Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-09-23

"But, Mr.. Lincoln, / thought 90,
would feel for mel"
"FeeI for y0ul Good God!
have to feel for five hundred thous
and more unfortunate than you.--
We are at war, sir; don't you know
we are at war? Sorrows the part
of all bear your share like a mar
and a soldier" {
~ try to, Mr. President, but il
seems hard, My devoted wife
lost her life for coming to nurse
me in my sickness, and can not
even take her body home to my
children"
"Well she ought not to have
come down to the army. She
should have staid at home. That
is the place for women. Butifthey
,oW &C tearing about the country,
in such times as these, and running
into all sorts of danger, they must
take the consequences Not but
that l am sorry for you, Colonel.
AS for your wife, she's at rest, and
l wish | were. !" .-
Saying this, the President leaned
back YEARLY in his chair, and clos
ed his eyes, not noticing, except by
slight wave of the hand, the de-
Darture Of his visitors.
| am not ashamed to confess that
my hero tossed restlessly that night
upon a pillow wet with manly tears,
that he was desperate and resent(ul,
utterly unresigned TO the decree Of
Providence and the War Depart
ment, and that he thought Abra-
ham Lincoln as hard as he was
ugly, and as inhuman as he was
ungainIy
Toward morning he fell asleep,
and slept late. Before he was fully
dressed, there came a quick knock
at the door of his chamber, and he
opened to President Lincoln.
The good man came forward,
pale and eager, tears glistening in
his eyes, and grasped the colonel's
hand, saying:
II trsated you brutally last night.
l ask your pardon. | was utterly
tired out, badgored to death. l
generally become as savage as a
wild cat by Saturday night, drained
dry fthe milk ofhuman Kindness
| must have seemed to you the very
gorilla the rebels paint me. was
sorry enough for it when you were
gone. IcoUld not sleep q moment
last night, so thought I'd drive
into town in the cool OF the morn-
ing, and make it all right. Fortu-
nateIy, had little difficulty in find
ing you"
. "This is very good ofyou, Mr.
President. said the Colonel, deeply
moved.
"No, it isn't; but that was very
bad Of me, last night I never
should have forgiven myself if |
had let that piece Of ugly work
stand. That was q noble wife of
yours, Colonell You were hap
by man to have such a noble wo-
man to love you; and you must be
good fellow, or such a woman
would never have risled SO much
for you. And what grand women
there are in these times, Colonel
What angels Of devotion and mer
cy, and how brave and plucky !
going everywhere at the call of du
ty, facing every danger! I tell
you, if it were not for the women,
we would all 60 to the ID, and
should deserve to, Now come,
Colonel, my carriage is at the door
I'll drive yau to the War Depart
ment, and we'll see Stanton about
this matter"
Even at that early hour they
found the Secretary at lis post
The President pleaded the case of
Colonel Scott, and not only request
ed that leave Of absence should be
granted him, but that q steamer
should be sent down the river eX-
pressly to bring mp the body of his
wife.
Humanity, Mr.. stanton," said
the good President, his homely
face transiigured with the glow of
earnest, tender feeling, "humanity
should overrule considerations of
policy, and even military necessity,
in matters like this"
The Secretary was touched, and
he said something of his regret at
not having felt himself at liberty to
grant Col. SCOTS request in the
first place.
"No, no, Mr.. Stanton" said the
President, "you did right in adher-
ing to your own rulesj you are the
right man for this place. If we
had such a soft-hearted old fool as
| here, there would be no rules or
regulations that the army or Che
country could depend upon. But
this Is peculiar case. Only think
of that poor woman!"
OF course the impossible was
accomplished.
To the surprise of the Colonel,
the President insisted on driving
him to the navy yard to see that
the SecretarY's order was carried
out Immediately, seeming to have a
nervous fear some obstacle might
be thrown in the way of the pious
expedition. He waited at the land
ing till all was ready, then charged
the officers of the steamer TO give
every attention and assistance to
"his friend, Col. Scott" With him
he shook hands warmly al parting