lated pains
of Presidentship, has the additional and entirely undeserved ignominy of
being hawked about the country as the "Pioneer Boy." A statesman whose
reputation for integrity has been worth millions to the land, and whose
patriotism should have won him a better fate, is stigmatized in
duodecimo as the "Ferry Boy." An innocent and popular Governor is
fastened in the pillory under the thin disguise of the "Bobbin Boy."
Every victorious advance of our grand army is followed by a long
procession of biographical statistics. A brave man leading his troops to
victory may escape the bullets and bayonets of the foe, but he is sure
to be transfixed to the sides of a newspaper with the pen of some
cannibal entomologist. We are thrilled to-day with the telegram
announcing the brilliant and successful charge made by General Smith's
command; and according to that inevitable law of succession by which the
sun his daily round of duty runs, we shall be thrilled to-morrow with
the startling announcement that "General Smith was born in ----," etc.,
etc., etc.

Unquestionably, there is somewhere in the land a regularly organized
biographical bureau, by which every man, President or private, has his
lot apportioned him,--one mulcted in a folio, the other in a paragraph.
If we examine somewhat closely the features of this peculiar
institution, we shall learn that a distinguishing characteristic of the
new school of biography is the astonishing familiarity shown by the
narrator with the circumstances, the conversations, and the very
thoughts of remarkable boys in their early life. The incidents of
childhood are usually forgotten before the man's renown has given them
any importance; the few anecdotes which tradition has preserved are
seized upon with the utmost avidity and placed in the most conspicuous
position; but in these later books we have illustrious children
portrayed with a Pre-Raphaelitic and most prodigal pencil.

Take the opening scene in a garden where "Nat"--we must protest against
this irreverent abbreviation of the name of that honored Governor whose
life in little we are about to behold--and his father are at work.

"'There, Nat, if you plant and hoe your squashes with care, you will
raise a nice parcel of them on this piece of ground. It is good soil for
squashes.'

"'How many seeds shall I put into a hill?' inquired Nat.

"'Seven or eight. It is well to put in enough, as some of them may not
come up, and when th