Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-03-25
Anecosote orPre.ldent Lincoln.

As the President was passing through
the wards of a hospital near Washing
ton upon one occasion he observed in
one of the beds young soldier whose
pallid countenance and expressionless
CLASSY eyes betokened great physical
and mental prostratien, and he inquir-
ed of the attending surgeon ifthere was
any prospect Of his ultimate recovery.
"Not the slightest" replied the doc
tor. "His vital powers are rapidly eb-
bing away, and will soon be exhaust
ed"
"I am heartily sorry for the poor
boy" said Mr.. lincoln, land should
like to do something to make his last
hours pass as comfortably as possible.
Would there be any harm in my speak
ing to him?' added he. And upon be-
ing assured there would not, he sat
down by the bedside, and taking the
young mans hand, in the kindest pos
sible tone of voice said, MY young
friend, ] am the President of the Uni
ted States, and ana informed by the
doctor that you can not possibly live
but short time. Now if there is any
request you would like to make in re-
gard to your family, it will afford me
very great satisfaction to comply with
it." - 81 = @#
The youth turned his dim eyes to-
ward the President, bnt made no re-
spense until the question was repeat
ed, when; with great effort, he succeed
ed i'm giving articulation to his thanks,
and expressed an earnest desire to see
his aged grandmother, who, he said,
was then living in Bangor, Maine.
4 The President, after assuring him
that every effort should be made tC
crafty his " ishes, bade him a kind
adieu, and called the medical officer
aside, asked if there was any prospect
of the young mans surviving until the
old lady counld be telegraphed to ano
come to Washington, and he seemed 6
good deal preplexed on being tolC
there was no hope of this; but after {
moments reflection, he said the only
, expedient that occurred to him under
the circumstances was the exercis'
of a little of that harmless slrateg.
which was always allowable in wa
times; that if he could only find SOM
old woman who wonld consent to per
senate the grandmother, the boy was il
such state of lethargy that he wOult
not rrobaly detect the deception, ant
F.. would die with the consOling belle
that he had received the parting bene
diction of his aged relative.
!, s'That would certainly be perfect,
justifiable DEVICE" replied the surgeon
''but where will you find the elderl,
female to enact the part of the grand
: mother?"
d "Let me see," soliloquized Mr.. Lin
l. coin, holding up his left hand while h
e enumerated with the index finger {
a the right hand: "there is old Mr.:
;. b, old Mrs. s = k, and old Mr.:
e Ms; they are all most benevolen
II ladies, but 1 am apprehensive the
, could not be prevailed upon to Under
II take any thing which involved tn
, faintest shadow of deception. No, no,
! continued he, "there is no hope froI
d that direction but if l could only il
el duce my venerable friend Gideon Wei
p es to personate the old lady, in suits
|: BILE costume, the object would he attain
" ed and nobody harmed"
" But, remarked the doctor, IN
D. Welles' long white beard would I
> once expose the artifice."
e "That can all be obviated by h
n wearing a night-cap, tied down SO {
% to cover up the beard" said the Pres
20 dent. Accordingly he sat down {
i. once and addressed a note to the Sc
e; retary of the Navy, begging him, as
y special favor, to comply with the n
e quest at as early Il moment as practic
is BILE, as the boys hours were numbe
Ie ed.
e Now it so happened when the Sc
l retary received this communication /
1t was busily engaged in official trahsa
r; tions, which, in his opinion, were of {
er much consequence that they could NJ
e be postponed ony thing else, and
c. replied that entertained high appr
to citation of the hoDor conferred upC
e. him by the Presidents selecting hi
W to perform the chief role in the sad Ii
e, tie drama indicated, but unfortunntetl
le he was at that very moment deep
l absorbed in the solution of the difficu
s. problem as to whether Noah's ark
rs the new model gun-boat was be
& adapted to the purposes of modern wa
)r fare.-Editor's Drawer, in Harper
D. Magazine for April.