ceased, the book was thrown aside, his
countenance relapsed into its habitual se-
rious expression, and the business was en-
tered
upon with the utmost earnestness.

woman saw it in that light and wept. Justice survived, while mercy lay stricken to the ground by those most in need of its benefit.

Polly's Baby.

Justice surviving Clemency. One of the officers employed in investi- In a rather plain frame building in gating the plot of the murder of the Pres- Raleigh, North Carolina, Andrew Johnident had occasion to question a woman son, President of the United States, was who was in some way connected with the born. The house is shown to visitors by

66

the owner, a venerable old lady named Stewart. She will also tell how, in an ecstacy of delight, on returning from her wedding tour, the first news she got was, "Polly has a baby." Full of the feelings and enthusiasm of a young bride, she rushed in and kissed and hugged the baby. "Little I thought," she exclaimed to a visitor, "that I was caressing the future Pres

affair. She kept flippantly asserting that ident of the United States." "You, then, "Yes, 'S'help me heaven I don't know anything knew his father and mother?" about it, and s'help me heaven, I don't tell Sir, I knew them well; they were in our an untruth, for I never told a lie in my employ for several years." "How did life," keeping on in her voluble assertions they serve you?" "They were plain, hardtill at length the officer quietly interrupted working, honest folks, that attended to her with the assurance that it did not much their business and nothing more." When matter to him what she revealed, but it leaving, the old lady said to her company, might be better for her, at which she be-"How I would like to see him, dear me; came a little indignant, and asked what only it is so far; but then he would not they could do with her if she knew about know me. Well, any way, I should like the matter and wouldn't tell it. 66 Why," to see; I think he would grant me one litresponded the officer, "in case you prove the request. I have a grandson in prison to be implicated as much as I am afraid in the North, perhaps he'd let him come you are, you might be hanged." At this home to gladden my old heart-would you reply she was a trifle moved, and said, mention it to him, Sir?" "Justice should be tempered with clemency." "Ah, yes, my dear madam," replied the officer, "but you forget that the clemency man is dead." For the first time the

Pocket-Full of Coin Ready for Delivery.

The words "Honest Old Abe" have passed into the language of our time and

country as the synonym for all that is just in disguise and embark from Portland to and honest in man. Yet thousands of in- a foreign port. The President, as usual, stances, unknown to the world, might be was disposed to be merciful and to permit added to those so often told of Mr. Lin- the arch traitor to pass unmolested. The coln's great and crowning virtue. He dis- Secretary, however, urged that he should liked inuendoes, concealments, and subter- be arrested as a traitor, saying: fuges; and no sort of approach at official "jobbing" ever had any encouragement alties of treason, you sanction it." from him. He steadily discountenanced

"By permitting him to escape the pen

"Well," replied Mr. Lincoln, "let me

all practices of government officers using tell you a story. There was an Irish solany part of the public funds for tempora- dier here last summer who wanted somery of personal purposes; and he loved to thing to drink stronger than water, and tell of an instance in his own official expe- stopped at a drug shop, where he espied a rience, when he was saved from embar-soda fountain. "Mr. Doctor,' said he, rassment by his rigid adherence to a good give me, plase, a glass of soda wather, rule. an' if yees can put in a few dhrops of He had been postmaster at Salem, Illi- whiskey unbeknown to meself, I'll be nois, during Jackson's administration, Wil- obleeged.' Now," continued Mr. Lincoln, liam T. Barry being then Postmaster-Gen-"if Jake Thompson is permitted to go eral, and resigning his office, removed to through Maine unbeknown to meself, Springfield, having sent a statement of ac- what's the harm? So don't have him arcounts to the Department at Washington. rested." No notice was taken of his account, which Similar was the logic employed by Mr. showed a balance due the Government of Lincoln, it appears, in the case of Jefferover one hundred and fifty dollars, until son Davis. General Sherman, in vindicathree or four years after, when, Amos Ken- ting himself against what he regarded as dall being Postmaster-General, he was the hostile course of the War Department, presented with a draft for the amount due. said that the Government never distinctly Some of Mr. Lincoln's friends, who knew explained to him the policy which should that he was in straightened circumstances guide his actions, and that at City Point then, as he had always been, heard of the he had asked Mr. Lincoln whether he draft and offered to help him out with a wanted Jefferson Davis captured, and for loan; but he told them not to worry, and reply had been told a story. This story producing from his trunk an old pocket, is the one, substantially, which Mr. Lintied up and marked, counted out in six-coln had employed in the case narrated pences, shillings, and quarters, the exact sum required of him, in the identical coin which he received while in office years before, and which he had sacredly reserved for the Government, whenever the proper official should be pleased to respond to his 66 account rendered."

above, but its use in connection with Davis, and its repetition by General Sherman, under the circumstances referred to, give it in some measure a historical value.

"I'll tell you, General," Mr. Lincoln is said to have begun, "I'll tell you what I think about taking Jefferson Davis. Out in Sangamon County there was an old Answering the Secretary and the General. temperance lecturer who was very strict One of the last stories told by Presi- in the doctrine and practice of total abstident Lincoln, was to one of the members nence. One day, after a long ride in the of his cabinet who went to see him, to ask hot sun, he stopped at the house of a if it would be a proper proceeding to per- friend, who proposed making him a lemmit Jake Thompson to slip through Maine onade. As the mild beverage was being

mixed, the friend insinuatingly asked if he | I noticed that one of the faces was a lit:le wouldn't like just the least drop of some- paler, say five shades, than the other. I thing stronger to brace up his nerves after got up and the thing melted away, and I the exhausting heat and exercise. 'No,' went off, and, in the excitement of the replied the lecturer, I couldn't think of hour, forgot all about it-nearly, but not it; I'm opposed to it on principle. But,' quite, for the thing would once in a while he added, with a longing glance at the come up, and give me a little pang, as black bottle that stood conveniently at though something uncomfortable had haphand, if you could manage to put in a pened. A few days after, I tried the exdrop unbeknownst to me, I guess it would periment again, when [with a laugh,] sure not hurt me much.' Now, General," Mr. Lincoln is said to have concluded, "I'm bound to oppose the escape of Jeff. Davis; but if you could manage to let him slip out unbeknownst-like, I guess it wouldn't hurt me much."

enough, the thing came back again; but I never succeeded in bringing the ghost back after that, though I once tried very industriously to show it to my wife, who was worried about it somewhat. She thought it was a 'sign' that I was to be elected to "And that," exclaimed General Sher- a second term of office, and that the paleman, " is all I could get out of the Gov-ness of one of the faces was an omen that ernment as to what its policy was concern- I should not see life through the last ing the rebel leaders."

term."

The good intentions of the amiable Pres- The President, with his usual-good ident are appreciated by the whole nation sense, saw nothing in all this but an optithat mourns his loss; but his willingness cal illusion; though the flavor of superstito allow the escape of the great master- tion which hangs about every man's comspirit of the rebellion, can scarcely be said to have been shared by many beside himself, even to save trouble."

66

position made him wish that he had never seen it. But there are people who will now believe that this odd coincidence was "a warning," notwithstanding its entire consistency with the laws of nature.

Second Reflection in the Looking Glass. When Mr. Lincoln received the news of his first election, he went home to tell Tenth of May at Irwinsville. Mrs. Lincoln about it. She was up stairs On arriving at General Johnston's headin the bed-room, and there he went, throw-quarters, and learning of the terms of the ing himself down on a lounge, in a care- convention between Sherman and Johnless manner. 66 'Opposite where I lay," ston, Jefferson Davis, then on his flight said Mr. Lincoln, "was a bureau, with a South from Richmond, stopped at Charswinging glass upon it," and here in re- lotte, N. C. It was frequently remarked lating the matter to a friend he got up and that it was dangerous to do so; but he inplaced the furniture so as to illustrate the variably replied that he had two many position" and, looking in that glass, I friends, and knew the country two well, saw myself reflected, nearly at full length, to be caught by any of the forces in the but my face, I noticed, had two separate Yankee army. He remained at Charlotte and distinct images, the tip of the nose of until twelve o'clock on the day that the one being about three inches from the tip armistice expired. At eleven o'clock on of the other. I was a little bothered, per- that day, his horse, a handsome blooded haps startled, and got up and looked in the bay, was brought to the door of the priglass, but the illusion vanished. On lying vate house in which he was stopping. At down again, I saw it a second time- twelve, having learned that the terms of plainer, if possible, than before; and then the aforesaid convention were rejected, he

mounted his horse, and, accompanied by positions of his men, and surrounded the numerous friends and officials, rode off. camp before day. At the same time a force of cavalry, under General Dibrel, moved off with him.

The attack was made upon the camp by Colonel Pritchard just as the first streak of In passing through Lexington, Davis dawn began to light the eastern sky. The was introduced by Judge Freeman, of fugitive party were suddenly startled by Mississippi, who was traveling with him, the yells of the soldiers, but woke too to Dr. Dusenbury, a native of the place. late to make preparations for even a feeble The doctor invited Davis in to take a resistance. After the officers and men drink of apple brandy, and he did so. A were safely under guard, which occupied brief conversation ensued, the doctor re- some time, a corporal went to the door of markingthe tent occupied by defunct royalty, and ordered them to come forth and deliver themselves up. Mrs. Davis appeared at the door, somewhat en dishabille, and said:

"Mr. Davis, our cause is lost."

"Our cause may be lost," replied Davis, "but the principle for which we are contending will present itself at another time, in another shape."

He meant that there would yet be a conflict between the great agricultural interests of the South and the manufacturing and commercial interests of the North and Northwest. The conversation continuing, Dr. Dusenbury again observed

"The masses of the people of the South are not prepared for self-government."

"Please, gentlemen, do not intrude upon the privacy of ladies. There are no gentlemen here, and you will oblige us greatly by giving us time to dress."

"All right, madam," was the reply; "we will give you time to make your toilet, and then you can take a ride to Macon for your health."

After something of an interval, the monotony outside only being broken by the

"Unfortunately it is so," replied Davis. Davis continued his flight, but General Wilson, who had been put on the fugitive's track, was following hard after him, having left Macon on the evening of May 7th, with orders to push on by forced marches. On the 7th, Lieutenant Colonel Harden, commanding the First Wisconsin, struck the trail of Davis at Dublin, Laurens County, and followed him closely, night and day, through the pine wilderness of Alligator Creek and Green Swamps, via Cumberlandsville to Irwinsville. At Cumberlandsville, Colonel Harden met Colonel Pritchard, with his picked men and horses of the Fourth Michigan, Harden followed the trail directly south, while Pritchard, demands of the guard to "hurry up," having fresher horses, pushed down the there came to the door Mrs. Davis and Ocmulgee toward Hopewell, and thence Miss Howell, leading an apparently deby House Creek to Irwinsville, arriving crepit old lady, dressed in a lady's waterthere at midnight of the ninth. Davis proof cloak, with a tight hood on her head, had not arrived; but from a citizen Pritch- and her face covered with a small veil. ard learned that his party were encamped The 'old lady' could walk only with great two miles out of the town. He made dis- difficulty, but tottered through the door

of the tent with a tin pail on her arm. made use of such sneering remarks as It appears that Mrs. Davis's keen eyes "Valorous soldiers, indeed, to make war were the first to recognize the horsemen upon women and children!" "I thought as they approached in the distance to be the Yankee government was a little more Yankee cavalry, and she immediately valorous than to send its soldiers to steal called to her negro female servant, Ellen defenceless women and children out of Bond, to get the articles of apparel in their beds at night!" He also remarked, question, which being done, Mrs. Davis among other things, that Lee was one of arrayed her liege lord in them, and then the boldest Generals of which he had any said to Mrs. Bond, "Go with Mr. Davis knowledge-never needing to be urged. and try to get him off; for God's sake don't refuse me, Ellen; save him if you can."

This was in comparison with Johnston, of whom his silence was marked.

After a hurried breakfast the party was Mrs. Bond left the tent with Mr. Davis, put in marching order. The prisoners Mrs. Davis saying, "Soldier, I suppose were in ambulances, preceded by the band you have no objection to letting my old of the Fourth Michigan cavalry, which

played first "Yankee Doodle," and then "John Brown's body's marching on," to inspirit the droop, ing mood of the captives!

On reaching the steamer that was to convey him to Fortress Monroe, there to be kept under lock and key, the scene of parting with his family took place. They were grouped on the deck, and consisted of Mrs. Da

mother go to the spring for some water vis, a girl just about in her teens, a for us to wash with?"

"Well, I reckon I have some little objection to letting that 'old lady' go," was the reply; "she wears boots, don't she?" and with the point of his sabre he raised the frock, discovering a large, coarse pair of calf-skin boots. While doing this, another soldier stripped the veil and hood from off his face, and lo! Davis-it was he! Finding that he was fairly caught, and would be delivered into the hands of his enemies, he waxed exceeding wroth,declared how he would have defended himself if he had his revolver, and frequently

boy somewhat younger, and an infant. Mrs. Davis was clad in black,-a woman of prepossessing appearance, of the brunette style, though her black hair was sprinkled with gray; her black eyes sparkled clearly, and her features bore a resolute stamp. Mr. Davis, a tall spare man, having a wan, gaunt and depressed look, his whiskers and moustache rather close cut and almost white, was the chief character. He was clad in a suit of fine dark gray cloth, and wore an overcoat of the same material; his head was covered by a soft gray felt hat. He parted