of representative churchmen who visited Washington. He was in
great spirits. His ideas of a social affair were definite and generous,
as we discovered that day, much to our amusement.

"Eleanor," he said, "I feel as though I would like to have these
gentlemen to luncheon at my house to-morrow. Can you arrange it? I could
not possibly leave Washington without showing them some special
courtesy. Now, I want a real meal, something to sit down to. None of
your floating oysters, or little daubs of meat in pastry, but real food,
whole turkeys, four or five of them--a substantial meal." The Doctor's
respect for chicken patties, creamed oysters, and the usual buffet
reception luncheon, was clearly not very great.

The luncheon was given at 1.30 on the day appointed; the distinguished
guests all came, two by two, into our house. A few weeks later, they
came again in a body, two by two, into the house of mourning.

Besides the visiting clergy, Dr. Talmage had also invited for this
luncheon other representative men of Washington. It was the last social
gathering which the Doctor ever attended in his own home, and perhaps
for that reason becomes a significant event in my memory. After the rest
had departed, Dr. Henry Van Dyke remained for an hour or two to talk
with my husband in his study. Dr. Talmage so often referred to the great
pleasure this long interview had given him, that I am sure it was one of
the supreme enjoyments of his last spiritual milestone.

The night before we left Washington an incident occurred that directly
concerns these pages. We had gone down into the basement of the house to
look for some papers the Doctor kept there in the safe, and in taking
them out he picked up the manuscript of his autobiography. As we went
upstairs I said to the Doctor, "What a pity that you have not completed
it entirely."

The Doctor replied, "All the obscure part of my life is written here,
and a great part of the rest of it. When I return from Mexico I will
finish it. If anything should happen, however, it can be completed from
scrapbooks and other data."

We went into his study and the Doctor had just begun to read it to me
when we were interrupted by a call from Senator Hanna. Dr. Talmage
particularly admired Senator Hanna, and, as they were great friends, the
autobiography was forgotten for the rest of the evening. Knowing that
the Doctor was about to leave Washington the Senator had come to wish
him goodby, and to urg