is an additional proof of what we have said before, that he studied just as he skated or swam under water,--with all his soul,--the only way to be eminently successful in the smallest or greatest work.