WHE

XXXIII.

THOMAS HICKS.

HEN the news of Mr. Lincoln's nomination reached the City of New York, a leading publishing house engaged me to go to Springfield to paint a portrait of him, a lithograph of which was to be used in the coming campaign. A day later, I happened to be in the editorial rooms of the New York Tribune, when Horace Greeley returned from the Chicago Convention. As he entered, stained with the dust and grime of travel, the staff crowded around him in great excitement to hear from him the details of the Convention. While he was relating some of the stirring incidents of that memorable day, he took, from the side pocket of his coat, a wood-cut which appeared like a caricature of a very plain man, and holding it up, that all might see it, he said, with an air of triumph: "There, I say, that is a good head to go before the people;" and we all agreed that it was. This picture had been made quickly, when Mr. Lincoln's chances for the nomination became probable, and was roughly done; but it suggested a man of strong character.

After the excitement had somewhat quieted, I told them I was commissioned to paint a portrait of Mr. Lincoln, and Mr. Dana kindly gave me a letter of introduction to Mr. Herndon, of Springfield, who was a former partner of Mr. Lincoln.

With Dana's letter, my luggage and my painting traps, I left New York on Friday evening and arrived at Chicago Monday morning, and was disappointed to find that there was no train to Springfield before five in the afternoon; but the day was serene, and, as I was strolling by the lake, I saw many newly-arrived Swedes, scattered in groups of men, women and children, who 'were washing their clothes in the lake, after the long and dreary voyage. These emigrants, as they worked in the broad sunlight against the blue water, with their sunburnt faces and their native. costumes, were very picturesque, and I could not resist the temptation of making some hurried sketches of them.

After an entertaining and delightful day, at five o'clock, I took the night train for Springfield, where I arrived at daylight; and having ascertained, at my hotel, that Mr. Herndon lived quite out of the town, after breakfasting, I went in search of him, and found him working among the flowers in the garden in front of his house. I gave him Mr. Dana's letter, which seemed to please him, and he

asked many questions about his friend Dana and other friends in the East. As the sequel to our pleasant conversation, he courteously invited me to take a family breakfast with him, which I had to decline; we, however, arranged that he should call at my hotel at nine o'clock, and go with me to Mr. Lincoln's office, which I found was in a building in proximity to the State House.

Herndon came in due time; and when I stood in the presence of a tall, gaunt man, with a pleasant expression on his well-marked features, and had a genial, hearty hand-shake from his long, swinging arm, I saw that in my subject there was plenty of character with which to make a desirable likeness. When he had read Dana's letter, which explained the object of my visit, he said: "Yes, I will do in this matter what my friends in New York wish of me; and I am much obliged to you, sir, for coming so far to paint my likeness for them." He then asked me if I wanted a particular kind of light for my work. There was a very suitable light in his office, and it was quickly arranged that I should do my work there, and that he should give me sittings from eight to nine o'clock in the morning, and at any time during the remainder of the day when he was not too much engaged. In an hour I had the easel up and had commenced the first sitting. Mr. Lincoln was already taking an interest in the work;

and, at the conclusion of the sitting, during which I had made the usual charcoal sketch, looking at it, he said, "I see the likeness, sir.”

Mr. Lincoln had given up his law practice, that he might devote his time to the campaign. From ten o'clock in the morning till four in the afternoon, he had many visitors, most of whom were from the Northern and Western States. Many of them were strangers who came to pay their respects to him, and others came to re-establish old friendships or to strengthen new ones; but all were delighted to listen to his quaint remarks and humorous stories.

During one of the usual sittings a gentleman from Massachusetts called, and, introducing himself, said, he was on his way to St. Louis and had stopped over at Springfield to pay his respects to the future President. Mr. Lincoln asked his guest many questions, concerning the prospects of Republican success in the Eastern States, and got from him very hopeful answers. Alluding to the portrait in progress, he remarked: "I suppose, Mr. Lincoln, you have to give a good deal of your time to this kind of work." Mr. Lincoln said, "No, this is the first time that I have had this specific sort of picture made, but I have had the sun pictures made several times." On the office wall was hanging a very dark photograph with a light background, and his guest from the East said, "I see a photograph of you