to your Excellency. In it she informs
your Excellency that her son, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
is about to contract a matrimonial alliance with her Royal Highness
the Princess Alexandra of Denmark."

After continuing in this strain for a few minutes, Lord Lyons tendered
the letter to the President and awaited his reply. It was short,
simple, and expressive, and consisted simply of the words:

"Lord Lyons, go thou and do likewise."

It is doubtful if an English ambassador was ever addressed in this
manner before, and it would be interesting to learn what success he
met with in putting the reply in diplomatic language when he reported
it to her Majesty.

[Illustration of carriage on forested road.]

Mr. Lincoln and the Bashful Boys.

The President and a friend were standing upon the threshold of the
door under the portico of the White House, awaiting the coachman, when
a letter was put into his hand. While he was reading this, people were
passing, as is customary, up and down the promenade, which leads
through the grounds of the War Department, crossing, of course, the
portico. Attention was attracted to an approaching party, apparently a
countryman, plainly dressed, with his wife and two little boys, who
had evidently been straying about, looking at the places of public
interest in the city. As they reached the portico the father, who was
in advance, caught sight of the tall figure of Mr. Lincoln, absorbed
in his letter. His wife and the little boys were ascending the steps.

The man stopped suddenly, put out his hand with a "hush" to his
family, and, after a moment's gaze, he bent down and whispered to
them, "There is the President!" Then leaving them, he slowly made a
circuit around Mr. Lincoln, watching him intently all the while.

At this point, having finished his letter, the President turned and
said: "Well, we will not wait any longer for the carriage; it won't
hurt you and me to walk down."

The countryman here approached very diffidently, and asked if he might
be allowed to take the President by the hand; after which, "Would he
extend the same privilege to his wife and little boys?"

Mr. Lincoln, good-naturedly, approached the latter, who had remained
where they were stopped, and, reaching down, said a kind word to the
bashful little fellows, who shrank close up to their mother, and did
not reply. This simple act filled the father's cup full.

"The Lord is with you, Mr. President,"