son. The President had put the finishing touches
on it that morning. As it was expected that the President would make a
few offhand remarks, no one seems to have noticed its simple grandeur
until it was printed in the newspapers.

Yet Mr. Lincoln was interrupted four or five times during the two
minutes by applause. The fact that the President was speaking was
sufficient, no matter what he said. The people would have applauded
Abraham Lincoln if he had merely recited the multiplication table! When
he finished, they gave "three times three cheers" for the President of
the United States, and three cheers for each of the State Governors
present.

That afternoon there was a patriotic service in one of the churches
which the President decided to attend. Taking Secretary Seward with him,
he called on an old cobbler named John Burns, of whose courage in the
battle of Gettysburg Mr. Lincoln had just heard. Those who planned the
dedication did not think the poor cobbler was of much account. The old
hero, now known through Bret Harte's poem, "John Burns of Gettysburg,"
had the pride and joy of having all the village and visitors see him
march to the church between President Lincoln and Secretary Seward. This
simple act was "just like Lincoln!" He honored Gettysburg in thus
honoring one of its humblest citizens. It was Abraham Lincoln's tribute
to the patriotism of the dear "common people" whom he said "God must
love."

CHAPTER XX

"NO END OF A BOY"

"THE STORY OF YOUNG ABRAHAM LINCOLN" would be incomplete without some
insight into the perfect boyishness of the President of the United
States. When the cares of State and the horrors of war had made his
homely yet beautiful face pallid and seamed, till it became a sensitive
map of the Civil War, it was said that the only times the President was
ever happy were when he was playing with little Tad.

He used to carry the boy on his shoulder or "pick-a-back," cantering
through the spacious rooms of the Executive Mansion, both yelling like
Comanches. The little boy was lonely after Willie died, and the father's
heart yearned over the only boy left at home, for Robert was at Harvard
until near the close of the war, when he went to the front as an aide to
General Grant. So little Tad was his father's most constant companion
and the President became the boy's only playfellow. Mr. Lincoln, with a
heart as full of faith as a little child's, had always lived in deep
sympathy wi