“On another occasion the President said he was in great distress; he had been to General McClellan’s house, and the General did not ask to see him; and as he must talk to somebody, he had sent for General Franklin and myself, to obtain our opinion as to the possibility of soon commencing active operations with the Army of the Potomac. To use his own expression, if something was not soon done, the bottom would fall out of the whole affair; and if General McClellan did not want to use the army, he would like to _borrow it_, provided he could see how it could be made to do something.”[5] XLII. One bright morning in May, the Sunday-school children of the city of Washington, marching in procession on anniversary day, passed in review through the portico on the north side of the White House. The President stood at the open window above the door, responding with a smile and a bow to the lusty cheers of the little folks as they passed. Hon. Mr. Odell, of Brooklyn, with one or two other gentlemen, stood by his side as I joined the group. It was a beautiful sight; the rosy-cheeked boys and girls, in their “Sunday’s best,” with banners and flowers, all intent upon seeing the President, and, as they caught sight of his tall figure, cheering as if their very lives depended upon it. After enjoying the scene for some time, making pleasant remarks about a face that now and then struck him, Mr. Lincoln said: “Mrs. Ann S. Stephens told me a story last night about Daniel Webster, when a lad, which was new to me, and it has been running in my head all the morning. When quite young, at school, Daniel was one day guilty of a gross violation of the rules. He was detected in the act, and called up by the teacher for punishment. This was to be the old-fashioned ‘feruling’ of the hand. His hands happened to be very dirty. Knowing this, on his way to the teacher’s desk, he _spit_ upon the palm of his _right_ hand, wiping it off upon the side of his pantaloons. ‘Give me your hand, sir,’ said the teacher, very sternly. Out went the right hand, partly cleansed. The teacher looked at it a moment, and said, ‘Daniel, if you will find another hand in this school-room as filthy as that, I will let you off this time!’ Instantly from behind his back came the _left_ hand. ‘Here it is, sir,’ was the ready reply. ‘That will do,’ said the teacher, ‘for this time; you can take your seat, sir.’” Mr. Lincoln’s heart was always open to children. I shall never forget his coming into the “studio” one day, and finding my own little boy of two summers playing on the floor. A member of the Cabinet was with him, but laying aside all restraint, he took the little fellow at once in his arms, and they were soon on the best of terms.