Mr. Lincoln laughed and invoked a blessing on her head, fully appreciating the well-meant friendship that brought her eight miles on purpose to remind him of the “scanty dinner.”

Among his callers was Hannah Armstrong, widow of Jack and mother of William; and a more sincere and worshipful visitor he did not have. “He talked to me just as he did when Jack was alive,” she said afterwards. “I talked to him some time, and was about to bid him good-bye. I had told him that it was the last time I should ever see him; something told me I should never see him again; they would kill him. He smiled and said, ‘Hannah, if they do kill me, I shall never die another death.’ Then I bade him good- bye.”

A grand reception was tendered him in Chicago. He observed a little girl approaching very timidly. Beckoning to her kindly, he said: “Little girl, what will you have?”

“I want your name,” she hesitatingly replied. Just then Mr. Lincoln observed several other little girls approaching, and he responded,—

“But here are several other little girls—they would feel badly if I should give my name only to you.”

“There are eight of us in all,” she answered, “and all of us want your name.”

“Then get me eight sheets of paper, with pen and ink, and I will see what can be done for you.”

The paper was brought, and Mr. Lincoln sat down to a table, in the crowded room, and wrote a line upon each sheet, appending his name thereto.

A little boy of about three years came into the room with his father. As soon as he entered he swung his hat, and cried out, “Hurrah for Lincoln!” The people laughed, and Mr. Lincoln, joining them, caught up the little fellow and gave him a toss towards the ceiling, exclaiming, “Hurrah for you!”

These were pleasant episodes to a man of so much simplicity and real kindness as Mr. Lincoln possessed, in the general reception of dignitaries,—governors, statesmen, senators, judges, divines, etc.

On the 6th of November Mr. Lincoln was elected President by the popular vote of 1,857,610,—491,634 votes more than were cast for Mr. Douglas. In the Electoral College he received 180 votes, and Mr. Douglas only 12; the others being divided between Breckinridge and Bell.

A few days before the election, the Republicans of Springfield placed the result of a canvass of Springfield in Mr. Lincoln’s hand. He called into the Executive Chamber Mr. Newton Bateman, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Illinois, whose office was in the building. Having locked the door he said,—

“I have called you in to assist me in looking over this canvass of Springfield; I desire to know how the ministers and some good people will vote.”

Mr. Bateman assented to his proposition, and proceeded to examine the book. Mr. Lincoln frequently inquired if such and such a person were not a minister or member of the church, to which Mr. Bateman replied according to the best of his knowledge. With pencil in hand, Mr. Lincoln kept a memorandum. When the examination was completed, he sat in silence, and with a face full of sadness for several minutes. Then, turning to Mr. Bateman, he remarked,—

“I don’t understand it. Here are several ministers, of different denominations, against me, and here are prominent members of the churches against me. Mr. Bateman, I am not a Christian,—God knows I would be one,—but I have carefully read the Bible, and I do not so understand this book,” drawing a copy of the New Testament from his pocket. After a brief pause he continued,—