admittance, and her recognition the best of the Executive Mansion
lard-pantry. When she had finished the elegant collation, and
intermingled the tasty morsels with reminiscences, the host slyly
inquired if now in the Presidential dwelling she stuck to the
sentiments about the diet enunciated in her log cabin.

"Indeedy, I do! I still stick to it that bread and milk is a good
enough dish for the President."

Lincoln smiled with his sad smile. He had been long--not to say a
lengthy--martyr to dyspepsia, and she uttered a truism that struck
him to the--the digestive apparatus!


* * * * *


LINCOLN'S FIRST POLITICAL SPEECH.

In 1831, or '32, Abraham Lincoln made his maiden political speech at
Pappsville (or Richland), Illinois. He was twenty-three, and timid,
and the preceding speakers had "rolled the sun nearly down." The
speech is, therefore, short and agreeable:

"Gentlemen, fellow citizens: I presume you all know who I am. I am
humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by my friends to become
a candidate for the legislature. My politics are short and sweet--
like an old woman's dance! I am in favor of a national bank, the
international improvement scheme, and a high protective tariff.
These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected, I will