Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-08-04
" Tad f" Lincoln.
BY JOHN HAY.

MOST of those who read the dispatch
announcing the death of Thomas Todd
Lincoln will never think of the we'll
grown young gentleman who died on Sat.
urday at Chicago. The name of "Tad "
"a pet name given by himself with his
first stammering utterances and adopted
by his fond parents and the woTld-re
calls the trickey little sprite who gave to
that sad and solemn White House of the
great war the only comic relief it knew.
The years that have followed, spent in
study and travel, produced an entirely diff
ferent person. The Tad Lincoln of our
history ceased to exist long ago The
modest ar d cordial young fellow who
passed through New York few weeks
ago with his mother will never be known
outside of the circle of his mourning
friends. But Little Tao" will be re-
membered as long as any live who bore a
personal share in the great movement
whose center for four years was at Wash
ington.
He was so full of life. and vigor-so
bubbling over with health and high spirits,
that he kept the house alive with his
pranks and his fantastic enterprises. He
was always chartered libertine," and
after the death of his brother Willie, a
prematurely serious and studious child,
and the departure of Robert for college,
he installed himself as the absolute tyrant
of the Executive Mansion. He was idol.
lied by both his father and mother, petted
and INDUCED by his teachers, and fawned
upon and caressed by the noisome horde
of ofhce-seekers that iDfest the ante-rooms
of the White House. He had a
very bad opinion of books, and no opinion
of decipline, and thought very little of
ftrtsN rIN L. -.
yoking his kids to chair, or in driving
his dogs tandem over the south lawn. He
was as shrewd as he was lawless, and al.
ways knew whether he could make tutor
serviceable or not. If he found one with
obstinate ideas of the superiority of gram
mar to kite. flying as an intellectual en-
ployment, he soon found means of getting
rid of him. He had so much to do that
he felt he could not waste tune in learning
to spell. Early in the morning you could
hear his shrill pipe resounding through
the dreary corridors of the Executive res
.dence. The day passed III rapid sue
cession of plots and connections, and
when the President laid down his weary
pen toward midnight, he generally found
his infant goblin asleep under his table or
roasting his curly head by the open fire.
place and the tall chief would pick up
the child and trudge off to bed with the
drowsy little burden on his shoulder,
stopping under the doors and lodging the
chandeliers. The President took infinite
| fun, and uncomfortable boisterousness.
He was pleased to see him growing up in
| ignorance of books, but with singularly
accurate ideas of practieal matters. He
was a fearless rider, while yet so small
that his legs stuck out horizontally from
the saddle. He had that power of tanning
and attaching animals to himself, which
seems the special gift of kindly and un-
lettered nature. Let him run" the easy
going President would say, "he has time
enough yet to learn his letters and get
pokey. Bob was just such a rascal, and
now he is very decent boy"
1t was evident that, with all his insub
ordination and reckless mischief, Tho
spoiled child was at heart of truthful anC
generous nature. He treated flatterers ans
office seekers with curious GOODNESS auC
contempt, but he often espoused the caus'
of some poor widow or tattered soldier
whom he found waiting in the ante room
and it was most amusing to see the heart,
little fellow dragging his shabby protege
into the Executive presence, ordering tn
ushers out of the way and demanding
immediate action from headquarters. Th
President rarely refused a grace of thi
kind, and the demands were not so frt
quent as to lose the charm of novelty.
One of the tricks into which his idlenes
and his enterprise together drove him, wa
the occasion of much laughter to tn
iudicious, and much horror to the respet
table in Washington. He invested, on
morning, all his pocket money in buyin
the stock in. trade of an old woman VIII
! sold gingerbread near the Treasury. Fl
/ a board and some trestles, which he 81
up in the imposing pOrte-cochere of tn
White House, and on this rude couutC
displayed his wares Every office seekt
who entered the house that mornin
brought toothsome luncheon of the kee
! little merchant, and when an hour aftt
the opening of the booth a membe
of The household discovered th
Z young pastryman the admired center of
group Of grinning servants and toadies, h
had filled his pockets and his hat wit
currency, the spoil of the American pul
lie. The Juvenile operator made livel
work of his i'll gotten gains, however, an
before night was penniless again.
Although still mere child at the deaf
of his father, this terrible shock great
sobered aud steadied him. His brotht
Robert at once took charge of his educ.
tion, and he made rapid progress up t
! the time of his sailing for Europe with hi
mother. He has ever since remained wit
her, displaying thoughtful devotion an
2 tenderness beyond his years, and strangel
I at variance with the mischievous though
, lessness of his childhood. He came bac
+ short while ago, greatly improved by h
residence abroad, but always the sam
, cordial, frank, warm hearted boy. In h
loss the already fearfully bereaved famil
8 will suffer new and deep affiiction, an
= the world, which never did and never wi
8 know him, will not withhold tribute
regret for the child whose gayety an
9 affection cheered more than anything el'
the worn and weary heart of the gre
/ President through the toflsome years
4 the war.-NeaO York Tribune.
Ex-Governor OgIesby.