The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-03-25

]
Mr.. Lincoln, and adds several new anec-
dotes to the large stock already in the
hands of the public. Mr. Brooks knew
Lincoln in 1856, and followed him
| through the political campaign OF that
/ year. He went to Washington in 1862,
/ and renewed the old acquaintance. Up
TO the day of the Presidents death Mr.
/ Brooks had the privilege of his intimate
acquaintance, and, he talks as the inti-
/ mate friend of the most momentous Ie-
riod in the Presidents life.
Speaking Of the care which Mr.. Linz
coin bestowed upon his messages and
letters, Mr.. Brooks says the same care
was given 10 his speeches. He seemed
afraid Of being betrayed into using un-
digniied expressions when called out
without due preparatioR In the follow
| ing anecdote Mr.. Lincoln states his own
case and makes il clear:
Once, being notified that he was 10 be
serenaded, Just after some notable mill
tary or political event, he asked me 10
come 10 dinner, 80 as 10 be ON hand and
see the fun afterward," as he said. lie
excused himself as soon as we had dined,
and, while the bands were playing, the
crowds cheering, and the rockets burst
ing outside the house, lac made his reap
pearance in the parlOr with a roll of
manuscript in his hand. Perhaps MOTTO
ing look of surprise on my face he said /:
Il know what you are thinking about.
You think il mighty queer that an old
stump-speaker like myself should not be
able 10 address a crowd like this outside
without written speech. But you must
remember | am, in certain way, talking
10 the country, and | have To be very
careful. Now, the last time | made an
oh-hand speech, in answer 10 serenade,
| used the phrase, as applied 10 the reb-
els, turned tail and ran Some very
nice Boston folks, | am grieyed TO hear,
were very much outraged 10y that phrase,
which they thought improper, ~ j re-
solved 10 make no more impromptu
speeches if could help H." Subsequent-
ly, learned that il VAS Senator Sumner
who had given voice 10 the complaint of
the nice Boston folks" and with consid-
erabe emphasis.
But the story a. 10 the speech itself
and Of how Little Tad waved the wrong
tiag il a. good a. the turned tail and
ran" business. We have. with the glimpse
ofthe crowd outside, this little peep be-
hind the scenes
Hearing the speech from the inside Of
the White House was like seeing play
from behind the scenes The immense
coRcourSe in front Of the house was illu-
minated by fireworks. The air was rent
with the noise Of cheering music, and
exploding rockets and bombs. Just a.
We went up stairs, an unusual yell, min
glcd with laughter and cheers. caused
the President To pause and ask what that
might be. Little Tad. then about eleven
A..
seized Il captured rebel flag which had
been given him. and leaning as far ont
of the window rs pussihe, was waving
il with might anil main, To the wonder
aud delight of the crowd beneath. At
that moment old Edward, the faithful
dOor-kecper, in great CONSERVATION, seiz-
ed the lad by the ampler portion of his
small trousers and pluckcd him from the
window sill. HOwling with anger hc
He'd 10 his father, who had scarcely com
posed his laughing features when he all
yanced To the large, open window over
the main entrance When Lincoln be-
gan Ia read his speech, he held a candle
in his left hand and his manuscript i'm
his right hand, but, speedily becoming
embarrassed with the difficulty Of man
aging the candle and the speech, lac made
a comical motion with his left foot and
elbow, which | construed 10 mean that
should hold his candle for him, which |
did. As he read, he dropped his slips
Of manuscript ON the floor, and Tad, sour
rying about, gathered them up a. they
drifted away, like big butterflies, from
the Presidents hand. After the speech
WAS over, and the sowds were cheering
tremendously, the President, who con-
tinued TO stand at the window, said, ad-
dressing his Candle-bearer That was
a pretty fair speech, / think, but YOU
threw some light on it.
Many persons have spoken of Mr. Lin
coins shreWdness and cunning, Of his
honesty aud kindness of heart, and have
illustrated these traits Of character by
anecdotes but no one has illustrated i'm
better way than Mr.. Brooks the ele-
ment Of simplicity i'm the mans charac-
ter which 80 many Of his friends have
said was almost childlike:
Unless very much preoccupied, lac new
er heard any reference to anything that
he did not understand without asking
further information. "What do You sup
pose makes that tree grow in that wayf
he would ask, and he was not satisfied
until lac had found ont. Or lac would
take one Of his boys toys To pieces, iind
out how il was made, and put it together
again. "Tad," as his youngest boy was
called, ON more than one occasion had
cause 10 bewail, loudly, his fathers GU
riosity. One day We were looking at a
photograph Of the President, taken in a
sitting position, with the legs crossed.
Lincoln's attention was attracted 10 the
foot Of the leg which was crossed above
the other, and he said, Now, can un-
derstand why that foot should be -
enormous. It's big foot, anyway, and
Il II near the focus Of the instrument.
But why il the outline Of IL 20 indistinct
ana blurred2 am confident j did not
move it, | studied il for momentAnd
told him that probably the throbhing
Of the large arteries inside OF the bend
Of the knee caused an almost impercep-
tible motion. The President, very much
interested in the discovery, as he called
IL, Immediately took the position of the
figure in the picture, and, narrowly
watching his foot, exclaimed, That's i'll
that's il Now, that's very curious, isn't
Il p Similarly, when somebody told
him Ofthe somewhat fantastic derivation
OF n word he said, "Now, that l. very
queer, and I shall never say capricio,i,
again without thinking Of the skipping
Lincoln particularly liked Joke ~ the
expense Of the dignity of some high civil
or military official. One day. not long
before his second Inauguration, be asked
me IL | liad hearl about Stanton's meet
ing picket on Broad river, south Carr
lima, and then told this story. "Genend
Poster. then at Port ROYAL. escorted the
Secretary up the river taking quarter
masters tug. Reaching the outer lines
on the river, picket roared from the
bank, What have YOU cot on board that
tugr The severe and dignifiel answer
was, The Secretary of War and Major
General Foster Instantly the picket
roared back, We've got Maior-tiencrals
enough mp here-why don't yon bring
IA up some hard-fack ? The story
iickled Lincoln nightly, and he told Il
until u was replaced by new one.
Two HINTs WORM TAKiNG.--l. Never
affempf Ia do anything that il not riVhf