Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-26
MR.. sALAs INTERVIEW WITH MR.. AND MRS
LINCOLN

The 81 le Psrllr--if blue and parlor Il
was--was somewhat, bat no: inconvenienty crowded.
Ladies aud gentlameu W(r) fling in, smoothly and si-
lsntly. / stood on tipt0e TO see if could catch q
glimpse of the lady 70 whom was 10 be presented,
but 10 lieu thereof became suddenly aware of gen
tem4D who had no need 30 tall was he, 70 stand on
tptoe in order look down me, and on the entire
assembsge And yet that assemblage in its male por.
ticn, number s7me ysry tall men. Mr.. Summer edged
me between a couple OF groups took me into corner
where the taest MAJ OF al was sad come few polite
)rdS, and the moment my hand in the cast
iron grip Of Abraham Lincoln. As 20 his grp-:ak to
me of packing cotton bales screwing steamers
of the stocks by by deAulic pressure; amuse with
tales of the big bear OF Arkansas hardest hugs feed
With stories OF tho boa constructors crushing oil the
bones OF gea. in q single convouIion tell me about
Professor Harrison, the strong man, who brushes pew
Ter pos bstWefn his fingers and the Russian count Or
l. H. who utpl up silver salvers just Mr.. Cob
den said b. uld crumple up Ru sii-liko a sheet
of pap r. NArrA!s to me all these fables, blu they
arr uough. ia comparisons they are zephyr
breAl-s, fairy footsteps, butterfly persiasg,, when
named In company with AbTabam Lincolns grp. He
does1t smile when he takes your hand; he does not
wfi4g il like bell, wave It like flag. He merely
takes it, and quietly and silently squeezes it into dough-
Great results are said flos tie quitting down his
foo" by the President any pulic matter IL he we're
to put down" he hand on me, thought and ire
trisvAbe collapse must st once follow. The general
OF Mr.. LincOlns features must be familiar 10 you
Windows His equal appearance is nearer APP
preached By the admirable cartoon sketches Of Mr..
Johl Tenuic in Punch With cuIously intuitive fde
y of appreciation Tenne has seized upon that lengthy
face those bushy locks that shovel beard that uneany
form, those lotg GUAR atenuated limbs thosI bony
ami wide spreading extrsmities. Mr. Lincoln Il so tail
that, looking up his face, you might did respect
forbid yeu ask ho cold the weather was up there
He $50 I'll thai iriend who had an interview with
him in his private III made of the expression that
when he shere did not the sghes likely
OF getting 10 ever coming to end. He SEEM
ed to te drawing himself out like telescope Thsre
are two part euisrs however 10 Eh ch you needs
have Mr. l. Beoln TO gain idea of his
appearance. He is exceedingly dark. Again this dark
face, strongly marked, livd and crows-ioo:ed and
fripged with and tangled hair 80 unoouh and
rugose that narrowly etclpes being either terrible
or grotesqus A touch of the calsel one Way or the
other, and you, would have either q Quasi codo or
Richard Ill Bd' The possible groterq 10 /, obyia ed,
the imminent terrible is smoOhed away, by peculisr
SOFT almos. feminine exp ession Of mslaucholy which
to at esst eeem, to pervade the courtenance of
this remarkable The melancholy l)ok struck me
most fOrcibly when | remembered that / was in the
presence OF tie great joker of jokes-the Saneho
PaDzl ma isgovernot OF ths Transatlantic Baratara
but there the lcok Was--the regard of thouphtiul
weary, saidened overlooked man; of one Whoa
was desperately stTsipg 10 do bis best but who woke
up every morning fad the wheat that he had sown
growing up as iare'; OF one who was continually re-
getting that he dian know more--hat he Lad began
his work 100 late, aud lay down his sceptrs 100
early. Ny inersieR with him was OF very brief dura
tioR and o. AMY made up of commonplace OF course
he said thai be glad 10 me- that be hoped liked
my STAY th-i d come in very critical period, and
that tne coua ~ escntcd very diffsreut aspect %
that which it O. c lLaL NJ. Sumner informed him thai
purposed illustrating" in public what had seen in