"Instinctively the friends drew nearer the bedside. As the dying woman had addressed her words more directly to Lincoln than to the others, Lincoln, evincing sympathy in every look and gesture, bent toward her and said:
"'Your faith in Christ is wise and strong; your hope of a future life is blessed. You are to be congratulated in passing through life so usefully, and into the life beyond so hopefully.'
"'Mr. Lincoln,' said she, 'won't you read a few verses out of the Bible for me?'
"A member of the family offered him the family Bible. Instead of taking it, he began reciting from memory the twenty-third Psalm, laying emphasis upon 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' Still without referring to the Bible, Lincoln began with the first part of the fourteenth chapter of John:
"'Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.
"'In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
"'And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.'
"After he had given these and other quotations from the Scriptures, he recited various familiar comforting hymns, closing with 'Rock of Ages, cleft for me.' Then, with a tenderness and pathos that enthralled everyone in the room, he spoke the last stanza--
"'_While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I rise to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee._'
"While Lincoln was reciting this stanza a look of peace and resignation lit up the countenance of the dying woman. In a few minutes more, while the lawyer and the printer were there, she passed away.
"The journey back to Springfield was begun in silence. It was the younger man who finally said:
"'Mr. Lincoln, ever since what has just happened back there in the farmhouse, I have been thinking that it is very extraordinary that you should so perfectly have acted as pastor as well as attorney.'
"When the answer to this suggestion finally was given--and it was not given at once--Lincoln said: