The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-11

promptly procured for him. McSpad-
den consented also, after some demur,
to fit William for college; but when the
first vacation came and the hero re-
quested to be sent to Europe for his
health, the prosecuted McSpadden arose
against the tyrant and revolted. He
plainly and squarely refused. William
Ferguson's mother was so astounded
that she let the gin bottle drop and her
profane lips refused to do their office.
When she recovered she said in half
gasp: Is this your gratitude? Where
would your wife and boy be now, but
for my son?"
William said: els this your graft
tude? Did l save your wife's life or
not? Tell me thatr'
Seven relations swarmed in from the
kitchen and each said: "And this is
his gratituden'
Williams sisters stared, bewildered,
and said: ''And this is his graf"
but were interrupted by their mother,
who burst into tears and exclaimed:
ITO think that my sainted Jimmy
threw away his life in the service of
such reptiler'
Then the pluck of the revolutionary
McSpadden rose to the occasion, and
he replied with fervor: 'Out of my
house, the whole beggarly tribe of you!
| was beguiled by the books, but shall
never be beguiled again-once is sufi-
cient for me.' And turning to William
he shouted: Eyes, you did save my
wife's life, and the next man that does
it shall die in his tracksr'
Not being a clergyman, 1 place my
text at the end of my sermon instead of
at the beginning. Here it is, from Mr..
Noah Brooks Recollections of Presi-
dent Lincoln" in Scribner'S Monthly:
81. H. Hackett, in his part of Fall
staff, was an actor who gave Mr.. Lin
coin great delight. With his usual de-
sire to signify to others his sense of OBJ
legation, Mr.. Lincoln wrote a genial
little note to the actor, expressing his
pleasure at witnessing hisperformance.
Mr.. Hackett, in reply, sent book of
some sort; perhaps it was of his own
authorship. He also wrote several
notes to the President One night,
quite late, when the episode had passed
out of my mind, went to the White
House in answer to a message. Pass
ing into the Presidents Office | noticed,
to my surprise, Hackett sitting in the
ante-room as ifwaiting for an audience.
The President asked me if anyone was
outside. On being told he said, half
sadly: 'Oh, can't see him, | can't
see him; l was in hopes he had gone
away Then he added: Now this
just illustrates the difficulty of having
pleasant friends and acquaintance in
this place. You know how | liked
Hackett as an actor, and how l wrote
to tell him so. He sent me that book,
and there thought the matter would
end. He is master of his place in the
profession, l suppose, and well fixed in
it; but just because we had little
friendly correspondence, such as any
two men might have, he wants some
thing. What do you suppose he wants?'
l could not guess, and Mr.. Lincoln
added: Well, he wants to be Consul to
London. o dearr"
| will observe, in conclusion, that the
William Ferguson incident occurred,
anu Wlunln my personal hnOWleuSe-
though | have changed the nature of
the details, to keep William from rec
ognizing himself in it.
All the readers of this article have in
some sweet and gushing hour of their
lives played the role of Magnanimous-
Incident hero. l wish | knew how
many there are among them who are
willing to talk about that episode and
like to be reminded of the consequences
that flowed from it.-Mark IUain, in
atlantic MOnthbf for Man