Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-29
Mrs. LincOln's HallucinatiOns.

CE'N'NSSNSN~ ON''~NfN'NN1NN ON'N
Mrs Abraham Lincoln is not sick, in
spite of paragraphs in one thousand
newspapers of the country She is Pc
culiar, mentally little 'foff;" ''hyster-
les, " other old ladies call her complaint.
But her pursuit of happiness is hardly
more eccentric now than much of the
time during her entire widowhood. How
is she, really2 Well, she took carriage
ride of several miles the other day, re-
turning to her home with a healthful
glow upon her cheek. She wants to go
again; and if this want does not wear
out it will be humored often. She said it
was the best ride she had had for a long
time. And sure enough it was, for she had
only just let herself out from continuous,
self inflicted confinement in an upper
room during six months and more. Not
even the kindest sisterly entreaty could
persuade her feet to cross the chamber
threshold till one morning early she
descended the stairs, attired in pink silk
and French laces, and scolded her servant
for not having breakfast ready. "a pretty
hotel, said she, scornfully, 90 keep
guests waiting for meals until after train
time" Of course the kitchen maid went
nearly daft herself at sight of this
guest" and ran to apprise her mistress
that Mrs. Lincoln had turned over a new
leaf; and sure enough, on returning to
the kitchen, the maid found that this
strange ''guest" had no thought of taking
the "train" on an empty stomach, but
had turned the steak in the broiler and
was removing the jackets from the boiled
potatoes with all the hOusewifery skill of
her early days.
Many will remember that, in those
critical ''sixties, it used to be one of the
bugbears of the press that this lady had
warm side for the Roman Catholic
faith; and now 1t appears that during
much of the period of her late seclusion
the Sisters of Mercy, at her request, have
spent much time with her, generally one
or more of them passing the night in
her room. Her reputed illness has also
brought her many letters of condo
lence from old friends of herself
and husband, and some of congratula-
ton on the appointment of her son
to position in the Presidents Cabinet.
But although she has seemed to take
pleasure in those commiserating herself,
she has very rarely attempted to reply.
Once IN a while she indicates quite
touching and considerate answer to be
penned by some member of her sisters
family. And as she has, from time to
time, been reported sinking, the auto
graph fiend has felt inspired to clutch
the signature of Death and paste it in
his little book. His application has been
frequent, and his disappointment has
kept it an even tally.
But she has not smiled over congratu-
lation on Roberts honorable account.
She sighs and broods upon his official
holding as new family risk. She often
sits and repeats, Secretary of War?
Secretary of WARP Then he'll be shot,
surel That's always the way in war.
And when told of the shooting of the
President, she manifested no surprise,
but calmly remarked, it is SAID, ~ told
you so; good men have to be shot some
times; don't you know how the Jews
killed Christ ?" She has plenty Of
money, but it is in the hands of banker
here and is zealouslY guarded by family
friends, that she may not have it to lose
or squander. Of course the wicked,
gossiping busybodies say that this friend
lY zeal amounts to the personal self-in-
terest of residuary legatees. But that
this lone woman of national interest has
had more loose rein than under restraint
in the use of her funds, her store-h0use
of great trunks packed full would seem
to attest to the satisfaction of the aver
age man. There followed her hither
from Europe train of sixty trunks,
whose immensity and iron bindings
sorely aggravated the men of baggage.
Some of these, however, are filled
with domestic de6rts and relics of White
House life. and it is a part of the
peculiar diagnosis of her case that she
has lugged these things about the world
with her as the weeds Of distinguished
widowhood, or amulets against harm.
Some of these caskets stand in her room
by her special command. And often
during her late seclusion, she would pass
a forenoon in affectionately inspecting
the contents of one of these reservoirs
them In a new order, or she
would light upon some worn and torn
vestmeDt, then pass an hour in patch
work upon it with as much sincerity as
if its wearer were waiting to put it on.
Mrs. Lincoln's look of health is better |
now than then; in fact, her general |
health is good for one of her age, and
she promises fairly to reach three score |
and ten. But her mental strangeness
will probably also last as long as her |
body, though there is no indication
of its ever assuming violent form, and
the public may safely leave her in the
hands of her Springfield frienda, whose
love for her is older than that of the ma
ton at large.