military maps and documents, indicating recent use.  In a few minutes the President came in and welcomed me in a most friendly manner; I expressed my regret at disturbing him at such an hour.  He replied in a good-humored manner, saying, ’No, no!  You did right; you may waken me up whenever you please.  I have slept with one eye open ever since I came to Washington; I never close both, except when an office-seeker is looking for me.’  I then laid before the President the ‘rebel mail.’  He carefully examined the address of each letter, making occasional remarks.  At length he found one addressed to Franklin Pierce, ex-President of the United States, then residing in New Hampshire; and another to ex-Attorney-General Cushing, a resident of Massachusetts.  He appeared much surprised, and remarked with a sigh, but without the slightest tone of asperity, ’I will have these letters enclosed in official envelopes, and sent to these parties.’  When he had finished examining the addresses, he tied up all those addressed to private individuals, saying, ’I won’t bother with them; but these look like official letters; I guess I’ll go through them now.’  He then opened them, and read their contents, slowly and carefully.  While he was thus occupied, I had an excellent opportunity of studying this extraordinary man.  A marked change had taken place in his countenance since my first interview with him.  He looked much older, and bore traces of having passed through months of painful anxiety and trouble.  There was a sad and serious look in his eyes that spoke louder than words of the disappointments, trials, and discouragements he had encountered since the war began.  The wrinkles about the eyes and forehead were deeper; the lips were firmer, but indicative of kindness and forbearance.  The great struggle had brought out the hidden riches of his noble nature, and developed virtues and capacities which surprised his oldest and most intimate friends.  He was simple, but astute; he possessed the rare faculty of seeing things just as they are.  He was a just, charitable, and honest man.

“When Mr. Lincoln finished reading the letters, I rose to go, saying that I would go to Willard’s, and have a rest.  ‘No, no,’ said the President, ’it is now three o’clock; you shall stay with me while you are in town; I’ll find you a bed’; and leading the way, he took me into a bedroom, saying, ‘Take a good sleep; you shall not be disturbed.’  Bidding me ‘good night,’ he left the room to go back and pore over the rebel letters until daylight, as he afterwards told me.  I did not awaken from my sleep until eleven o’clock in the forenoon, soon after which Mr. Lincoln came into my room, and laughingly said, ’When you are ready, I’ll pilot you down to breakfast,’ which he did.  Seating himself at the table near me, he expressed his fears that trouble was brewing on the New Brunswick border; he said he had gathered further information on that point from the correspondence, which convinced him that such was the case.  He was here interrupted by a servant, who handed him a card, upon reading which he arose, saying, ’The Secretary of War has received important tidings; I must leave you for the present; come to my room after breakfast and we’ll talk over this New Brunswick affair.”