But the president had learned my opinion, gave Grant and Sherman many a lesson in the White House, a the terms they later offered Lee and rare thing for any one behind the Johnston-adequate but not severe walls of that enchanted castle. While terms. the leaders and makers of his party As Lincoln set his face toward turned their thoughts toward vindic- Washington, Lee met Grant at Aptive penalties, he bethought him of pomattox. The greatest soldier of the broken prostrate Southerners, his his time surrendered with all the countrymen still. In the second in- dignity any victor might have comaugural address he said:

manded to little Ulysses S. Grant of “Both the peoples of the North Galena, who bore himself with all and the South read the same Bible the modesty greatness ought ever to and pray to the same God, and each command. It was one of the great invokes his aid against the other. moments in world history, the Union

The prayers of both could not saved once and for all, “government be answered. That of neither has of the people, by the people, for the been answered fully. With people”—was it, or was there already malice toward none, with charity for a power in the North too great for all, with firmness in the right as God Lincoln's democracy? gives us to see the right, let us strive On the eleventh of April, all the to finish the work we are in."

North rejoicing as few peoples have There was only one other leader on ever rejoiced, Lincoln said from a either side of that great conflict who portico of the White House:“Whether could have spoken thus-Robert E. the Southerners have ever been out Lee. But Stevens and Sumner and of the Union or not does not concern Winter Davis sharpened their weap- me. Finding themselves safely at ons as if the war were just beginning, home, it would be utterly immaterial heightened their hatreds and suf- whether they had ever been abroad." fered passion and interest and need. And three days later to the cabinet, less fear to rule them. Toward the poor Stanton present: “I hope there end of March, the forces of the will be no persecution, no bloody Confederacy weakening every day, work after the war is over. . . . We and Lee broken in fortune, in health, must extinguish our resentment if we the president went to City Point, the expect peace. irate Sumner with him, to advise with There was forming all over the Grant, expectant of victory, and with East a mighty group, business chiefs Sherman, running up from North and resolute senators fanning the Carolina, the ungainly, modest, passions of simple men, a group that democratic chief of the great North- made ready to take from Lincoln the west giving law at last to the aris- baton of leadership, the sort of men tocrats of the humbled South, Sumner who rise in their might at the end of calling again and again for the every great war and demand the disblood of the guilty, Sumner who missal of those who think to make had said to all the world: "there is no peace by forgiving their enemies. war that is honorable, no peace that The homely Lincoln had run his is dishonorable.” The president, in course, a long and toilsome course

since that eager autumn day in 1854 Lincoln the heat and burden of the when he teased and worried little ominous future. Mary Todd, herself Douglas at the Springfield fair, all broken and distraught under the the world shouting and deriding the pressure of it all, bore the remains of unlucky senator-Lincoln "lifting her husband, ambition all burned out, the burdens from the shoulders of to the modest home in Springfield, all men,” poor, dazed black men whence they were taken to their last running hither and thither about resting-place, all the world, forgetthe devastated South. There had ting what all the world had said and seemed to be troubles in 1854; there done, journeying there ever and anon were amazing problems in 1865. to pay tribute to one of history's But the hand of the assassin spared immortals.

THE VASSAR WALKS

LAWRENCE LEE

Oh, once I knew a St. Anne's girl,
When St. Anne's smelled of spring;
And, though the lilacs had come out,
She seemed a lovely thing.

Now she is there, and I am here;
Virginia's far away;
And I don't doubt that she is out
With other men to-day.

But I have seen the Vassar walks
Since last I viewed St. Anne's;
And there I met as trim a girl
As mine or any man's.

When violets bloom along the lake,
And Vassar girls pass by,
He must be blind who cannot find
A blossom for his eye.

It is not far to Vassar lawns
From Chelsea or Times Square;
And now that lilacs should be out,
I'll pack and journey there!

THE MOLD

CLARICE BLAKE

SO.

THIRTY-SEVEN last month, I was It healed fine, an' he come home.

-thirty-seven. An’I was go I remember how happy I was. I

in' on nine when Pop was sick thought I'd just help, like before he first. Years an' years I done for was sick; he'd run the farm again, this fam'ly. It ain't right.

natchully. I was bone tired. At It could be right, but it ain't right. first, there— I got used to it, o'course,

The twins was sweet little things an' never thought-till now. Till -by Gar, how happy I was just now. when they come! Own sisters to He set round. I was surprisedme, an' mine to work for-Pop sick only a kid. I couldn't know. He an' all. I thought they'd always be was soft, of course, livin' easy like Well

he done, all them months to the “My kids,” I'd think, an' like that. hospital. He tol me, when I asked But now it's come to me this is Pop's him. “I got to take it easy,” he says. fam’ly. It ain't mine—an' I'm

I remember the time I dug them thirty-seven.

potatoes. I asked him again. This here is right comfortable- “What's the matter?” he says. only Mom sweepin' round me, like "Ain't you got sense? I can't do no she's always doin'. She don't know diggin' yet. what I'm thinkin' anyway.

I was such a kid I wanted to help The stove is nice an' warm. It's him. “I'll dig," I says; “I like it, a terrible wind to-day. February is Pop. You can just pick up.” a drear month.

I'll never forget the way he looked

at me, rockin' in this same rocker. I Pop used to work good like me. I never said nothin' again. remember some-an' Mom tells of it. I never said nothin' 'bout his setBut then he got his hand sore from tin', but it was a long time before I that bullhead. They can sting, too, stopped thinkin', “Pop'll help with I know. He must 'a' been to Win- this; Pop'll help with that; Pop'll be ton hospital near three months, when round by that time."

round by that time." I kept countit got infected. He'd 'a' lost the in' on him for a long, long while. hand, too, if he'd let 'em. “I guess Well, we got through that winter not,” he'd say, when they'd ask him. somehow. I bet they was awful mad, all right. It come to me I was the man o' the Pop was set, once he made up his place. I was ten. I wasn't so big mind. But he was right, all right. built for my years, neither. Spring, It healed fine.

an' I plowed.

9

on me.

was

Mom changed too. I'd run to her, down to it, I got no strings on before Pop was like that. She'd 'em. This last summer learned me joke me, real often. Cookies too. that, even though they has steadied An' do little things for me that was down, now that they got to. real nice.

At first, there, gee, wasn't they But, after, Mom changed. Nat- cunnin'! Molly had all them little chul enough, I suppose. Pop settin' curls close to her head, an' Glen had there, rockin', rockin', an' eatin' us that dimple. An' now they both got out o' house an' home. No woman both. But at first they wasn't so could stand it. But it made it hard much of a pair. They always clung

to me. Mom took care of 'em good, When a feller comes in tired, it o' course. But it was hard on Mom. ain't no time to pick at him. An' I couldn't be in none—just passin' never no fun a-tall. But I never through. But how them kids would

I thought o' fun in them days. An' reach for me! It makes a feller step when the twins come, they made up out. I worked good. for it, all right. They certainly was They got to playin' round like a cute.

couple puppies. Only more fun. I Gee, Doc was mad. I never will a big feller by then—'bout forget his face. “By God, Mis' eighteen, an' tall an' broad. I'd Barlow,” he says. But Mom looked took a spurt there, an' grew. at him, an' he stopped. An' it was The summer people begun to come hard on her, too—she was dead right. in 'bout that time. They liked to

“An' the boy,” he says, but easier. have me round, seems. I made “You're wearin' him out, as it is. good money. I dressed them kids An' now this."

good. I remember how surprised I was They was cute. No hand-methat Doc thought o' me. I felt like downs, always in pairs, like the cryin'. I wanted to tell him I was Stuart girls down to the lake, sumglad 'bout the baby, but I didn't, o' mers. An' blues, for their eyes, like course. I went out.

that artist said. It was fun, goin' It was a long time after that Doc over the catalogue an' pickin' the come an' called me. I was in the stuff out. An' when it come, by barn.

Gar, how they always loved their “There's two of 'em," he told me. new things! My skin prickled. “Girls. You got “You'll spoil 'em, Jamie,” Doc your hands full now, my boy." I says to me once. But I didn't mind. was sixteen then.

I
guess

I done it though. Well, a Gee! I had a fam’ly! Ain't many feller's got to have some fun. kids o'sixteen got a fam’ly! By Gar, Pop just set an' rocked. He didn't wasn't I the fool!

care. He never got the kids sorted They ain't my fam’ly. An' I'm out, after the first, even. But Mom thirty-seven.

was always pickin'. They ain't nothin' to me but two “You big fool,” she'd say, an' kid sisters. I been doin' for 'em for like that. But the kids would run to over twenty years, an' come right me. They was real sweet. It lasted I'd puff up.

a long time too. I ain't one to be- They was real sweet to me them grudge.

days-here to the house, where no It begun easy. I didn't notice at city folks could see 'em, o' course. first. They changed to me when I remember they used to hang on them fellers from the military school each arm, an' tease me for this, an’ was campin' down to the lake, that tease me for that. An' sometimes first year. Everything was dressed they'd push me in a chair, an' one up an' stylish. That all was new, would sit on my lap, an' one would hereabouts. The girls was sixteen. stand behind an' hug my head. I'd

They got goin' round. I liked to make believe I wouldn't give in to see 'em.

'em. Lordy, them was great times. O'course I liked to see 'em. We'd keep it up. How they'd tease Asked to the city folks' houses, they me, an' laugh! “You big

“You big fool,” was. I was proud. I'd walk by in Mom would say. the dark, times, when there was a I missed them kids that winter. party, an' look in. My girls was the It was awful lonely. purtiest o' the whole lot-blues, I "You big fool,” Mom would say. kept 'em in-an' their fluttery curls. “You're just ruinin' them girls. You

dress 'em gay, you board 'em good; I done no harm. I wasn't about they should work to Dalleytown, like to find fault or to pry. I was just all the mountain girls does, that gets lookin' on. There ain't much to do to the high school.” I guess she was for fun hereabouts. When Molly right too. But a feller's got to have says to stop, I stopped, but I didn't some fun. An' Pop never said get the meanin'. Only after, when nothin'. He just set an' rocked, I heard 'em all jokin' the kids 'bout like always. the "night-watchman,” an' some- I liked buyin' for 'em. I liked to thin' 'bout their old man, an' they give 'em things. laughed like they done. It give me I missed the kids terrible. I driv a funny feelin'. I thought one or the down an' got 'em for Saturdays an' other of 'em would speak out an' Sundays real often that first winter. say somethin'. They knew I wasn't It made it nice. After, o' course, mean. They knew I wasn't no nag- they had other things they had to do, ger. I liked for them to be gay. an' couldn't get home so often. “Oh, him!” Molly says, an' Glen They was awful sweet 'bout it, so I laughed too. It made me feel queer. never let on I minded. I come away quiet.

But I minded terrible. I was all It has grew. That was the first. alone. A feller's got to have someI couldn't know, o' course, but it was thin'. a beginnin'.

I'd try to visit with Pop. He'd That winter they went down to listen all right, but he never was no Dalleytown to the high school. By talker hisself. He just set here an' Gar, how wild they was! How they looked at this stove. “You big fool,"

“ tore round, an' sung. How we Mom would say to me, after. ordered an' ordered! An' then the It was that spring Pop died. He packages come!

caught cold. It was awful quick. I