When Lincoln was in Springfield, Ill., he met a little boy who was introduced to him, and who was allowed the honor of shaking his hand. The boy boasted of the incident among his schoolfellows, who refused to believe him. Young America was not daunted, but wrote a letter to Lincoln telling him of his trouble. He received the following letter:

"WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

"EXECUTIVE MANSION,
"MARCH 19, 1861.

"I did see and talk with Master George Evans Patten, last May, at Springfield, Illinois.

"Respectfully,

"A. LINCOLN."

This silenced the unbelievers and from a derided and scorned object young George Evans Patten became the envy of the other boys. It is astonishing that Lincoln at this anxious time, with the multiplicity of things demanding his attention, should have found time to heed the request of a mere school-boy on a matter which was of absolutely no importance except to the boy himself. It is characteristic of the man that could and would find time to remedy an injustice whenever brought to his notice however humble the subject of it might be.

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The story, "Defense of Tom Grayson," published on page 76 of WERNER'S READINGS AND RECITATIONS No. 45," is based on the following facts:

William Armstrong, son of Jack and Hannah Armstrong (Jack being now dead), was on trial for murder. The chief witness for the prosecution falsely swore that he saw William strike the fatal blow in bright moonlight.

Lincoln sat very still until all the evidence against William was

He then slowly rose and stood absolutely silent for a few moments looking sharply at the witness. He then pulled an almanac from his pocket, and, showing it to judge and jury, proved that at the time the murder was committed there was no moon at all. William was acquitted. Lincoln would accept no fee except thanks from Hannah, who had been specially kind to him in the early Salem days.

During a conversation on the approaching election, in 1864, a gentleman remarked to President Lincoln that nothing could defeat him but Grant's capture of Richmond, to be followed by Grant's nomination at Chicago and acceptance. "Well," said the President, "I feel very much like the man who said he didn't want to die particularly, but if he had got to die, that was precisely the disease he would like to die of."

Shortly after he was inaugurated, when office-seekers were besieging him, and important news of the outbreak in the South was coming to him hourly, he said: "I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he cannot stop to put out the fire that is burning the other end."

A prominent politician once wished Lincoln to dismiss a certain man from the government service. Being unsuccessful, he at last urged that this man had personally abused Lincoln. The President answered, "You cannot think to be half as mean to me as I know him to be; but I cannot run this thing upon the theory that every office-holder must think I am the greatest man in the nation, and I will not." The man kept his place.

In 1863, when the fortunes of the Federal Government were at their lowest ebb, President Lincoln and Cabinet decided that, for an example to the country, they should send substitutes to the front. Accordingly, the Adjutant-General was directed to find for Lincoln a substitute "as nearly a perfect man physically and morally" as possible. He chose J. Summerfield Staples, of Stroudsburg, Pa., 18 years old, whom he first saw on the streets of Washington. Young Staples accepted instantly and was taken to the White House. Bestowing upon him his benediction, Lincoln sent forth the young soldier to join his regiment. He enlisted in the Second District of Columbia Volunteers and served until the close of the war.

A delegation visited the White House and demanded the removal of General Grant, saying: "Grant is a drunkard, is not himself half the time, can't be relied on; it's a shame to have such a man in command of the army."

Lincoln, wearied of the constant and unjust detraction of Grant, who, at that time, was winning glorious victories, replied: "So Grant gets drunk, does he?"

"Yes, he does, and we can prove it."

"Well," retorted Lincoln, his eyes twinkling, "you needn't waste your time getting proof; you just find out, to oblige me, what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, because I want to send a barrel of that brand to every other general in the army, so he too may win victories like Grant does."

A touching incident occurred when Lincoln visited Richmond after its surrender. The President was pale and tired, for the sight of the conquered city gave him more pain than pleasure. The day was very warm and when he reached the base of Capitol Hill he paused for a moment. While he was resting, an old, grayheaded negro, pushing through the crowd, kneeled upon the ground, and, lifting his crownless hat and clasping his hands, said, "May de good Lord bress and keep you safe, Massa President Lincoln." The President lifted his own hat and bowed to the old man, and there were tears in his eyes as he rode on up the hill.

When the end of the war drew near, it became a serious question what to do with Jefferson Davis. Grant applied to Lincoln for orders. The latter replied by telling the story of an Irishman who had taken the pledge. One day he became very thirsty and applied to the bartender for lemonade. While it was being prepared he whispered, "And couldn't ye put a little brandy in all unbeknown to myself?" "I told Grant," added the President, "that if he could let Jeff. Davis escape all unbeknown to himself, to let him go. I didn't want him.”

When a friend brought to his attention the fact that a member of his Cabinet was working for the Presidential nomination, while Mr. Lincoln was candidate for renomination, the President accepted the announcement with the utmost good humor and said: "My brother and I were once plowing corn on a Kentucky farm, I driving the horse and he holding the plow. The horse was lazy, but on one occasion rushed across the field so that I, with long legs, could hardly keep pace with him. On reaching the end of the furrow I found an enormous 'chin fly' fastened upon him, and knocked him off. My brother asked me what I did that for. I told him I didn't want the old horse bitten in that way. 'Why,' said my brother, 'that's all that made him go.' If Mr. has a Presidential 'chin fly' biting him, I'm not going to knock him off, if it will only make his department go."

When Lincoln was a young lawyer in Illinois, he and a judge began to banter each other about trading horses; and it was agreed that the next morning at nine o'clock they should make a trade, the horses to be unseen up to that hour, and no backing out, under forfeiture of $25. At the hour appointed, the judge arrived, leading the sorriest-looking specimen of a horse ever seen in those parts. In a few minutes Lincoln was seen approaching with a wooden saw-horse on his shoulders. Great shouts and laughter arose from the crowd awaiting the result, and were greatly increased when Lincoln, surveying the judge's horse, placed his saw-horse on the ground, saying:

"Well, judge, this is the first time I ever got the worst of it in a horse-trade."

A lawyer, opposed to Lincoln, was trying to convince a jury that precedent was superior to law, and that custom made things legal in all cases. Lincoln rose to answer him. He told the jury he would argue the case in the same way. He said: "Old 'Squire Bagly, from Menard, came into my office and said, 'Lincoln, I

want your advice as a lawyer. Has a man what's been elected a justice of the peace a right to issue a marriage license?" I told him he had not; when the old 'squire threw himself back in his chair very indignantly, and said, 'Lincoln, I thought you was a lawyer. Now, Bob Thomas and me had a bet on this thing, and we agreed to let you decide; but, if this is your opinion, I don't want it, for I know a thunderin' sight better, for I have been 'squire now for eight years and have done it all the time.""

When arguing a case in court, Lincoln never used a word which the dullest juryman could not understand. Rarely, if ever, did a Latin term creep into his arguments. A lawyer, quoting a legal maxim one day in court, turned to Lincoln, and said: "That is so, is it not, Mr. Lincoln?”

"If that's Latin," Lincoln replied, "you had better call another witness."

Lord Lyons, the British minister, was a very stately and dignified personage. According to custom, when the Prince of Wales was married, he presented to the President an autograph letter from Queen Victoria announcing the fact. He added that whatever reply the President might make he would immediately send to the Queen. Lincoln's response was to shake the marriage announcement at the astonished minister, who was a bachelor, saying, "Lyons, go thou and do likewise."

Lincoln always hated to have the death-penalty inflicted on any of his soldiers, and the officers complained that he hurt their discipline by granting so many pardons. General Butler said that once, when he went to the President to induce him to countermand a death-sentence, passed by court-martial, Lincoln exclaimed, "You are asking me to pardon some poor fellow! Give me that pen." And in less time than it takes to tell the story the pardon was granted.