The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-10

hNNSe Sieam out across the waste of
angry waters.
Bessie Hale was passionately fond
of seeing Booth assume the charac
ter of "Hamlet" the Dane, and often
would make him repeat the famous
soliloquy in the paror. Booths was
the most jealous temperament ever
knew; he was insane sometimes, it
seemed to me, and when Bessie ac-
cepted any attention from any other
man Booth would act like a patient
just out of Bedlam. One night
can never forget it-there was a
large hop at our hotel, and the sa
looms were crowded with the wealth,
lhe BEATTY, the bravery and the tai
ent Of the land. The bench, the
bar, trade, and the. soldier were all
represented, and the scene in the
ball nom was one calculated to ex
cite the imagination and dazzle the
eye. well remember the night; it
was ID the late winter of 1865. A
series of heavy skirmishes had taken
place before Richmond with heavy
loss to our side, and there had been
a hard battle before Atlanta, and the
telegraph told US of the blood that
had been poured out like water
Though throughout the whole length
and breadth of the land wall of sor
row could be heard, yet society new
er was more gay nor given eway
more utterly to the abandon of mirth.
The means of the bereaved, the
groans of the MANNED and wounded,
the measured tread of the funeral
cortege, the plaintive strains of the
dead march, and tue beat of the muf.
fled drum, were stifled and lost in
the mad shout of reveIry and the
light laughter of careless hearts.
Wars are terribly demoralizing, and
we in Washington lived as if there
were no future, and that the present
was all there was to exist for. l
really believe that not even in the
French revolution, when men wor
shipped the Goddess Of Reason, was
there more mad rush after wild ex
citcment, and all plunged into the
vortex aad joined the whirling
throng.
MR.. LINCOLN CAME VERY EARLY TO THE
RECEPTION
that night. He never liked to at
tend these gay gatherings, especially
during the season of doubt auG DIES.
pair, when the very air came laden
with the sulphurous smoke of the
battle field. He never came except
as duty, and to carry himself high
before his people. The President
came into my private parlor, and sat
for an hour or so talking; he was un-
usually sad, and seemed buried in
deep thought. He then turned and
commenced to speak of the war;
Mr.. Lincoln was man of broad,
generous nature, and his heart was
tender and soft as that of woman's.
He spoke of the rivers of blood that
were always flowing from thousands
of veins, and, turning to me, said,
with the tears running down his
rugged, honest, kindly face: "NIrs.
Temple, it almost breaks my heart
to witness the death and desolation
that this once happy country is go,
ing through; and God knows, if by
sacrificing my own life l could re-
store peace to this distracted land, I
would cheerfully do it; but my hand
is on the pillow, and l cannot turn
back. My people have put me for
ward, and l cannot turn back until
the object of all our spilled blood has
been accomplished, and the Union
restored"
For nearly an hour Mr.. Lincoln re-
manned with his face buried in his
hands, lost in deep, painful thought,
and then with heavy sigh shook off
his troubles and went into the ball
room. l went with him, and be was
soon the center ola laughing, joyous
CROWD, ana seemed TO DE the most
careless and happy in all that joyous
throng.
"What kind of man was Mr..
Lincoln?" I asked.
THE most soft-hearted, strong.
headed man [ ever saw" answered
Mrs. Temple. "a man of the no.
blest impulses, which he had TO rein
in all the time. A pitiful story al.
ways touched him-so much so that
1t was found necessary to keep
the relatives of men convicted by
Court martial away from him, for, in
snite of the necessitv nf discin1ino