y skirts.' Then he added:

"'It is not to be wondered at that a boy, raised on a farm, probably in
the habit of going to bed at dark, should, when required to watch, fall
asleep; and I cannot consent to shoot him for such an act.'"

"MASSA LINKUM LIKE DE LORD!"

By the Act of Emancipation President Lincoln built for himself forever
the first place in the affections of the African race in this country.
The love and reverence manifested for him by many of these people has,
on some occasions, almost reached adoration. One day Colonel McKaye, of
New York, who had been one of a committee to investigate the condition
of the freedmen, upon his return from Hilton Head and Beaufort called
upon the President, and in the course of the interview said that up to
the time of the arrival among them in the South of the Union forces
they had no knowledge of any other power. Their masters fled upon the
approach of our soldiers, and this gave the slaves the conception of
a power greater than their masters exercised. This power they called
"Massa Linkum."

Colonel McKaye said their place of worship was a large building they
called "the praise house," and the leader of the "meeting," a venerable
black man, was known as "the praise man."

On a certain day, when there was quite a large gathering of the people,
considerable confusion was created by different persons attempting to
tell who and what "Massa Linkum" was. In the midst of the excitement the
white-headed leader commanded silence. "Brederen," said he, "you don't
know nosen' what you'se talkin' 'bout. Now, you just listen to me. Massa
Linkum, he ebery whar. He know ebery ting."

Then, solemnly looking up, he added: "He walk de earf like de Lord!"

HOW LINCOLN TOOK THE NEWS.

One of Lincoln's most dearly loved friends, United States Senator Edward
D. Baker, of Oregon, Colonel of the Seventy-first Pennsylvania, a former
townsman of Mr. Lincoln, was killed at the battle of Ball's Bluff, in
October, 1861. The President went to General McClellan's headquarters to
hear the news, and a friend thus described the effect it had upon him:

"We could hear the click of the telegraph in the adjoining room and low
conversation between the President and General McClellan, succeeded by
silence, excepting the click, click of the instrument, which went on
with its tale of disaster.

"Five minutes passed, and then Mr. Lincoln, unattended, with bowed head
and tears rolling down his f