nd came upon the platform afterwards to congratulate me.
He is a Christian man and as genial and lovable a man as I ever
met."

"September 21, 1897. Had a most delightful interview with President
McKinley in the White House.

"I congratulated him on the peaceful opening of his administration.
He said:

"'Yes! I hope it is not the calm before a storm.'

"He said that during the last six weeks at least a half million of
people had passed before him, and they all gave signs of their
encouragement. Especially, he said, the women and children looked
and acted as though they expected better times.

"The President looked uncommonly well. I told him that during the
past summer I had travelled in many of the states, and that from the
people everywhere I gathered hopeful feelings. I told him that they
were expecting great prosperity would come to the country through
his administration."

Of course these are merely scraps torn from old note-books, but I cannot
help commending the value of first impressions, of the first-hand
reports, which are made in this way. There is in the unadorned picture
of any incident in the past a sort of hallowed character that no ornate
frame can improve.

So the pages of these recollections are but a string of impressions torn
from old note-books and diaries.

* * * * *

From scrap books and other sources, some other person may set up the
last milestones of my journey through life, and think other things of
enough importance to add to the furlongs I have already travelled; and I
give permission to add that biography to this autobiography.

[Illustration: T. De Witt Talmage signature.]

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF DR. TALMAGE'S LAST MILESTONES

BY

MRS. T. DEWITT TALMAGE

1898-1902

THE LAST MILESTONES

BY

MRS. T. DEWITT TALMAGE

1898-1902

The wishes of Doctor Talmage reign paramount with me; otherwise I should
not dare to add these imperfect memoirs to the finished and eloquent,
yet simple, narration of his life-work which has just charmed the reader
from his own graphic pen. Dr. Talmage did not consider his autobiography
of vital importance to posterity; his chief concern was for his sermons
and other voluminous writings. The intimate things of his life he held
too sacred for public view, and he shrank from any intrusion thereupon.
His autobiography, therefore, was a