on, whom they believed to be one of them at heart, were in the
first instead of the second place!

While these unsparing sons of thunder were growling among themselves,
the lions that were being cheated of their prey, Lincoln was putting his
merciful temper into a playful form. General Creswell applied to him for
pardon for an old friend of his who had joined the Confederate Army.

"Creswell," said Lincoln, "you make me think of a lot of young folks who
once started out Maying. To reach their destination, they had to cross
a shallow stream and did so by means of an old flat boat when the
time came to return, they found to their dismay that the old scow had
disappeared. They were in sore trouble and thought over all manner of
devices for getting over the water, but without avail. After a time, one
of the boys proposed that each fellow should pick up the girl he liked
best and wade over with her. The masterly proposition was carried out
until all that were left upon the island was a little short chap and a
great, long, gothic-built, elderly lady. Now, Creswell, you are trying
to leave me in the same predicament. You fellows are all getting your
own friends out of this scrape, and you will succeed in carrying off one
after another until nobody but Jeff Davis and myself will be left on the
island, and then I won't know what to do--How should I feel? How should
I look lugging him over? I guess the way to avoid such an embarrassing
situation is to let all out at once."(8)

The President refused, this day, to open his doors to the throng of
visitors that sought admission. His eldest son, Robert, an officer in
Grant's army, had returned from the front unharmed. Lincoln wished to
reserve the day for his family and intimate friends. In the afternoon,
Mrs. Lincoln asked him if he cared to have company on their usual drive.
"No, Mary," said he, "I prefer that we ride by ourselves to-day."(9)
They took a long drive. His mood, as it had been all day, was singularly
happy and tender.(10) He talked much of the past and the future. It
seemed to Mrs. Lincoln that he never had appeared happier than during
the drive. He referred to past sorrows, to the anxieties of the war, to
Willie's death, and spoke of the necessity to be cheerful and happy in
the days to come. As Mrs. Lincoln remembered his words: "We have had
a hard time since we came to Washington; but the war is over, and with
God's blessings, we may hope for four years of peace an