Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-10
LITTLE WILLIE.S FUNERAL

Willie Lincoln had his acquaintances among his fathers friends, and chanced to be one o them. He meyer failed to seek me out in 1 crowd, shake hands, and make some pleasan: re mark and this in boy but ten years of age was to say the least, endearing to . straHger
 But he had more than mere affectionateness. i, His self possession--dplo as the FrencH e . M--was extraordinary. l was one day Pas.n"s assn 5 the White House, when he was outside M..n 5 pIayfellcw on the sidewalk. MT Seward grove fin. with Prince Napoleon and two of his sults N ln the carriage and, in mock heroic way--.erlls of amusing intimacy evidently exisshig peeMoen the boy and the Secretary-tne onclal eenue, man took of his hat, and the Napoleon party dio the same. all making the young prince fresidenl a cerpn,ol,ious salute. Not 8 bit staggered with tba homage. Willie drew himself up to his full heioht took of his little cap with graceful self possession, and bowed down formally to tht rreupd. like little ambassador. They drove mast, and he went on unconcernedly with hi play: the impromptu readiness and good judg ment being clearly part of his nature. lii renial and open expression of scountenance va none the less ingenuous and fearless for a cer tain tincture of fun and it was in this minglins of qualities that he so faithfully resembled hi
 father. et<ssy \ asssszseg g With all the splendor that was around thI' Ettle fellow in his new home, he was 80 brayeiy and beautifully himself f--and that only! wiio flower, transplanted from the prairie to not. a, house, he retained his prairie habits unaiteraoiy pure and simple, till he died His leading tra,t seemed to be fearless end kindly ffankness' wiii- ine that everything should be as different as II , vaaasft1 but resting unm0ved in his own con scious sinole-heartedness. found was study. inr him. irresistably as one of those sweet prob lAms of childhood that the world is blessed wltn, in rare places and the news of his death was absent from Washington on visit to my own own z children, at the time) came to me like g knell heard unexpectedly at merry making. :, 6 On the day of the funeral went, before the hour, to take farewell look at the dear boy
 for they had embalmed him to send him home to the West-to sleep under the sods of his own yaIley--and the coffin lid was to be closed be fore the service. The family had just taken their leave of him, and the servants and nurses were seeing him for the last time-and, with tears and sobs wholly unrestrained, for he was loved like an idol by every one of them. He hy. with eyes closed-his brown hair parted as we had known it-pale in the slumber of death; but otherwise unchanged, for he was dressed as for the evening, and held, in one of the hands crossed upon his breast. bunch of exquisite fowers-a message coming from his mother, while we were looking upon him, praying that those flowers might be preserved for her. She was lying sick in her bed worn out with grief and overwatching.
 The funeral was very touching. or the enter tainmepts in the East room, the boy had been for those now assembled, more especially most fe-giving variation. With his bright face and his apt greetings and replies, he was remem: bered in every part of that crimsoned curtained hall built only for pleasure-of all the crowds, each night, certainly the one least likely to be Deaths first mark. He was his fathers favor ite. They were intimates-oftenest seen hand in hand. And there sat the man, with burden on his brain at which the world maryels-bent now with the load at both heart and brain-stag gering under blow like the taking from him oi this child! His men of power sat around him eClellan, with moist eye when he bowed to the prayer, as could see from where stood and Chase and Seward with their austere flea . lures at work, and Senators and Ambassadors and soldiers, all struggling with their tears : great hearts sorrowing with the President as !, stricken man and brother. That God ma, give him strength for all his burthens, is, l an sure, at present, the prayer of nation !-- WiAi tn he Home Journal. FEEs Al5.s