placing the end of it upon the wall, said:

"'Here, young man, come under here.'

"The young man came under the cane, as Mr. Lincoln held it, and when
it was perfectly adjusted to his height, Mr. Lincoln said:

"'Now, come out, and hold up the cane.'

"This he did while Mr. Lincoln stepped under. Rubbing his head back
and forth to see that it worked easily under the measurement, he
stepped out, and declared to the sagacious fellow who was curiously
looking on, that he had guessed with remarkable accuracy--that he and
the young man were exactly the same height. Then he shook hands with
them and sent them on their way. Mr. Lincoln would just as soon have
thought of cutting off his right hand as he would have thought of
turning those boys away with the impression that they had in any way
insulted his dignity."

IV

IN THE WHITE HOUSE

HOW LINCOLN WAS ABUSED

With the possible exception of President Washington, whose political
opponents did not hesitate to rob the vocabulary of vulgarity and
wickedness whenever they desired to vilify the Chief Magistrate,
Lincoln was the most and "best" abused man who ever held office in the
United States. During the first half of his initial term there was no
epithet which was not applied to him.

One newspaper in New York habitually characterized him as "that
hideous baboon at the other end of the avenue," and declared that
"Barnum should buy and exhibit him as a zoological curiosity."

Although the President did not, to all appearances, exhibit annoyance
because of the various diatribes printed and spoken, yet the fact is
that his life was so cruelly embittered by these and other expressions
quite as virulent, that he often declared to those most intimate with
him, "I would rather be dead than, as President, be thus abused in the
house of my friends."

SONNET IN 1862

BY JOHN JAMES PIATT[5]

Stern be the Pilot in the dreadful hour
When a great nation, like a ship at sea
With the wroth breakers whitening at her lee,
Feels her last shudder if her Helmsman cower;
A godlike manhood be his mighty dower!
Such and so gifted, Lincoln, may'st thou be
With thy high wisdom's low simplicity
And awful tenderness of voted power:
From our hot records then thy name shall stand
On Time's calm ledger out of passionate days--
With the pure debt of gratitude begun,
And only paid in never-ending praise--
One of