such a thing; and even his enemies could not say that this was trying for his own election. But Mr. Lincoln had something more important than his election to look out for, although he certainly wanted to be allowed to finish the work so faithfully and successfully carried on thus far. But what was much more important was not to lose the Union battles for lack of soldiers; the more quickly he could finish the war, the kinder for North and South alike.

And Lincoln was right to trust in God to bring things out in the best way whatever that was; and to trust the great heart of the people to be true to him who was so true to them. For in November, when the people by their votes declared whom they chose for President, Lincoln had the largest majority that had ever been known, he was elected almost by acclamation. McClellan carried the electoral vote of New Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky-three States. All the rest were Lincoln's.

"It was the carefully formed and solemnly announced judgment of the nation," says Stoddard.

How grateful the country must always be to remember that in the few months of life still remaining to Abraham Lincoln, he was not only to have his hands strengthened for the great work, but to have such assurance how deep was

the nation's trust in him and love for him as

their leader.

And Lincoln thanked God and took courage, as it was his way to do.

XL.

HOW GRANT FOUGHT IT OUT ON THAT LINE.

In the March of 1864, eight months before the re-election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency, early one morning when the trains arriving in Washington from the West brought guests to the hotels, there came into Willard's with the others two passengers who took matters more quietly than the rest of the rushing crowd. One of the two was a middle-aged, sunburned man with an army hat and a linen duster, below which a glimpse of the narrow stripe of the army uniform could be seen. The other was a boy of ten whom he held by the hand. The gaslights were turned down, and the sleepy clerk had been carelessly assigning upper rooms to the guests; this was before the days of elevators. When this was done, he subsided into his armchair again and closed his eyes. As the two travelers modestly approached the counter, the clerk not deigning to rise, gave the register a whirl so that

the open page was before the stranger and said: "I suppose you will want a room together." He named a high number while the guest without reply wrote his name. The clerk twisted the

register around to himself and was about to write the number of the room-when he sprang to his feet, thoroughly awake, bowed, scraped and begged a thousand pardons! The traveler had been expected. The best apartments in the hotel had been reserved for him, on the first floor only up one flight. As the clerk took from the guest the small leather bag he had been carrying in his hand, and conducted him personally to his apartments, another guest watching took a peep at the register to see what great man this was who was treated with such honor. The stranger had written: "U. S. Grant and son, Galena, Illinois."

This was the famous general who had captured what the South had supposed the impregnable Vicksburg, then Port Hudson, and had thus opened the Mississippi River; and, later, had won a series of victories with his splendid generals, Sherman, Sheridan, Hooker, and Thomas who from his victory was called the "Rock of Chickamauga," because he won that battle after Rosecrans had been defeated. For when the confederate General Bragg was entrenched at Lookout Mountain and Missionary

Ridge and threatening Chattanooga, Grant and the others fought him, and Hooker followed him up Lookout Mountain until the army saw his battle flags above the clouds. So, Bragg ran away as fast as he could; but Thomas followed him up and made him fight again, and drove him twenty miles. Then Grant drove back Longstreet, who was threatening Burnside. So, at the end of that campaign the Union forces held possession of Tennessee.

After Vicksburg President Lincoln had written a beautiful letter of thanks to General Grant. And now in the following March when Congress had again created the office of Lieutenant-General which had been dropped when Scott resigned, Mr. Lincoln had nominated for that office, Ulysses S. Grant; Congress had confirmed his nomination, and that early spring morning at Willard's here was Grant next in military rank to the President and the secretary of war. It was no wonder that the clerk bowed down to him; and perhaps not so surprising that he had not known him; for McClellan had not traveled with a hand bag; it had taken several six-horse wagons to carry his furniture.

General Grant at once assumed command of the armies, and announced that his headquarters would be in the field and until further orders with the army of the Potomac.