Secretary Seward writes of this that in less than an hour they passed back through the yard on their way to a Cabinet meeting and about a dozen small boys were sitting on the kitchen steps having a state dinner at the expense of the government. VI. SOME INCIDENTS FROM THE GREAT YEARS Little incidents of appreciative consideration marked all of Lincoln's way. One afternoon in Chicago, while many noted visitors were gathered about him, a little boy entered the room, and, seeing Lincoln, took off his cap, whirled it over his head and shouted, "Hurrah for Lincoln!" Mr. Lincoln gently made his way through the crowd, picked the little boy up in his arms, held him out at arm's length, studied him a moment seriously, and then shouted, in like enthusiasm, as he set the boy down, "Hurrah for you!" Honorable W. D. Kell tells an incident that occurred in asking Lincoln to do something for Willie Bladen. This boy had served a year on the gunboat Ottawa and had gone through two important battles. Willie lived in the district of Congressman Kell and he asked Kell to help him get a place in the Naval School. The testimony of the gunners on the _Ottawa_ was that Willie had carried powder to them in the midst of the hottest engagements with all the coolness and bravery of any of the sailors, and Congressman Kell's sympathy was thoroughly enlisted for the boy's ambition. Lincoln was much interested in the case and at once wrote to the Secretary of the Navy to appoint Willie Bladen to the school, if there was yet a place for him. The appointment was made and the boy was ordered to report in July. But Congressman Kell found, on going back home, that Willie would not be fourteen till September, and no one could be accepted in the Naval School under fourteen. Willie was terribly distressed. "Never mind," said Mr. Kell, "I'll take you to see the President about this and I am sure he will manage it some way." A few days later, Congressman Kell, holding Willie Bladen by the hand, walked in to where Lincoln sat, and introduced the boy. Willie made a profound bow. "Why, bless me," responded Lincoln, "is this the boy who did so gallantly in those two great battles! I feel that I should bow to him." And, with that, Lincoln arose and made a bow to the little hero. The President then made out papers directing that the boy be allowed until September to report, then putting his hand on the boy's head, he said, "Now, my boy, go home and play for the next two months. They may be the last holidays you will ever get." Lincoln's knowledge of the Bible is shown by many an incident. In one of the darkest hours of the war a mass convention was called of Union men to protest against the President's "imbecile policy in the conduct of the war." It was also intended to start a boom for "Fremont the Pathfinder" to succeed Lincoln to the Presidency. Instead of a great mass convention of many thousands, only four hundred disgruntled politicians were present.