The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-11-06

They had come, they said, to see
the President, and to have their john
ny sing him O song. So Johnny was
placed upon the table, and being
'coaxed bY various pieces of pepper
mint candy and gingerbread, and re-
fusing quite as often and decidedly as
the most accomplished belle, he haal-
ly, In his shrill, piping tones, sung
about sixteen verses OF "We'il rally
round the flag boys"
The President listened all the way
through with the greatest patience,
patted the little fellow on the head,
said he had really "quite an idea of
tune and shook hands with the de-
lighted parents, who will probably
tell az long as they live, how Johnny
sang for President Lincoln.
As write, the scene rises clearly be-
fore my eyes. The proud parents, the
little mock-kneed singer in his velve-
teen suit and brass buttons, and the
care-worn man, with the anXieties Of
nation upon his mind, listening so
patiently TO the shriil faint notes as
Johnny sung, "Down with tie tdteT's
and up with the stars,n --e -.ss
The, next individual to press his
claims, was a scorbutic-looking youth
Of some two or three aud twenty.
He was very thin and lanky, with
red hair and watery blue eyes. he
was painfully nervous and bashfnl,
and you would have imagined the
strongest wish of his heart was to get
all the skin of his hands in the short
est possible time, so violently did he
rub them together.
After some hesitation he told the
President that he was very anxious
to 90 to Vest Point. n .--z
aWell," said the President, "And
why don't You go ?"
The young man stammerei, that
he was too old.
THAT'S pretty bad" said Mr.. Lin
coin, "If you were only too young
now, that might be remedied; but as
it is I don't see as can do any thing
for you. / have q son myself whom
would. like to have go to West
Point, but he is in just your fix lex
actly.
say that they were very anxious at
home to have him to go, etc.
Finally the President said, "Well,
now, I'll tell you what to do. You
get Congress to pass a special act in
your behalf, and that will make it
all right" u
A feeble light glimmered in the wa
terry eyes, aud with "Yes, sir, thank
YOU, / will, / will do it," he started
out, still contending with his hand, to
get Congress to pass q special act in
his favor. Poor fellow! 1 have often
wondered what became OF him, but
sincerely hope he is the happy hus-
band and father on 6 little farm of his
own, instead of leading an idle life in
camp, or being scalped by the lndi-
ans.
Two or three things about Mr.. Lin
coin struck me particularly. One
was the utter lack of anything like
display, either in his surroundings or
himself. His dress was plain, his
manners straightforward and simple.
The lawyer-like clearness with which
he asked questions, ahd the quickness
with which he saw through the ridic-
ulous impossible requests, was also re-
markable. But particularly did no.
tice the sadness of his face. Apart
from the careworn look, and the deep
wrinkles with which anxiety had so
thickly furrowed his brow, was this
expression of sadness quite pathetic to
see. 1t seemed as if, although he felt
the righteousness, the justice, the me-
cessisy Of the war, still his kind heart
felt, too, the miseries which it entail
ed. He looked as though visions of
of broken-hearted mothers and desc
late wives were before him. But IL
he loved his country well, she GER
tainIy never grieved for any child as
she grieved for him.