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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 375"'Will you stand by me?'"'Certainly I will,' was the answer."'Well, Moody, I can depend upon you; you are one in a hundred thousand.'"He then commenced pacing the floor again. Suddenly he wheeled, thecurrent of his thought having changed, and said:"'Oh, Moody, I don't want you to think I have become a religious manbecause I asked you to pray. I am sorry to say it, I am not, and neverpretended to be religious. No one knows this better than you, but, Moody,there is one thing about it, I do believe in Almighty God, and I believe alsoin the Bible, and I say, d--n me if Nashville shall be surrendered!'"And Nashville was not surrendered!"HE COULDN'T WAIT FOR THE COLONEL.General Fisk, attending a reception at the White House, saw waiting in theante-room a poor old man from Tennessee, and learned that he had beenwaiting three or four days to get an audience, on which probably dependedthe life of his son, under sentence of death for some military offense.General Fisk wrote his case in outline on a card and sent it in, with a specialrequest that the President would see the man. In a moment the order came;and past impatient senators, governors and generals, the old man went.He showed his papers to Mr. Lincoln, who said he would look into the caseand give him the result next day.The old man, in an agony of apprehension, looked up into the President'ssympathetic face and actually cried out:"To-morrow may be too late! My son is under sentence of death! It ought tobe decided now!"