Lincoln and the Deserter. 169 



of her darling boy, who had been court-martialed and 

 was to be shot in a few days. Lincoln first upbraided my 

 friend for subjecting him to such an ordeal, but the poor 

 woman was already in the room, sobbing as if her heart 

 would break, and there was no help for it. Lincoln 

 conducted her to a seat, asked a great many questions, 

 learned that the boy had returned to work at Johnstown, 

 and provided for his mother and sister from his earnings, 

 giving as an excuse for leaving the army, that it was 

 lying idle on the banks of the Potomac and he knew it 

 could not move until spring. 



The President mused a few moments, apparently un- 

 decided what action to take. Even the woman held her 

 breath for the time and awaited in silence the word 

 which was to rejoice her or doom her to misery forever. 

 " Well, I don't believe it would do him any good to 

 shoot him, do you, madam?" asked Father Abraham of 

 the mother, in a tone of inquiry so natural that one 

 would have thought he was actually in doubt upon the 

 subject himself and wanted the opinion of the person 

 who knew the boy best. 



The mother was speechless. During the inquiry the 

 President had been rolling a small strip of paper into a 

 ball. He handed this to Mr. Morrell, saying: "Read 

 that when you get out, Daniel, but mind you don't tell 

 Stanton." 



Mr. Morrell beckoned the woman to the door, placed 

 her in the carriage, read the slip, and ordered the coach- 



