Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-05
..,,d ~ His Wiz.

.o- from Washingt ton in the Phila-
les'ef Times. says: "Let there be a
delpaltn ~ the present and the recent past"
t1uG truce one of q small company lately
eSclssh nd in n of the old mansions Of
lssemo nrton. "Who of us can 60 back
Masnlng, The suggestion wa agreed
htty however, by the turn which
to, h'o ,,ostion gave to the conversation
.ae by a formal vote. -,
ths an ~ nav not have been fifty years ago."
Nv Gentleman whose years did not
sala = warrant the belief that he was in
seem life much longer than fifty years
aen' sand it may have been longer when
49, = linn was the colleague of Col: Ben
". ~ the United States Senate. I was
bn,;nded by a chance circumstance only
renl"Gd laws ago of an incident in which
slemm Mrs. Linn played a part She,
n sM ea' ber husband, wa a great favorite for
ln NV wears in Washington society, and
many vedly so-not more on account of
deaorsonal attractions than her intel
pc, Qualities. On the occasion when
let'u nc;dent to which l have referred &C.
s m Senator and Mrs. Linn were to be
.ha Guests at a formal dinner BY the Pres
y: :asnf at the White House. EARLY in the
n 1ren;ng DR.. Linn, feeling somewhat ill,
esnln3ed to remain in his lodgings.
y. Webster calling at the moment, he
d. roouested to escort Mr.. Linn and
s aas tn the President his regret at not
ho;ns able to be one of his guests. At
t g,eA nroper hour Mrs. Linn, escorted by
NJ NJ RWaPbster, was conveyed in her car
lace to the White House. The company
bsd not been long seated at the table
whcn Mrs. Linn remarked to MI. Web
stay, by whose side she was seated, that
.Se feared she had not done right in
leaving the doctor, and that she felt an
Inclination, if she could dose without
marring the occasion, to return to her
hotel. MIR. Webster made some observa-
ton designed to dissuade her from depart
;ne then, saying that if she felt 80
disposed she could leave at an earlier
hour than the rest of the company.
$50 strongly did the impulse to 60
prow on her that soo after she made it
Known to Mr.. Webster, so urgent was
sbe that he did as she requested and
quietly made known to the President her
wishes. Mr.. Webster accompanied her
to the carriage and at her request re-
turned to the table. Her instruction to
the driver was to proceed rapidly to her
home, and twice on the way she enjoined
him to drive faster. Arriving at the spot
without waiting for the groom to open
the carriage door she in the quickest
manner opened it herself and sprang to
the room where she had left her husband.
As she entered she beheld her husband
on the bed and the clothing in flames.
Amoment more would have been too
late. DR.. Linn was in a stupor, and in
some manner, which was never perfectly
explained, the bed-clothes had taken fire.
He was ill for a number of days. His
life was saved apparently through his
vife's presentiment, which l think was as
remarkable as any on record. Mrs. Linn
related the facts to Mr.. Webster, in my
presence, on his calling the next morning.
His observations after Mrs. Linn had
finished the narration of her first impulse
toleave the President 8 table, her struggle
II repress it, the growth of the presents
ment till it overmastered her, the ride
homeward, her anxiety for greater haste
her bursting into the room, her husbands
danger and rescue-to which Mr.. Web
ster listened with absorbing attention
we're characteristic of the man-solem1
and impressive beyond my ability to re
peat"