The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-03-28

White House to see Lincoln, who had beer
ILL., He found the president little pale, bu
jolly as he could be.
Sit down, Wade, am glad to see you. Oh
I have the funniest thing to tell you; 1t viii
make you laugh l never did such a thing
before in my life, and never will again.
Then the president laughed until the teart
ran down his cheeks.
"Now, Wade" he said "you are not Il
repeat this outside, for it would give offense
and it by no manner of means comports
with the dignity which is supposed to hedge
| a president about. The doctor put me up tc
it to rid myself of bore; ought not to have
done it, bnt couldn't help it, it was so funny.
You know l have been i'll, and great many
people have wondered what allied me, but
none of them could find out. The truth is
l was worried to death, and talked sick
pretty much by one man, the most everlast-
ing bore YOU ever saw, who wanted an office.
l knew he would come again as soon as l
was able to sit up, and the doctor put me up
to get rid of him by saying had tho small
pox. only got out yesterday, and sure
enough this mornsng he called on me.
/ had determined to be polite to him, but
he STAYED so long, the humor seized me and l
sent for the doctor. Giving him the wink,
| held out my hand, and inquired:
doctor, what marks are those on my
hand?"
"That's varioloid, or mild small pox," said
the doctor.
"Well," said l it's all over me-. It's con-
tagious, is it not, doctor?"
"Very contagious indeed, he replied, ''and
YOU should see no one.
any visitor, who had been getting more
and more nervous every moment, now could
stand it no longer and, rising, said:
"Well, Mr.. Lincoln, l can't stop any
longer. just called to see how you were,"
and then he started to hurry out
''Stop minute; l want to talk to you,'
said "about that office"
Excuse me, Mr.. President. You are not
this morning and won't bother YOU well
said he, showing toward The door.
Never mind said l; "don't be in
hurry. It's all right, and if you are going to
get the varioloid you will get it now any
how; so you might as we'll sit down"
Thank you, sir, but I'll call again., he
replied, fairly turning livid and executing
mastery retreat from the fearful contagion
with which he supposed me to be afflicted.
Now, said Uncle Abe, at will be all
over the city in an hour that l have the
smallpox, and you can contradict the story,
hut want you TO promise YOU won't repeat
what have just told YOU
Wade laughed until he was weak and
when he could get bis breath sufficiently to
speak he looked at the clock rs was his GUS
tom and said:
"Now for little business and then l will
go"
Don't CO., cried Uncle Abe and laying
his head in his hands on the desk in front of
him he laughed until he shook all over.
Presently raising up his face from between
his hands he wiped his eyes and blew his
nose until the report sounded like the wind |
ing of horn. After another fit of laughing |
he said:
Wade, you should have seen him, and |
how scared he was. I'll bet that fellow |
never comes back here while 1 am presi-
dent
As might have been expected, hardly had |
Mr.. Wade quilted the White House when |
he heard the President had the small pox,
and was very sick. Wade promptly contra
licked the story, but that hight it was tele-
graphed all over the country, and many per-
sons will yet remember the story of Mr. Lin
coins having the varloloid during the war.
Commenting on the report, Uncle Abe
said to Wade; "Some people said they could
not take my proclamation very well, but
when | get the smallpox, Wade, l shall
then be happy to say I have something
can take
JAMES S. BRIsBIN