when I know that I am dying,
I think of his kind face, and thank him again, because he gave me the
chance to fall like a soldier in battle, and not like a coward, by the
hands of my comrades."

What wonder that Secretary Stanton said, as he gazed upon the tall form
and kindly face as he lay there, smitten down by the assassin's bullet,
"There lies the most perfect ruler of men who ever lived."

SAVED A LIFE.

One day during the Black Hawk War a poor old Indian came into the camp
with a paper of safe conduct from General Lewis Cass in his possession.
The members of Lincoln's company were greatly exasperated by late Indian
barbarities, among them the horrible murder of a number of women and
children, and were about to kill him; they said the safe-conduct paper
was a forgery, and approached the old savage with muskets cocked to
shoot him.

Lincoln rushed forward, struck up the weapons with his hands, and
standing in front of the victim, declared to the Indian that he should
not be killed. It was with great difficulty that the men could be kept
from their purpose, but the courage and firmness of Lincoln thwarted
them.

Lincoln was physically one of the bravest of men, as his company
discovered.

LINCOLN PLAYED BALL.

Frank P. Blair, of Chicago, tells an incident, showing Mr. Lincoln's
love for children and how thoroughly he entered into all of their
sports:

"During the war my grandfather, Francis P. Blair, Sr., lived at Silver
Springs, north of Washington, seven miles from the White House. It was a
magnificent place of four or five hundred acres, with an extensive lawn
in the rear of the house. The grandchildren gathered there frequently.

"There were eight or ten of us, our ages ranging from eight to twelve
years. Although I was but seven or eight years of age, Mr. Lincoln's
visits were of such importance to us boys as to leave a clear impression
on my memory. He drove out to the place quite frequently. We boys, for
hours at a time played 'town ball' on the vast lawn, and Mr. Lincoln
would join ardently in the sport. I remember vividly how he ran with the
children; how long were his strides, and how far his coat-tails stuck
out behind, and how we tried to hit him with the ball, as he ran the
bases. He entered into the spirit of the play as completely as any of
us, and we invariably hailed his coming with delight."

HIS PASSES TO RICHMOND NOT HONORED.

A man called upon the President and s