The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-17
A Story About Lincoln.

Ex-Governor Rice in a forthcoming memorial
volume
While officially resident in Washington
during the late War once had occasion to
call upon President Lincoln with the late
Senator Henry Wilson, upon an errand of a
public nature upon which we were mutu-
ally interested. In the recognized order of
precedent member of the House of Repre-
sentatlves, as L then was, could not la times
OF pressure for audience with the President
gain admittance so long as there
were Cabinet Ministers, members of
the Diplomatic Corps Senators or JUS
tees of the Supreme Court desiring audience
with him, and all civilians must wait their
opportunity after members of Congress and
officers OF the Army and Navy and the civil
service and others had had their turns re-
spectively. Having a joint errand with
Senator Wilson, could avail of his priyi-
lege of earlier admission; but we were
obliged to wait some time in the ante-room
before we could be received, and when at
length the door was opened to Us, a small
lad, perhaps ten or twelve years old, who
had been waiting for admission several days
without success, slipped in between us and
approached the President IN advance. The
latter gave the Senator and myself a cordial
but brief salutation, and turning immedi-
ately 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 SUBJ
stance that he had come to Washington
seeking employment a page in the House
OF Representatives, and he wished the Presi-
dent TO give him such an appointment To
this the President replied that such appoint
ments were not at his disposal, and that ap-
plicati0n must be made to the Doorkeeper
OF the House at the CAPITOL. "But, sir
said the lad, still undaunted 81 am a good
hftU a OF 10 4
one from the Supervisors of my town, and
one from my Sunday-school teacher, and
they all told me that ! could earn
enough In one session Of Congress to
keep my mother and the rest of US comfort
able all the remainder of the year" The
President took the lads papers and ran his
eye over them with that penetrating and alb
sorbent look so familiar to all who knew
him, and then took his pen and wrote upon
the back of one of them: "If Captain Good.
now can give place to this good little boy
shall be gratifed," and signed it "A. Lin
coin.
The boys face became radient with hope.
and he walked out of the room with a step
as though all the angels were whispering
their congratulations.
Only after the lad had gone did the Presi-
dent seem to realize that a Senator and an
other person had been waiting some time to
see him.
hink for a moment of the President of
great Nation, and that Nation engaged in
one of the most terrible Wars ever waged
among men, himself worn down with anxi-
ETY. and labor. subjected 10 the alterations
of success and defeat, racked by complaints
of the envious, the disloyal and unreasona-
bic, pressed to the decision of grave ques-
tons of public policy, and encountered by
the numb erless and nameless incidents of
civil and martial responsibility, yet able so
far to forget them all as to give himself up
for the time being to the errand of little
boy who had braved an interview unin-
vited, and OF whom he knew nothing, but
that be had story to tell of his widowed
mother, and of his ambition to serve her.