mas.

had a broad conception of the goodness and power of an overruling Providence, and said to me, one day, that he felt assured the author of our being, whether called God or Nature, it mattered little which, would deal very mercifully with poor erring humanity in the other, and he hoped better, world. He was as free as possible from all sectarian thought, feeling or sentiment. No man was more tolerant of the opinion and feelings of others in the direction of religious sentiment, or had less faith in religious dogBy many people he was thought to be a spiritualist. This was very far from being true. At the time he lost his little son, to whom he was greatly attached, Mrs. Lincoln sought consolation and comfort from the spiritualists, and I think she did believe in spiritualism. It is probable that the frequent visits of spiritualists at the White House, which the President permitted chiefly as a matter of consolation to Mrs. Lincoln, were the cause of the circulation of such a report. While Mr. Lincoln was perfectly honest and upright, and led a blameless life, he was in no sense what might be considered a religious man. His morality was of the highest type. He was truly good as he was truly.

'great.

Wonderful man! I never expect to look upon thy like again!

JOHN B. ALLEY.

XXXIII.

THOMAS HICKS.

HEN the news of Mr. Lincoln's nomina

WHEN

tion 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.