Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-30

rwo or three hack,barouches drove
M, 4 tall figure stepped out, looked
mp at the gloomy front of the Astor
House, and after a relieving stretch,
gazed good humoredly and curious
Iy about him. His hat thrown back
on his head, the dark brown com
plexion, scanned and wrinkled, the
bushy black hair and long neck,
the scene sullenly gro
tesque. The speaker said that it
seemed to be tacitly agreed that if
no demonstrations were made in
honor of Lincoln's arrival that no
indignities should be. offered; and !
so he was treated IN suller silence.
His description of the assassination
was graphic. He said in substance
that Lincoln was very fond of at
tending the theatre. lie drew a |
very poetical picture of the man
who was playing the principal part
on the stage in actual scenes and
events as great as any ever played
by man, still stopping in the midst
of these, and STOPPING intcrestedly
to listen to these little plays simply
of the Imagination. 1t had been
announced that Lincoln would at
tend the theatre; the manager had
taken great pans in fitting it up
for the occasion, and when the
President entered he was received
with great enthusiasm. The coun-
try was jubilant; every heart was
filled with joy over the great vic
tory. The play "'rhe American
Cousin" was gong on finely, i'm
mense enthusiasm prevailed. The
play had reached its second or third
act; the players had retired; there
was momentary hush, then came
the muffled report of a pistol-an
instant of hushed bewildermcnt-
"then sudden figure Of q man
stands moment on the railing" he
leaped to the stage, distance Of
some IA or Is feet, said the speaker,
and stumbled on to one knee; he
arose as if nothing had happened,
faced the audience, brandished a
cleaning dagger above. his head
with the GOODNESS of fixed insanity
his dark hair shading his face, and
with a savage CLEAN in his eyes,
he distinctly uttered these words
"sic soaaper tynt"is," and then
went off the stage diagonally
neither running nor walking. Thel
, the figure of Mrs. Lincoln, with face
) pallld as death, leaned out over The
stage, and she cried, "Thcy have
shot the President" Up to TIM
point the speaker described tht
: scene as one of bewildered inactiv
ity, and the audience as being al
purposeless as if an actual play haC
: been going on, but suddenly realiz
: ing the situation men lcapod upol
: the stage, broke down the seats
r trampled upon one another, threat
ened and came near assassinatins
| innocent people, and soon the Presi
dents old guard, some two hundred
| soldiers, rushed in to add to the con
fusion, shouting, swearing ven
G geance, and so furious that man,
4 innocent persons barely ESCAPED
, with their lives. Tie speaker thel
e closed his description in this Ian
!. guage, "and in the midst Of all tina
+ pandemonium the life blood fror
:, the best and sweetest of men drip
e slowly away" AT the close Of tn
/ lecture, Mr.. Whitman read his poer
/ entitled, go, Captain, My Captain.
a The venerable appearance of the a.
/ most helpless old man, his feebl
e uttcrance, at times scarcely audible
a the hushed stiffness and absolutel
j. fixed attention of the audience, rem
e dered this occasion one of the mos
!, impressive in the history of our iii
:, erature. The audience nearly VOL
II shipped the speaker. We are nc
4 led to this conclusion from the fac
e that all impulsive young woma
y gave the bard q rousing smack O
s. the lips, because we regarded the
g as very silly operation, and i
Y wide contrast to the tributes 0
e proper respect which were bestowe
f on the eminent literary old man.
f p. d.
You can't work to much purpos