sickness, I am as tranquil as when walking the land in the serenest weather."

I saw from his conversation he thought I had been raised in a city or town, and knew nothing of farm-life. I did not then undeceive him, for I wished to hear his story, but after he had finished, I remarked:

"I know all about that, and how hard it is; for I have been through it all."

"Ah," he exclaimed, "then you were raised on a farm."

"Yes, and a poor one at that, at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains, where we all had to scratch to get a living."

Laughing heartily, he said, musingly:

"Tell me, now, do you think we can raise men for high positions? There are my boys, I am educating them carefully, but I can't tell if they will ever be heard of, and I question it. No doubt you will do the same with your boys-but will they rise in the world? Won't it happen that some poor and obscure little fellow, who has to scratch for every inch, will run ahead of them and come to the front, while they will pass away un known to fame?"

"That is nearly always the case."

"So it is; and it makes me wonder if tender rearing of boys, and giving them an elaborate education, is so much of a benefit to them, after all."

One of the lads about whom we had been talk ing came in at the moment, to say the workmen who were building a fence about the yard wished to see the general. He put on his hat and went out, first giving me his scrap-books, and asking me to amuse myself by looking them over until his return. He stayed so long, I lit a cigar and went down into the hall to smoke. While I was waiting, the same boy came back and told his mother, papa wanted to see her about the fence. She put on a hat and went out, and on going to the door, I saw the general was himself helping the workmen with the palings and posts. Seeing me, he seemed to remember he had left me waiting, and at once came up to excuse himself: "You see we have a new place here, and I am trying to get it fixed up. I came here expecting to spend a quiet vacation, and when the nomination at Chicago dropped on me, it found us all up-side down. So many people are coming constantly, I want to get it in order, and am pushing it all I can by superintending the work personally."

He then offered to go up to the office again and give me all the time wanted of him, but I excused him, saying I thought I had taken up quite enough of his day already.

He expressed great willingness to attend to me, but said if I did not want him he would go up-stairs and do some writing. I went up with him to get my hat, and he pointed to a

sheet of paper lying on his desk which I saw, from the different headings and divisions, was the outline of his letter of acceptance, and that he was hunting up authorities which he wished to consult in preparing it.

"A tough job," I ventured.

"Yes," he replied, laughing, "rather a tough job," and with that I left him to his work, the general seeing me to the door and bowing me out.

I cannot better close this chapter than with four of Garfield's letters-letters that at once bring us together with their author; that seem indeed the happiest of introductions to our hero. They were all written to Mr. Hinsdale:

"HIRAM, October 26th, 1865.

"I do not remember to have claimed that St. Cyril was tinctured with Neoplatonism; but I did say that the Church at Alexandria was considerably influenced by the doctrines of that sect. I have looked into it a little and find a considerable variety of opinions among different authors. Gibbon speaks of it as an attempt to reconcile the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle, and says that as a philosophy it is unworthy of notice. It is only important as connected with Christianity. The bigotry and folly of the Church persecuted it. Gibbon's commentator says the Neoplatonists were not at war with Christianity, but desired to apply their philosophy to the religion of Christ. Gibbon speaks of it also as an attempt to revive Paganism. See also his interesting account of Julian the Apostate, who was a Neaplatonist for a while."

“Washington, January 1st, 1872.

"In regard to the authenticity and purity of the Shakespeare text I have made some considerable study, and with what I have already done, I hope to be able to get something for you at the library, either in the way of a loan or of reference, and I will attend to it soon. * * *

"Have you seen the new book on Physical Geography by the French writer, Reclus? A translation has just been published in New York. I have looked over it, and think it a remarkably valuable book. The Evening Post has said of it within the past two or three days that it is the completest work extant on that subject."

"WASHINGTON, February 22d, 1872. "Yours of the 16th instant is received. I am glad to know that somebody has related the subject of the Holy Roman Empire in an intelligent way. It has always been to me one of the dark points in European history. I shall get the book without delay, and read it as soon as I can steal time enough from work and sleep.

"Since I wrote you last, I found a book which interests me very much. You may have seen it; if not, I hope you will get it. It is entitled, Ten Great Religions,' by James Freeman Clarke. I have read the chapter on Buddhism with great interest. It is admirably written, in a liberal and philosophical spirit, and I am sure will interest you. What I have read of it leads me to believe that we have taken too narrow a view of the subject of religion."

"WASHINGTON, April 30th, 1874. "There is much in life to make one sad and disheartened; but whether we maintain a cheerful spirit or not, depends largely on the way in which we view the events and outcomes of life. I think the main point of safety is to look upon life with a view of doing as much good to others as possible, and, as far as possible, to strip ourselves of what the French call egoism.

"The worst days of darkness through which I have ever passed have been greatly alleviated by throwing myself with all my energy into some work relating to others. Your life is so much devoted in this direction that I think you will find in it the greatest safety from the danger of gloom."

351

CHAPTER XXV.

H

TWO PEN PORTRAITS.

IS home is about half-way between Mentor and Willoughby, so that we had but

two miles to drive to the station. About a mile and a half west of his home is a curiosity in the shape of Joe Smith's first Mormon temple. It is a plain, but queer-looking structure, that served its purpose for a while, now only a curiosity almost useless. This, however, did not detain me. It was but a speck in the landscape of a country that was quite attractive and enabled me to realize why the general wished to reside away from the city's bustling walls. His hard student life and the incessant cares of public duty in Washington could all be left behind, and he always hastens to his home when Congress adjourns. The house is sufficiently lonely to be out of the way of idlers or mere curiosity callers, and few would break in upon the rest of the great statesman, unless they were called thither by imperative business. He needs rest and leisure to prepare himself for the winter sessions of Congress at Washington, and from the midst of this beautiful scenery he returns each year to the capital thoroughly invigorated.