The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-06-30
A Story About lincoln.

While officially resident in Washing
ton during the late war, says Ex-Gov-
ernor Rice once had occasion &c call
upon President Lincoln with the late
Senator Henry Wilson, upon an errand
of public nature in which we were
mutually interested. In the recognized
order of precedent member of the
House of Representatives, rs then was,
could not in times OF pressure for audi
ence with the President gain admittance
so long as there were Cabinet Ministers,
members of the Diplomatic Corps, SEN
ators or Justices of the Supreme Court,
desiring audience with him, and all eli
Whites must wait their opportunity un-
til after members of Congress and olli-
GERS Of the Army ind Navy, and OF the
Civil Service, and others, had had their
turns respectively Having Joint cr-
rand with Senator Wilson, could avail
OF his privilege of earlier admission; but
we were obliged to wait some time in
the ante-room before we could be re-
ceived, and when at length the door was
opened to us, small lad, perhaps ten
or twelve years old, who had been wait
ing for admission several days without
success, slipped in between us, and APP
preached the President in advance, The
latter gave the Senator and myself a
cordial but brief salutation, and turn
ing Immediately to the lad, said, "And
who is the little boyP'
During their conference the Senator
and myself were apparently forgotten.
The boy soon told his story, which was
in substance that he had come TO Wash
ington seeking employment as page in
the House Of Representatives, and he
wished the President TO give him such
an appointment To this the President
replied that such appointments were
not at his disposal, and that application
must be made to the dOorkcepcr OF the
House at the Capitol "But, sir, said
the lad, still undaunted, IL am good
boy, and have letter from my mother
and one from the Supervisors Of my
town, and one from my Sunday -schooI
teacher, and they all told me that
could earn enough in one session OF
Congress TO keep my mother and the
rest Of us comfortable all the remainder
Of the year.
The President took the lads papers,
and ran his eye over them with that
penetrating and absorbent Look so fam
liar to all who knew him, and then tool
his pen and wrote upon the back Of on,
Of them. IF Captain Goodnow can Civ,
place TO this good little boy / shall b.
gratihed,' and signed il "a. Lincoln
The boys face became radiant will
hope, and he walked out of the room
with step as light as though all tn
angels were Whispering their congratu
lations.
Only after the lad had gone did til
President seem TO realize that Sena
tor and another person had been som
time waiting 20 see him.
Think for moment Of the Prcsideu
OF great nation, and that nation en-
gagged in one Of the most terrible war
ever waged among men. himself wor
down with anxiety and labor, subjec,c
TO the alterations Of success and de
feat, racked by complaints Of the en-
vious, the disloyal, and the unreasona
BILE, pressed 10 the decision Of grav
questions Of public policy, aud encum
bcred by the numberless and nameles
incidents Of civil and martial respons
bility, yet able SO far TO forget them a
as TO give himself up for the time ben
10 the errnnd of little boy who ha
braved an interview uninytod, and ,
whom he knew nothing but that he ha
a story to tell Of his widowed mother
and Of bis ambition 10 serve her