"I captured Doctor Boyd this evening," interposed the President, turning toward them. "He does not usually honor my levees."
"A busy man has small opportunity," began Boyd hastily.
"I know, Doctor; I know." The President laid a kindly hand on his arm. "Isn't that Mrs. Arnold over there?"
"Yes," answered Mrs. Bennett. "We came together, for Mrs. Arnold is obliged to go out alone, as her husband is too busy acquiring wealth to accompany her to entertainments."
"I cannot understand why a man should work so hard for that," said the President thoughtfully. "Wealth is simply a superfluity of what we don't need."
"Who is that good-looking officer talking to my husband and Mrs. Arnold?" questioned Mrs. Bennett.
"Brevet-Colonel Hilton," Lincoln smiled mischievously. "He is one of my bravest officers, having behaved with conspicuous gallantry at Gettysburg and Cedar Creek. But the night of the first Bull Run, his body servant was asked by his family, who are Washingtonians, if he had seen his master during the battle. 'Deed I done seed him at de end ob de fight, and Marse Sam was on de mos' retreatenist hoss in de army.'"
"Thank God, we do not have to live over those first days of the war," said Boyd devoutly. "They tried men's souls."
"Ah, I do thank God," the President sighed wearily. His surroundings faded from view. Instead, he saw the awful carnage of a battlefield. In his ears sounded the thunder of guns; the cheers of the victors; and the moans of the dying. With an effort, he put such thoughts from him. "And yet those days had their comic side, Doctor; even tragedy grins occasionally. I recollect that a regiment, who wore the uniform of Highlanders, reached here after the battle of Bull Run utterly demoralized. Like thousands of other soldiers, they threw away pretty much everything they had. Their costume was abbreviated in the beginning, and after Bull Run," the President's eyes twinkled, "lots of them had to borrow skirts and blankets to cover their bareness. One of these men gravely told me that the rebels in the trenches were perched on teter-boards, and when one end came up to fire, the other end went down to load. Good evening, Mrs. Arnold." He turned to shake hands with her and Colonel Bennett.
"Why, Doctor Boyd," exclaimed Mrs. Arnold; "you here! I hope it means that you are giving up night work, and so can come to our house-warming on Monday night."