give it to me," said the President. "I'll see that it
gets to her." Then, his stern voice rising a little: "And now, Jason
Wilkins, as long as you are in the army, you write to your mother once a
week. If I have reason to correct you on the matter again, I'll have you
court-martialed."

Jason rose and handed the letter to the President, then stood, angry and
silent, awaiting further orders. Abraham Lincoln took another turn or
two up and down the room. Then he paused before the window and looked
from it a long, long time. Finally he turned to Jason.

"My boy," he said gently, "there's no finer quality in the world than
gratitude. There is nothing a man can have in his heart so mean, so low
as ingratitude. Even a dog appreciates a kindness, never forgets a soft
word, or a bone. To my mind, the noblest holiday in the world is
Thanksgiving. And, next the Creator, there is no one the holiday should
be dedicated to as much as to mothers."

Again Lincoln paused, and looked from the boyish face of the young
surgeon out of the window at the bleak November skies, and Lincoln said
to Jason, with God knows what tragedy of memory in his lonely heart:

"Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot."

Another pause. "You may go, my boy." And Lincoln shook hands with
Jason, who stumbled from the room, his mind a chaos of resentment and
anger. He made his way down Pennsylvania Avenue, pausing as two army
officers rode up to a hotel and dismounted, leaving their horses.
Something about the big gray that one of the officers rode seemed
vaguely familiar to the young doctor. The gray turned his small,
intelligent head toward Jason, then with a sudden soft whinny, laid his
head on Jason's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek gently. Jason looked at
the right fore shoulder. A three-cornered scar was there. Jason and Old
Pilgrim never had met but once, and yet--Jason was little more than a
boy. Suddenly he threw his arms around Old Pilgrim's neck, and sobbed
into the silky mane. Passers-by glanced curiously and then went on.
Washington was full of tears those days.

Pilgrim whinnied and waited patiently. Finally Jason dried his eyes,
then stood in thought. The officer who had ridden Pilgrim came out at
last. Jason saluted.

[Illustration]

"Captain, I'd like to buy that horse from you."

The captain laughed. "There are a number of others like you."

"No, but let me tell you about him, Ca