Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-21
It'd LENCOL.N'.

Most of those who read the dispatch an
nouucng the death OF Thomas Todd Lin
coin will never think of the we'll grown
young gentleman who died on Saturday at
Chicago. The name OF Fad" pet name
given 10y himself with his first stammer-
ing uttorancos and adopted by his fond pa
rents aud the word-recalls the tricksy lit
tie sprite who gave to that sad and solemn
White House of the great war the only
comic relief il knew. The years that have
followed, spent in study aud travel pro-
ducpd an utterly different ,rt,rn. The
Tad Lincoln of our history caused to ex-
isl long ago. The modest and 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 Tad will
be remembered n long ~ any live who
bore Il personal share in the great move
meuts whose centre for four years was ut
Washington.
lie was - full OF life and vigor-.u bub-
bling over with health and high spirits,
that be kept the house alive with his pranls
aud his fantastic enterprises. He was al
ways chartered libertine," and after the
death of his brother Willie a prematurely
serious and stndious child, and the depart
urc at Robert for college, he installed him
self rs the absolute tyrant OF the Execu
tive Mansion. lie was idolized 10y both
hi, father aud mother pctted and INDUCED
10y his teachers aud lawned upon and ca
rcss ED by that uoisOmc horde Of Office
seekers v hich infested the nnte-rO ms of
the White House. He had very bad O.
piniuu OF books aud no opinion Of disci
pliu.. aud thought very little Of any tutor
woo ould not assist him in yoking his
kids to a chair or in driving his dogs tam
dem over the South Lawn. He was as
-hreW d as he was lawltss, aud always knew
whether he could make a tutor seryiceable
or not. II he found one with obstinate
ideas of the superiority Of grammar 10
kitr-llying as an intellectual employment,
he soon found means Of getting rid of him.
lie had so much to do that he felt he could
not waste time in learning to spell. Early
in the morning you could hear his shrill
pipe rcsounding through the dreary corri-
doris of the Executive residence. The day
passed in Il rapid succession of plots and
CONNECTIONS, and when the President laid
down his weary pen toward midnight, he
&c morally found his infant goblin asleep
under his table or roasting his curly 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
shoulder, STOPPING under doors and dodg-
ing the chandeliers. The President took
infinite comfort in the child's rude health,
fresh fun, and uncomfortable boisterous-
ness. lie was pleased to see him growing
up in ignorance of books, but with singu-
larry accurate ideas Of practical matters
| lie was a fearless rider, while yet so small
that his legs stuck out horizontally from
the saddle. He had that power of tanning
| aud attaching ami mails tor himself which
seems the especial gin OF kindly and I'M
lettcred natures. Let him rum" the easy
going President would say; she has time
enough left to learn his letters and get po-
key. Bob was just such little rascal, and
now he is very decent boy"
1t was evident that with all his insubor-
dination and reckless mischief the spoiled
child was at heart OF a truthful and gener-
Gus nature. He treated hatterers aud office
seek ers with curious GOODNESS and con-
tempt, but he often espoused the cause OF
some poor widow or tattered soldier, whom
he found waiting in the ante-roOms, and ii
was most amusing TO see the hearty little
fellow dragging his shabby proteges into
the Executive presence, ordering the ush-
crs out of the way, and demanding imme-
date action from headquarters. The Pres
ident rarely refused grace of this kind,
and the demands We're not so frequent as
TO lose the charm Of novelty.
One Of the tricks into which his dleness
and his enterprise together drove him, was
The occasion Of much Laughter to the judi
cious, and much horror to the respectable
in Washington. lie invested one morn
ing, all his pocket money in buying the
stock in trade of an old woaan who sold
gingerbread near the Treasury. lie mad,
the Government carpenters give him
board and some lreslles, which he set III
in the imposing porte-cochere Of the Whit,
House, and on this rude counter displayed
his wares. Every ofrico-seeker who enter
ed the house that morning bought tooth
some luncheon Of the keen little merchant
aud when mn hou after the opening of ia,
booth a member of the household discov
cred the young pastryman the admired
centre of a group of grinning servants an,
I tOadies, he had tilled his pockets and hi