The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-29
Little Willie's Funeral


Willie Lincoln had his aco,,aiot.,.
among his fathers friends, and cbancp1, ~
be one of them. He never failed IN ,a.t
me out in the crowd, shake hands and r' J4
some pleasant remark and this in a. 1or ~
but ten years of age, was to say the Is,r
ondearing to a stranger. But he had no,a
than mere atfectionateness. His self r@s.
session-aplom6 as the French cali -%,,.
extraordinary. | was one day passjpr -'s
White House, when he was outside V;tbs
playiellow on the sidewalk. Mr.. Scvp,J
drove in, with Prince Napoleon aud two d
his ssslte in the carriage !; aud, IN mod;
heroic way-terms Of amusing intimacy .y;,
IDENTIFY existing between the boy and the Sec.
retary-the official gentleman took Of hi,
hat, and the Napoleon party did the same
all making the young prin2e-P President ce..
erroneous salute. Not q bit staggered with
the homage, Willie drew himself w 10 Il,
full height, took of his little cap with grsce.
tul selt-wssession, and bowed down formally
to the ground, like little ambassador. Thew
drove past, and he went Oh uuconccmadIyy
with his play the impromptu readiness ana
good judgement being clearly a part of nj,
nature. His genial and open expression Of
countenance was none the less ingenious and
fearless for certain tincturo of iuu and il
was in this miDgIing OF qualities that he 50
faithfully resembled his father.
Wish all the splendor that was around Ibis
little fellow in his new home, hv was 80
bravely and beautifully himseH-and that
only y! A wild flower, transplanted from the
prairie to the hot house, he retained his prairie
habits, unalterably pure and simple till be
died. His leading trait seemed to be a fear
less and kindly frankness, willing that every
thing should be as different rs it pleased, but
resting unlnoved in his own conscious single
heartedness. l found | was studying hin
irresistibly, as one of those sweet problems
of childhood that the world is blessed With, in
rare places and the news OF his death Il
was absent from Washington, on visit to
my own children, at the time) came TO m:
like kncll heard Unexpectedly at merry
making.
Ga the day of the funeral | went, before
the hour, to take Il near fare well 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 valley-and the coffin
lid was to be closed before the service. The
family had just taken their leave of him, and
the servants and nurses were seeing him for
the last timc-and, with tears and sob:
wholly unrestrained, for he was loved like an
idol by every one Of them. He lay, with eyes
closed-his brown hair parted as We had
known it-pale in the slumber Of death; but
otherwise unchanged, Tor he was dressed as for
the evening, and held in one OF his hands
crossed upon his breast, bunch Of exquisite
aowers-a message coming from his mother
while we were looking upon him, praying thai
these flowers might be preserved Tor her She
was lying sick in her bed, worn out with sFe'
and overwhelming.
The funeral was very touching. Of the
entertainments in the splendid EaStroou,
the boy had been for those now assembled
more especially most life.giying variation
With his bright face, and his apt greetings
and replies, be was remembered in every part
of that crimsoned aud curtained hall, built
only for pleasuro-of all the crowds, each
night, certainly the one least likely to be
Deaths first mark. He was his fathers Ia
vorite. They were intimates-oftenest seen
hand in hand. And there sat the man WHO
burthen on his brain at which the word
marvels-bent now with the load at oo'n
heart and brain-staggering under a blow
like the taking from him of this child Lis
men OF power sat around him-McCIeIIan
with moist eye when he bowed to the prayer
as could see from where | stood, and Chase
and Seward with their austere features a.
work, and Senators and Ambassadors au'
soldiers, all struggling with their tears-sFea'
hearts sorrowing with the President as d
stricken man and brother. That God may
give him strength for all his burthens' Is
am sure, at present. the prayer OF nation
Wills in tile Home Journal