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UNSECTARIAN, BUT CHRISTIAN.

use her own phraseology, and nobody can hinder. She is a practical Christian of the most genuine type.

To know the estimation in which she was held by the army, one needs to go West. Many of my engagements are with lecture committees of Grand Army posts in the West. And at the first convenient moment the old veterans look into my face with the inquiries, "How long since you saw Mother Bickerdyke?" or "Isn't it possible to get a pension for Mother Bickerdyke?" Immediately, the members of their households cluster about us, and for a few moments every heart beats faster and kindlier, as her deeds of unselfish heroism are chronicled, or the motherly tenderness of her life in the hospitals is discussed, for the hundredth time.

While this book was in press, I was called to Kansas, a state in which one hundred and eighty thousand soldiers are settled. While I was there, a Soldiers' Convention was held in Topeka, the capital city, which was very largely attended. Mother Bickerdyke came from San Francisco, the invited guest of the Convention, and, just as the veterans were entering on their deliberations, made her appearance in the rear of the house.

In an instant there was a joyful confusion in the neighborhood of the door, a rush, a subdued shout, a repressed cheer. The presiding officer called for order, and rapped vigorously with his gavel. But the hubbub increased, and spread towards the centre of the hall. Again the chairman sought to quell the disturbance, rapping forcibly, and uttering his commands in an authoritative voice: "Gentlemen in the rear of the house must come to order, and take their

TEARS OF MEMORY AND GLADNESS.

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seats! It is impossible to transact business in this confusion!"

"Mother Bickerdyke is here!" shouted a chorus of voices in explanation, which announcement put an end to all thoughts of business, and brought every man to his feet, and sent a ringing cheer through the hall. All pressed towards the motherly woman, known by all soldiers in the West, many thousands of whom are indebted to her for care, nursing, tenderness, and help, in the direst hours of their lives. Gray-haired and gray-bearded men took her in their arms and kissed her. Others wept over her. Men on crutches and men with empty coat-sleeves stood outside the surging crowd, with shining eyes, waiting their turn to greet their benefactress.

"Why, boys, how you behave!" was Mother Bickerdyke's characteristic exclamation, as, releasing herself from the smothering caresses and the strong imprisoning arms, she wiped away tears of memory and gladness. This raised a shout of laughter. Oh, mother, your brown hair has grown white as snow," said one; "but I should know you by your speech, if I met you in Africa."

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"I should know her by the tender eyes and the kind mouth," said another. "I shall never forget how good they looked to me after the battle of Resaca, where I lost my foot, and gave myself up to die, I was in such pain. I tell you, it seemed as if my own mother was doing for me, she was so gentle. She looked down upon me, and encouraged me, and nursed me, as if I were her son." And he wiped his wet eyes with the back of his hand.

Had Mother Bickerdyke been a queen, she could not have been more royally welcomed. It seemed

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ROYALLY WELCOMED.

impossible for the men to pay her sufficient honor. They noted her increasing feebleness, her crippled hands, her snowy hair, her dimming eyes, and said to each other, "It isn't the result of old age; it is what she did for us during the war." Only that Mother Bickerdyke resolutely forbids it, they would surround her with luxury, and she would lack for no comfort, even if they impoverished themselves to obtain them. "The boys have all they can do to make a living for themselves and families," she says, "and they shall not be weighted with the care of me." And so, when the Convention was ended, and the men went back to their farms and shops and offices, she turned her face towards San Francisco, to take up again the burden of her lonely life.

While the Massachusetts State Prison at Charlestown was under the management of Warden Gideon Haynes, I was invited to address the prisoners. At the close of the informal talk, Mr. Haynes gave the convicts who desired to speak with me permission to remain in their seats when the rest marched to their cells. About a dozen accepted the invitation. Of these, three were solicitous to know something concerning Mother Bickerdyke. "Was she living?" "Had she a pension?" "What was her post-office address?" And as each one detailed the circumstances of his personal acquaintance with Mrs. Bickerdyke, I knew enough of his story to be true to believe the whole.

"Ah, if I had had a mother like her," said one, as we parted, "I shouldn't be here to-day. For she was a true mother to me-not only nursing me, but advising me." Similar utterances were made by

others.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MY REMINISCENCES OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN-EXPERIENCES IN THE "WIGWAM"

- EXCITING SCENES

MY INTER

VIEWS WITH THE PRESIDENT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

Early Life of President Lincoln - My first Knowledge of him, in 1858"The Battle of the Giants"- He is nominated in 1860 for the Presidency- My Experience in the "Wigwam" as a Reporter - The memorable Scenes attending the Nomination- My Visit to Washington in 1862-Gloomy Period of the War - Call on the President - His Depression-Discouraging Statements Wholesale Desertions from the Army "To undertake to fill up the Army is like shovelling Fleas!" - Mrs. Hoge and I see the President alone - His Suffering during the WarHe contributes the manuscript Proclamation of Emancipation to the Chicago Sanitary Fair- A Premium sent him as the largest Contributor.

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ATURE is not lavish of great men, but distributes them charily through the centuries. Often she evolves them from the obscurity where they have slowly crystallized into force and clearness only when the crises appear for whose mastership they were ordained. Like the stars of evening, they spring not into instantaneous being, but only appear after they have been slowly formed in dimness and mistiness, after long revolving, condensing, and gathering pale rays of light. Then they stand out on the brow of night, ever after to be the guide and admiration of men.

It was thus with President Lincoln, whose life was

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LINCOLN AS THE NATION'S LEADER.

crowned with the glory of martyrdom. The discipline of poverty, and hard wrestling with nature in the blended timber and prairie country of the unsubdued West, matured him to a late but sturdy manhood. The softening culture of the schools was held aloof from him. The civic honors for which in early life he struggled eluded his pursuit, and crowned his rival. The golden stream of Pactolus flowed far away from his feet. And so Nature and circumstance shaped him vigorous, cool-headed, warmhearted, self-poised, strong-handed. A child-like simplicity remained in him, that ever proved more than a match for the subtleties of political tricksters. Transcendent honesty and clear-sighted goodness stood him in stead of genius and inspiration. For half a century his manhood was built up by gradual accretions of power, strength, and wisdom, and the qualities which inspire trust, and then the great epoch burst upon the country, for which Providence had been shaping him.

The nation was writhing in the agonies of disruption, and the fires of a gigantic civil war were smouldering in her bosom, when Mr. Lincoln took in hand the reins of government. Through Gethsemanes of agony he led the nation steadily, on its sanguinary way to freedom, till the goal was won. Then death claimed him. One moment he was charged with a nation's fate; the next- a shock, a dim, blank pause, and he beheld the King in His glory. One moment the noisy and capricious applause of the people surged around him; the next he heard the Heavenly Voice, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" The nation sobbed its farewell to him, but still reaches out to him in yearning love. It hoards its