AnothermanwhomIsawfromtimetotimeduringthisperiodwastheVice—President，Mr。Stevenson。IfirstmethimatapublicdinnerinNewYork，wherewesatsidebyside;butwemerelytalkedongeneralities。ButthenexttimeImethimwasatadinnergivenbytheSecretaryofWar，andthereIfoundthathewasoneofthemostadmirableraconteursIhadevermet。Afteraseriesofadmirablestories，oneofthepartysaidtome:\"Hecouldtelljustasgoodstoriesasthoseforthreeweeksrunningandneverrepeathimself。\"
OneofthesestoriesbytheVice—President，iftrue，threwacuriouslightovertherelationsofPresidentLincolnwiththreemenverydistinguishedinAmericanannals。Itwasasfollows:Oneday，shortlybeforetheissueoftheEmancipationProclamation，avisitor，findingMr。Lincolnevidentlyinmelancholymood，saidtohim，\"Mr。President，Iamsorrytofindyounotfeelingsowellasatmylastvisit。\"Mr。Lincolnreplied:\"Yes，Iamtroubled。OnedaythebestofourfriendsfromtheborderStatescomeinandinsistthatIshallnotissueanEmancipationProclamation，andthat，ifIdoso，theborderStateswillvirtuallycastintheirlotwiththeSouthernConfederacy。
Anotherday，CharlesSumner，ThadStevens，andBenWadecomeinandinsistthatifIdonotissuesuchaproclamationtheNorthwillbeutterlydiscouragedandtheUnionwrecked，——and，bytheway，thesethreemenarecominginthisveryafternoon。\"Atthismomenthisexpressionchanged，hiscountenancelightedup，andhesaidtothevisitor，whowasfromtheWest，\"Mr。————，didyouevergotoaprairieschool？\"\"No，\"saidthevisitor，\"Ineverdid。\"\"Well，\"saidMr。Lincoln，\"Idid，anditwasaverypoorschool，andwewereverypoorfolks，——toopoortohaveregularreading—books，andsowebroughtourBiblesandreadfromthem。
OnemorningthechapterwasfromtheBookofDaniel，andalittleboywhosatnextmewentallwronginpronouncingthenamesofShadrach，Meshach，andAbednego。Theteacherhadgreatdifficultyinsettinghimright，andbeforehesucceededwasobligedtoscoldtheboyandcuffhimforhisstupidity。Thenestversecametome，andsothechapterwentalongdowntheclass。Presentlyitstartedonitswayback，andsoonafterInoticedthatthelittlefellowbegancrying。OnthisIaskedhim，’What’sthematterwithyou？’andheanswered，’Don’tyousee？Themthreemiserablecussesarecomingbacktomeagain。’\"
IalsoatthatperiodmadetheacquaintanceofSenatorGrayofDelaware，whoseemedtomeideallyfittedforhispositionasamemberoftheUpperHouseinCongress。SpeakerReedalsomadeagreatimpressionuponmeasamanofhonesty，lucidity，andforce。TheSecretaryofState，Mr。Olney，Isawfrequently，andwasalwaysimpressedbythesortofbulldogtenacitywhichhadgainedhisvictoryoverLordSalisburyinthearbitrationmatter。