The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-07-27
Tad lincoln The TFieksy Little SBFitG
OF the White I0uSe.

Of the White IIouse.
Most Of those who read the dispatch
I announcing the lrath of Thomas Toe
LlncOln will Hey-- think Of the wei
known gentleman who died on Satur.
day At Chicago. The name of Tad
"a pet name given by himself with
ms lirst stammeTinS Utteranees and
adopted by his parents and tie world
recalls the tricksy little sprite who
gave that sad and solemn white house
OF the great war the only comic relief
1t knew. The years that have follow
ed, spent in study and travel, produc-
Ell an utterly different person. The
lad Lincoln Of history ceased to eX-
ist long ago. The modest and cordial
young fellow who passed through
New York few weeks ago with his
mother will never be known outside
the circle Of his mourning friends
But "little Tad'' will be remembered
as long rs those live who bOre q per-
sonal share in the great movements
whose center was at Washington for
four years.
He was so full Of life and vigor, so
bubbiing over with health and high
spirits, that he kept the house alive
/ with his pranks and his fantastic en-
terpriSes. He was always a ''charter-
/ ed libcrtine," and after the death Of
/ his brother Willie, prematurely ser
iOus and studiOus child, and the de
! parture Of Robert for college, he in
stalled himself a. the absolute tyrant
of the executive mansion. He was
/ idOlized by both his father and moth
! er, patted and INDUCED by his teach
ers, and fawned upon and caressed by
I that noinsOme horde Of Oiiiee-seekers
\ which infested the ante-rOOms Of the
4 white house. lie had a very had
1 opinion Of books and no opinion OF
discipline, and Thought very little Of
any tutor who would not assist him In
yoking his kids tO 2 chair, or in ,iriv-
/ ing his dogs tandem over. the south
/ lawn. lie was rs shrewd as he was
/ lawless, and always knew whether he
could make a'tutOr Orserviceable orHOt.-
lf he found one with Obstinate ideas
of the superiority of grammer TO kite
4 lying as an intellectual employment,
he sOOn found means of getting rid OF
| him. He had so much tn do that he
| felt that he could not waste time in
learning to spell. Early in the morn
| ing yOu could hear his shrill pipe re
sounding through the dreary corridors
of the Executive residence. The day
passed in a rapid succession of plots
and connections, and when the presi-
dent had laid down his weary pen,
toward midnight, he generally found
his infant goblin asleep under his ta-
ble, or roasting his head by the open
fireplace; and the tall chief would pick
up the child and trudge off to bed with
the drOwsy little burden on his shOul-
der, STOPPING under the doors and
dOdging the chandeliers. The presi-
dent took infinite delight H. the
child's rude health, fresh fun, and
uncomfortable bOisterousncss. He
WAS pleased 10 see him growing
up in Ignorance of books, but with
singularly accurate idea of practical
matters. He was = fearless rider,
while yet 80 small tliat his legs stuck
out horizontally from the saddle. He
had that power of tanning and attach
ing animals to himself, which seems
the especial gift of kindly and unlet-
tered natures. "Ilet him run" the
easy-gOing president would say; "he
and get pOkey. Bob was Just such
llAAlN taA1f7sAl anu lllN llC II u NtlA ANt-
cent boy"
It was evident that with all his in
subOrdinatiOn and reckless mischief
the spoiled child was at heart of a
truthful and generous nature. He
treated tiatterers and Office seekers
with curious GOODNESS and contempt,
but he often e5pOused the cause of
some poor widow or tattered soldier,
whom he found waiting in the anie-
rooms, and il was most amusing to
see the hearty little fellow dragging
his shabby prOteges into the eXeeu-
tive presence, ordering the ushers out
of the way, and demanding imme-
diate action from headquarters. The
President rarely refused q grace of
this Kind, and the demands were not
so frequent rs To lose the charm of
novelty. -........ ....... ..-.--
One of the tricks into which his
idleness and his enterprise together
drove him was the occasion Of much /
laughter to the judicious and much !
horror to 10 the respectable in Wash
ingtOn. He invested, one morning,
all his pocket money in the stock in
trade Of an old women who sold GIN
gerbread near the treasury. He matle |
AAAC r7pN lA4AAGlAL NaAA IfIAAALAn XIV AAAAAA
board and some trestles, which he /
set up in tile imposing pOrteeOciierc of ]
the White House, and on this rude Z
counter displayed his wares. Every
Office seeker who entered the house |
that morning bought a tOOthsome lun- I.
cheOn of the keen little merchant, and I
when, an hour after the opening of I
the booth, n member of the household /
discovered the young pastryman the 7
admired center Of a group of grinning
servants and tO3dies, he had filled his /
pockets and his hat with currency,
the spoil of the American public. The /
Juvenile operator made lively work of {
his ill-gOtten gains, however, and be /
fore night was penniless again.
Although still a mere child at the /
death of his father, this terrible shock I
greatly sobeTed and steadied him. His /
brother Robert at once took charge of /
his education, aud he made rapid pro- /
gress up to the time of his sailing for (
Europe with his nOther. He has /
ever since remained with her, dis I
playing q thoughtful devotion and 1
tenderness beyond his years, and /
strangely at variance with the mis- /
chievOus .thOughtleSsness of his child I
hood. He came back a short while /
ago, greatly improved by his residence I
abroad, but always the same cordial, .
frank, warm hearted boy. In his loss |
the already fearfully bereaved family !
will suffer new and deep afliictiOn, I
and the world, which never did and l
never will know him, will not with /
hold a tribute of regret for tine child I
whose gayety and affection cheered .
more than anything else the worn and /
weary heart Of the great president /
through the tOilsOnIeyears of the war. /
ToLr, HIM ...H ..