"One Sunday morning, I saw a tall, remarkable-looking man enter the room and take a seat among us. He listened with fixed attention to our exercises, and his countenance expressed such genuine interest that I approached him and suggested that he might be willing to say something to the children. He accepted the invitation with evident pleasure; and, coming forward, began a simple address which at once fascinated every little hearer and hushed the room into silence. His language was strikingly beautiful, and his tones musical with intense feeling. The little faces would droop into sad conviction as he uttered sentences of warning, and would brighten into sunshine as he spoke cheerful words of promise. Once or twice he attempted to close his remarks, but the imperative shout, 'Go on ! O, do go on!' would compel him to resume. As I looked upon the gaunt, sinewy frame of the stranger, and marked his powerful head and determined features, now touched into softness by the impressions of the moment, I felt an irrepressible curiosity to learn something more about him, and while he was quietly leaving the room I begged to know his name. He courteously replied: 'It is Abraham Lincoln, from Illinois.""

After spending a day or two in New York, Mr. Lincoln made a short tour through New England, and spoke at a number of places. On the morning after his speech at Norwich Conn., Rev. Mr. Gulliver met him upon the train, and entered into conversation with him. In referring to his speeeh, Mr. Gulliver said that he thought it the most remarkable one he had ever heard. "Are you sincere in what you say?" inquired Mr. Lincoln.

"I mean every word of it," replied the minister. "Indeed, sir," he continued, "I learned more of the art of public speaking last evening, than I could from a whole course of lectures on rhetoric."

Then Mr. Lincoln informed him of a most "extraordinary circumstance" that occurred at New Haven a few days previously. A professor of rhetoric in Yale College, he had been told, came to hear him, took notes of his speech, and gave a lecture on it to his class on the following day, and, not satisfied with that, followed him to Meriden the next evening, and heard him again for the same purpose. All of this seemed to Lincoln to be "very extraordinary." He had been sufficiently astonished by his success in the West, but he had no expectation of any marked success in the East, particularly among refined and literary men.

"Now," said Mr. Lincoln, "I should very much like to know what it was in my speech which you thought so remarkable, and which interested my friend, the professor, so much?"

Mr. Gulliver's answer was: "The clearness of your statements, the unanswerable style of your reasoning and especially your illustrations, which were romance and pathos and fun and logic welded together." After Mr. Gulliver had fully satisfied his curiosity by a further exposition of the politician's power, Mr. Lincoln said:

"I am much obliged to you for this. I have been wishing for a long time to find some one who would make this analysis for me. It throws light upon a subject which has been dark to me. I can understand very readily how such a power as you have ascribed

to me, will account for the effect which seems to be produced by my speeches. I hope you have not been too flattering in your estimate. Certainly, I have had a most wonderful success for a man of my limited education

'Mr. Gulliver in the New York Independent.

CHAPTER XII.

MR. LINCOLN's candidacy for the Presidency was quietly but efficiently promoted by judicious friends, as well as by his own efforts, during the months which intervened before the National Convention.

Meantime affairs were so shaping themselves as to contribute more and more to the certainty of Republican success. Judge Douglas was actively engaged in a canvass to insure his own nomination by the Democratic Convention, which was to meet in Charleston, April 23, 1860. He sought to propitiate the hostile element of the South and, at the same time, not to alienate the friendly element of the North. Instead of standing firm upon his own convictions he tried to trim his course midway between the extreme elements of the Democracy and retain the support of both. In this he failed. While the majority of the delegates to the Charleston Convention favored him, he failed to secure the necessary two-thirds. The South had lost their confidence in him since his political integrity had caused him to refuse to support the Lecompton Constitution and by no effort could he regain it. The Southern wing withdrew from the Convention to meet later, in Richmond, while the Douglas party adjourned to Baltimore, where the great Illinois statesman was put in nomination for the Presidency.

The Richmond Convention nominated John C.

Breckenridge of Kentucky. Thus Democratic discord resulted in a party division, which rendered the success of the Republican party almost certain.

The Republican National Convention was called to meet in Chicago, May 16, 1860. Six days previous to this, the State Convention met in Decatur, where the movement to secure the nomination for Mr. Lincoln was publicly inaugurated in such a manner as to attract the attention of the nation and furnish a raliying cry for the campaign. The Convention was made up of representative men of the party, who felt that this meeting, held just before the greater Convention, should be one of special note. Lincoln was present, apparently out of mere curiosity and with no idea that he would receive more than passing notice from the delegates. "A few minutes after the Convention organized, Governor Oglesby arose and said amid increasing silence: 'I am informed that a distinguished citizen of Illinois, and one whom Illinois will ever delight to honor, is present; and I wish to move that this body invite him to a seat upon the stand.' Here the Governor paused, as if to tease and dally, and work curiosity up to the highest pitch; but at length he shouted the magic name, ' Abraham Lincoln.' Not a shout but a roar of applause, long and deep, shook every board and joist of the building." Some of those standing nearest seized him and hoisting him on their shoulders passed him struggleing and kicking over the heads of the audience to the platform, where with clothing disarranged and face flushed, he tried to regain his composure.

1 Lamon's "Life of Lincoln."