Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-04-21
OF President LincoIn.

As the President was passing through
the wards of q 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 prostration, and he inquired
of the attending surgeon if there was
any prospect of his ultimate recovery.
''Not the slightest, !" replied the doc
tor. His vital powers are rapidly
ebbing away, and viii soon be e1-
hausted."
81 am heartily sorry for the poor
boy" said Mr.. Lincoln, "and 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? 2" added he. And upon
being 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
United States, and am informed by the
doctor that you can not possibly live
but for a short time. Now if there is
any request You would like to make in
regard to your family, it will afford me
very great satisfaction to comply with
it."
The youth turned his dim eyes to-
ward the President, but made no re-
sponse until the question was repeated,
when, with great effort, he succeeded in
giving articulation to his thanks, and
expressed an earnest desire to see his
aged grandmother, who, he said, was
then living in Bangor, Maine.
The President, after assuring him
that every effort should be made to
crafty his wishes, bid him kind adieu
and calling the medical officer aside,
asked if there was any prospect OF the
young mans surviving until the old
lady could be telegrsphed to and come
to Washington, and he seemed a good
deal perple1ed on being told there was
no hope of this but after q moments
reflection, he said the only expedient
that occurred to him under the circum-
stances was the exercise of little of
that harmless strategy which was al
ways allowable In war times I; that if he
could only find some old woman who
would consent to personate the grand
mother, the boy was in such a state of
lethargy that he would not probably
detect the deception, and would die |
with the consoling belief that he had
received the parting beneciction of his
aged relative. -
"That would certainly be perfectly |
justifable device" replied the surgeon;
"but where will you find the elderly
female to enact the part of the grand |
mother ?"
'Let me see," soliloquized Mr.. Lin
coin, holding up his left hand while he
with the index finger of the |
right hand ''there is old Mrs. B-r,
old Mrs. Six, and old Mrs. Ms
they are all most benevolent ladies, but |
/ am apprehensive they could not be
prevailed upon to undertake any thing |
which involved the faintest shadow of
deception. No, no." continued he,
"there is no hope from that direction /;
but if / could only induce my venerable
friend Gideon Welles to personate the
old lady, in suitable costume, the OBJ
ject weuld be attained, and nobody |
harmed"
But" remarked the doctor, 'Mr. |
Welles' long white beard would at once
expose the artifice."
"That can all be obviated by his
wearing night-cap, tied down so as to
cover up the beard" said the Presi-
dent. Accordingly he sat down at once
and addressed note to the Secretary |
of the Navy, begging him, as special
favor, to comply with the request at as
early moment as practicable, as the |
boys hours were numbered.
Now it so happened when the Secre-
tary received this communication he
was busily engaged in official transac-
tions, which, in his opinion, were of so
much consequence that they could not |
be postponed for anything else, and he
replied that he entertained a high ap-
probation of the honor conferred upon
him by the Presidents selecting him to |
perform the chief role in the sad little |
drama indicated, but unfortunately he
was at that very moment deeply alb |
sorbed in the solution of the difficult |
problem as to whether Noah's ark or |
the new model gun-boat was best
adapted to the purposes of modern |
warfare. Magazines.