Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-24
HIGHER THAN THE PRESIDENT.
Amusing Scene at One of President Lineoln'i
Reconti0us.


scribes in the Century "A Reception
by President Lincoln" at which he
was spectator, and of which the fol-
lowing are Characteristic paragraphs:
About twice week, after the Fetal
and other privileged visitors had taken
their departure, the doors of the Pres
ident's reception-room would.be th' own
open to whomsoever might be waiting
without. Happening to be there on
one of these occasions. entered with
about a score of these eXpe; tants; and
curious to know the character and pro-
cess of this informal audience given to
the people, l stationed myself in cor
ner near the President, where l could
see and hear all that was going on.
President Lincoln'S appearance is
too well known to need particular de-
scription. He was clad plainly, but
becomingly, in black broadcloth
suit, nothing in all his dress betoken-
ing disregard of conventionality, save
perhaps, his neat cloth slippers, which
were doubtless worn for comfort. He
was seated beside plain, cloth-cov-
cred table, in commodious arm
chair. X X
When this visitor had withdrawn an
immense specimen of a man presented
himself Broad-shouldered, robust,
with thews and sinews to match his
great height. and withal an honest,
good-natured countenance-all seemed
to mark him as sbelonging to the hardy
yeomanry of the West. He sidled up
awkwardly to the President, seeming
almost afraid to accost him, but after
some hesitation contrived to say, that
being on visit to Washington, he
simply wanted before leaving to see
the President, and have the honor of
shaking hands with him. He found a
kindly reception, and after some intro
ductory civ;lities, Mr.. Lincoln ran his
eve curicusly over his huge caller,
surveying him from head to foot, and
then saying, with humorous look and
accent it would be hard to describe:
al rather think you have little the
advantage of me ii height you are a
taller man than l am"
81 guess not, Mr.. President" replied
the visitor, with the self-abnegatine
air Of one who seemed to regard any
claim on his part of possessing an
advantage over the Chief Mag g;strate a,
an offense little short of treason, "the
advantage cannot be On my side"
eyes, it is" was the rejoinder;
have pretty good eye for distances land
think | can't be mistaken in the fact
of the advantage being slightly with
you. | measure six feet three and a
half inches in my stockings, and you
CO. think, little beyond that"
The man still demurred, insisting
very respectfully that the precedence
in the matter lay on the President
side.
e at is very easily tested" said tn
! President, and rising briskly from hi
K chair and taking book from the table
he place it edgewise against the wal
e just higher than his head. Then, turn
ing to his doubling competitor for th'
nonce, he babe him "come under.
This the man did not do at once, paus
: ing, with flushed face and irresolut
look, as if not certain how far he nigh
( venture TO trust the lion in his playful
, mood is countenanco the Will,
: wearing a bewildered, half-frightenet
and yet half-smiling expression tina
was really comical to see.
"Come under, 1 say" repeated th
, President in more peremptory tone
and then the visitor slowly complied
"Now straighten yourself up, an(
, move your head in this way" suitins
the action to the word. This being
, done, Mr. Lincoln added: "Now yo,
, hold the book, and be sure not to let il
slip down a hair-breadth, and l will
try" Planting himself accordingly
underneath the book, and moving hi
head from right to left, it was foun(
that he fell a triae short of the other
measurement. "There," said he, "i
, is as I told you. l knew l couldn't b.
mistaken. / rarely fail in taking {
mans true altitude by the eye"
Eyes, but Mr.. President said thu
man, his courage amid the merrimen
of the company beginning to return
"you have slippers on and l boots,a ,ant
that MAKES difference"
! "Not enough to amount to anythin!
IN this reckoning" was the reply
"You ought at least to be satisfied
my hone friend, with the proof givel
that you actually stand higher to-da.
than your President"
; A feud between the German uni
versities f Heidelberg and Konigs