The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-27

Oos"y sstC ePss8sss&y AssBuhess
nseassasss, and now aceius a. The Americas co.,
respondent Of the London g>l<oapA, writes TO the,
paper the following account Of his presentation .,
Me YANKEE Court, with his impressions Of the
Northesa sovereigns:
The blue parlor-ii blue and paslos
wac -was somewhat, hut not inconventenlly,
crowded Ladies and gentlemen were filing IN
snsootasy and etientiy. stood on uptoe to eee II
could catch glimpse Of the lady 70 whom was
70 hs presented, but In lieu thereof became sud
den'y aware Of gentleman, who had no need, 20
tall was be, to stand ON up,oe In order 10 look
down on me and on the entire assembiage. And
yet that assemslage, In its male portion, number
some very tall men. NJ. Sumner edged me be
tween z couple OF groups, took me Into ( coraer
where the taliest man OF all was, said some few
polite words, and the next moment my hand Was
10 the cast ifoa ssip Of Abraham Liaeoln. Az 10
screwing ocean steamers of the stocks by ny
draulic pressure; amuse nae with tales 0f the big
bear Of Arkansas hardest hugs; feed me with sto-
rtes OF the boac0nstrictOSs crushing all the bones
u goat In stayie convOlntion; tell me about
Professor Harrison, the strong Man who crushes
pewter pots between his fingers and the Russian
Count Oried, who crambles up silver salvers lust
a. Mr.. Golden said he would crumpie mp Russia
NaHa.e to me all these fables, but they are
n0nsht In comparison; they are Zephyr brexths,
fkiry f0otateps, butterfly peFstaee, wheu Daned In
smile when he takes ycns hand; he does moi ring IL
like d beil, nor wave k like tag. He merely
takes 1t, and quietly and sientiy squeezes il into
dough. Great results are said 10 follow the 'put
ting down his foot" by the President on any public
matter II he were to s'put down. his hand on me
Thought utter and irretrievable collapse must fol-
low. The general cast of Mr. LiacOln's features
must be familiar TO you through the Photographic
portraits In the London shop windows. His actual
appearance 10 even nearer approached by the ad
miTabie cartoon sketches of MF. John Teuniel in
Punch. ith a curiousIy intuitive fidelity Of ap-
pfeciatiOn, Tenniei has seized utOn that lengthy
face. these busby locks, that shovel beard, that
unsainly form, those long, muscular, altenuaied
limbs, those beny and wide spreading extremilies.
Mr.. Lincoln Is SO tall that. looking up In his face,
you might, did not respect forbid you, ask Show
coId the weather was up there.' lie is SO tall,
thst friend who had an interview with him In his
private Office made use Of the expression thai
when he there did not seem the slightest like
iiho0d OF getting up ever coming 70 an end. lie
seemed to be drawing himself out like telescope.
There are two particulars, however, In which
you must needs have seen Mr. Lincoln to gain an
accurate idea of his appearance. He is excessive
ly dark Again, ;hiS dark face, strongly marked,
livid and footed, and fsineed with coarse and
tangled hair, Is so uncOuih and 80 rugOse that IL
narrowly escapes being either terrible or grotesque
A touch of the chsel one way or the other and you
Ould have either 4 QuatiendO or Eichard III. But
the possible grOtesque is obyiated, the imminent
terrible ia smOOtled away, by peculiar soft, al
most feminine, expression OF melancholy which to
me at least seemed 10 pervade the cOuntenanee Of
this remarkable man. The melancholy look struck
me most tUrcibly when remember ed that was la
the presence OF the great joker Of jokes-the
SnnchO PanZa made governor of this Trans At
lantic Barataria; but there the look was-the
regard OF a thoughtful, weary eaddened. over
worked man; Of one who was desperately striving
10 do hts best, but who woke up every morning tO
find the wheat that he had sOwn growing up as
tafes; of one who was continually resretling that
he did not know more-lhat he had begun his
work too late, and must lay down his ceptre too
early. My Interview with him was Of very brief
OF course, he said that he was glad to me; that
he hoped liked my stay; that had come in a
very critical period, aud that the country presented
4 ~ different aspect to that which II once had
N. Sumner informed him that / purpOsed ''iIus-
trating'' in pdbiic what l had seen in America -
s!Ah,' said the President, 'indeed! with the PEN
Gil pen? There is good deal to illustrate JUS.
now" ! binted that the pen Was my vocation -
Neither more nor less took place. l saw that Ar
Lincoln had M wish to tell me any stories, or to
talk politics; and, after another tremendous
squeeze OF the hand from him, retired from his
presence.
was taken to the centre Of the apartment, where,
standing In circle of ladies', one short, plump
and well favored, ana atdrcd In velvet dress Of
royal purple, Spr0fusely trimmed with pearls and
lace. This was Mrs Lincoln l had the honor to
shake her hand; but It was little hand, and my
crushed digts ware spared another painful ordeal.
think can give almost short hand writer's re-
port Of my conversation with Mrs Lincoln. After
the first sslutaiions she said "Do you keep your
health, sir ?" replied that was happy and thank
Iul to say that enjoyed toierable health. GLOW
long have you been in this country, cir ?' she ask
ed. said that ] had been seven weeks on the
American continent. ''How long do you conclude
10 remain, sirs'' she went on. l replied that |
hoped to remain about seven months longer The
wife was good enough to ask chow
liked the county, 1repied, diplomatically, that
il was large and very wonderful.
Now ensued deep, and to me embarrassing 81
ence. didn't know what was to come next, and
didn't think Mrs Lincoln did AT last she spoke
again, and once more In the ,nterrcgatory form !,
And you keep your health, sir:" ! answered
this very kind inquiry as best might, when, for
Iuliously, 1t occurred TO me that some years ego,
IN Russia, having to 60 In much better society than
am in the habit OF frequenting at home, had
sought the assistance Of a dancing mistress, and
1t the outlay of about fifty rubies, learnt series
,f bows, or "reyerences, . for grand occasions.
.ave Mrs Lincoln the lowest of these reverences.
moved slowly away, but could hear the Presi-
ientess asking the next gentleman who was pre-
,ented to her whether he ''kept his heaith." "Do
you keep your healthsn evidently serves Mrs
Lincoln in the stead that "ek possible used 10
serve Prince George Of Denmark.