''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 116"We had barely reached the gravel walk before he stooped over, picked upa round smooth pebble, and shooting it off his thumb, challenged us to agame of 'followings,' which we accepted. Each in turn tried to hit theoutlying stone, which was being constantly projected onward by thePresident. The game was short, but exciting; the cheerfulness of childhood,the ambition of young manhood, and the gravity of the statesman were allinjected into it."The game was not won until the steps of the War Department werereached. Every inch of progression was toughly contested, and when thePresident was declared victor, it was only by a hand span. He appeared tobe as much pleased as if he had won a battle."MR. BULL DIDN'T GET HIS COTTON.Because of the blockade, by the Union fleets, of the Southern cotton ports,England was deprived of her supply of cotton, and scores of thousands ofBritish operatives were thrown out of employment by the closing of thecotton mills at Manchester and other cities in Great Britain. England (JohnBull) felt so badly about this that the British wanted to go to war on accountof it, but when the United States eagle ruffled up its wings the Englishthought over the business and concluded not to fight."Harper's Weekly" of May 16th, 1863, contained the cartoon we reproduce,which shows John Bull as manifesting much anxiety regarding the cottonhe had bought from the Southern planters, but which the latter could notdeliver. Beneath the cartoon is this bit of dialogue between John Bull andPresident Lincoln: MR. BULL (confiding creature): "Hi want my cotton,bought at fi'pence a pound."MR. LINCOLN: "Don't know anything about it, my dear sir. Your friends,the rebels, are burning all the cotton they can find, and I confiscate the rest.Good-morning, John!"As President Lincoln has a big fifteen-inch gun at his side, the blackmuzzle of which is pressed tightly against Mr. Bull's waistcoat, the