with
other members of the Cabinet, and resigned.

The President was urged not to accept it, as "Secretary Chase is to-day
a national necessity," his advisers said.

"How mistaken you are!" Lincoln quietly observed. "Yet it is not
strange; I used to have similar notions. No! If we should all be turned
out to-morrow, and could come back here in a week, we should find our
places filled by a lot of fellows doing just as well as we did, and in
many instances better.

"Now, this reminds me of what the Irishman said. His verdict was that
'in this country one man is as good as another; and, for the matter
of that, very often a great deal better.' No; this Government does not
depend upon the life of any man."

"STRETCHED THE FACTS."

George B. Lincoln, a prominent merchant of Brooklyn, was traveling
through the West in 1855-56, and found himself one night in a town on
the Illinois River, by the name of Naples. The only tavern of the place
had evidently been constructed with reference to business on a small
scale. Poor as the prospect seemed, Mr. Lincoln had no alternative but
to put up at the place.

The supper-room was also used as a lodging-room. Mr. Lincoln told his
host that he thought he would "go to bed."

"Bed!" echoed the landlord. "There is no bed for you in this house
unless you sleep with that man yonder. He has the only one we have to
spare."

"Well," returned Mr. Lincoln, "the gentleman has possession, and perhaps
would not like a bed-fellow."

Upon this a grizzly head appeared out of the pillows, and said:

"What is your name?"

"They call me Lincoln at home," was the reply.

"Lincoln!" repeated the stranger; "any connection of our Illinois
Abraham?"

"No," replied Mr. Lincoln. "I fear not."

"Well," said the old gentleman, "I will let any man by the name of
'Lincoln' sleep with me, just for the sake of the name. You have heard
of Abe?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes, very often," replied Mr. Lincoln. "No man could travel far
in this State without hearing of him, and I would be very glad to claim
connection if I could do so honestly."

"Well," said the old gentleman, "my name is Simmons. 'Abe' and I used
to live and work together when young men. Many a job of woodcutting and
rail-splitting have I done up with him. Abe Lincoln was the likeliest
boy in God's world. He would work all day as hard as any of us and study
by firelight in the log-house half the night; and in this way he made
himself a