see how any man except
Gen. GRANT could get hold of it the wrong way.

Of course I had some reasons besides those stated in my note for
declining the Mission, but I did not want to hurt the President's
feelings by going over the whole ground.

It was not unknown to me that the situation had been offered to about
five thousand persons before it came round to my turn, or that the
English Mission had fallen into a general decline. I knew all about that
just as well as Gen. GRANT, but it would not have done any good to
parade my knowledge on the subject.

There was the Hon. THOS. JENKINS who refused to take it, because his
wife had a prejudice against Bulls ever since she was scared by one that
chased her five miles for no other reason than that she was what might
be called a red woman--well-read in the exciting house-wife literature
of the day. JENKINS positively declined.

Then it was offered to Col. CANNONAYDE, who declined it because his
mother-in-law declared that she would go along too, if he went, and he
thought it would be better not to let her have a change of air, as she
was in a fair way to wind up pretty soon by remaining near those swamps.
CANNONAYDE wanted the place kept open till after the funeral, but this
was not granted.

The next offer was made to Gen. BRAYLEIGH; but _he_ refused it on the
ground that he had made arrangements for going into the coal trade, and
he could not be sure of holding the place more than a few weeks. Anyway,
he thought it would not pay to give up the coalition he had entered into
with another party. In fact, old BRAYLEIGH treated the whole matter very
coldly.

It was next tendered to the Hon. THEOPHILUS SKINNER, but peremptorily
declined because SKINNER'S district had become Democratic since he was
elected, and he knew that if he resigned an infamous cannibal copperhead
would be sent to Congress in his stead. SKINNER consulted all the
leaders of his party, and they unanimously agreed that it would be
better to let every court in Europe be without an American
representative than risk the loss of that district.

Everybody knows why the Rev. Dr. BANGWELL, of Chicago, did not accept
it. The Doctor expected his divorce case to come on in a few days, and
could not neglect that; and besides, he had made all the arrangements
for his other marriage, and sent out the invitations. If the President
had just made some inquiries before appointing Dr. BANGWELL, he could
have found out th