tly bothered by members of delegations of
"goody-goodies," who knew all about running the War, but had no inside
information as to what was going on. Yet, they poured out their advice
in streams, until the President was heartily sick of the whole business,
and wished the War would find some way to kill off these nuisances.

"How many men have the Confederates now in the field?" asked one of
these bores one day.

"About one million two hundred thousand," replied the President.

"Oh, my! Not so many as that, surely, Mr. Lincoln."

"They have fully twelve hundred thousand, no doubt of it. You see, all
of our generals when they get whipped say the enemy outnumbers them
from three or five to one, and I must believe them. We have four hundred
thousand men in the field, and three times four make twelve,--don't you
see it? It is as plain to be seen as the nose on a man's face; and at
the rate things are now going, with the great amount of speculation and
the small crop of fighting, it will take a long time to overcome twelve
hundred thousand rebels in arms.

"If they can get subsistence they have everything else, except a just
cause. Yet it is said that 'thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel
just.' I am willing, however, to risk our advantage of thrice in justice
against their thrice in numbers."

NO FALSE PRIDE IN LINCOLN.

General McClellan had little or no conception of the greatness of
Abraham Lincoln. As time went on, he began to show plainly his contempt
of the President, frequently allowing him to wait in the ante-room of
his house while he transacted business with others. This discourtesy was
so open that McClellan's staff noticed it, and newspaper correspondents
commented on it. The President was too keen not to see the situation,
but he was strong enough to ignore it. It was a battle he wanted from
McClellan, not deference.

"I will hold McClellan's horse, if he will only bring us success," he
said one day.

EXTRA MEMBER OF THE CABINET.

G. H. Giddings was selected as the bearer of a message from the
President to Governor Sam Houston, of Texas. A conflict had arisen there
between the Southern party and the Governor, Sam Houston, and on March
18 the latter had been deposed. When Mr. Lincoln heard of this, he
decided to try to get a message to the Governor, offering United States
support if he would put himself at the head of the Union party of the
State.

Mr. Giddings thus told of his inter