Hook:  If we leave things with the army to take their course for a little now, we ought to see through our difficulties.

Lincoln:  It’s an exciting morning, gentlemen.  I feel rather excited myself.  I find my mind not at its best in excitement.  Will you allow me?

Opening his book.

It may compose us all.  It is Mr. Artemus Ward’s latest.

THE MINISTERS, with the exception of HOOK, who makes no attempt to hide his irritation, and STANTON, who would do the same but for his disapproval of HOOK, listen with good-humoured patience and amusement while he reads the following passage from Artemus Ward.

“High Handed Outrage at Utica.”

“In the Faul of 1856, I showed my show in Utiky, a trooly grate city in the State of New York.  The people gave me a cordyal recepshun.  The press was loud in her prases. 1 day as I was givin a descripshun of my Beests and Snaiks in my usual flowry stile what was my skorn and disgust to see a big burly feller walk up to the cage containin my wax figgers of the Lord’s last Supper, and cease Judas Iscarrot by the feet and drag him out on the ground.  He then commenced fur to pound him as hard as he cood.”

“‘What under the son are you abowt,’ cried I.”

“Sez he, ‘What did you bring this pussylanermus cuss here fur?’ and he hit the wax figger another tremenjis blow on the bed.”

“Sez I, ’You egrejus ass, that airs a wax figger—­a representashun of the false ‘Postle.’”

“Sez he, ’That’s all very well fur you to say; but I tell you, old man, that Judas Iscarrot can’t show himself in Utiky with impunerty by a darn site,’ with which observashun he kaved in Judassis hed.  The young man belonged to 1 of the first famerlies in Utiky.  I sood him, and the Joory brawt in a verdick of Arson in the 3d degree.”

Stanton:  May we now consider affairs of state?

Hook:  Yes, we may.

Lincoln:  Mr. Hook says, yes, we may.

Stanton:  Thank you.

Lincoln:  Oh, no.  Thank Mr. Hook.

Seward:  McClellan is in pursuit of Lee, I suppose.

Lincoln:  You suppose a good deal.  But for the first time McClellan has the chance of being in pursuit of Lee, and that’s the first sign of their end.  If McClellan doesn’t take his chance, we’ll move Grant down to the job.  That will mean delay, but no matter.  The mastery has changed hands.

Blair:  Grant drinks.

Lincoln:  Then tell me the name of his brand.  I’ll send some barrels to the others.  He wins victories.

Hook:  Is there other business?

Lincoln:  There is.  Some weeks ago I showed you a draft I made proclaiming freedom for all slaves.

Hook (aside to Welles):  I told you so.