[A] Stephen A. Douglas, Franklin Pierce, Roger Taney, James Buchanan.
LINCOLN'S LOVE FOR THE LITTLE ONES
Soon after his election as President and while visiting Chicago, one evening at a social gathering Mr. Lincoln saw a little girl timidly approaching him. He at once called her to him, and asked the little girl what she wished.
She replied that she wanted his name.
Mr. Lincoln looked back into the room and said: "But here are other little girls—they would feel badly if I should give my name only to you."
The little girl replied that there were eight of them in all.
"Then," said Mr. Lincoln, "get me eight sheets of paper, and a pen and ink, and I will see what I can do for you."
The paper was brought, and Mr. Lincoln sat down in the crowded drawing-room, and wrote a sentence upon each sheet, appending his name; and thus every little girl carried off her souvenir.
During the same visit and while giving a reception at one of the hotels, a fond father took in a little boy by the hand who was anxious to see the new President. The moment the child entered the parlor door he, of his own accord and quite to the surprise of his father, took off his hat, and, giving it a swing, cried: "Hurrah for Lincoln!" There was a crowd, but as soon as Mr. Lincoln could get hold of the little fellow, he lifted him in his hands, and, tossing him towards the ceiling, laughingly shouted: "Hurrah for you!"
It was evidently a refreshing incident to Lincoln in the dreary work of hand-shaking.