Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-09-01

worldly affairs was concerned. Not
many months had elapsed after his de-
parture until the distressing news
came that he had been captured by the
confederates and was n prisoner in
Libby i was, of course, wild with
grief and excitement; and in my SIM
plicity, felt that if only some one
would go to Washington and see the
president his freedom would in some
way be obtained. First one member
of my family, then another, tried to
convince me of the futility of such
movement. But, after few wretched
days and wakcful nights, made up
my mind / would go to Washington
and see the president myself. l knew
my family would prevent me. il possi-
BILE; so, under the pretense of spending
the night with friends in a distant
part of New York, boarded night
train for Washington. felt such con-
fidence in the success of my trip as
only simplicity and youth can.
''It was not later than six o'clock on
a beautiful spring morning when !
reached the Baltimore & Potomac
depot. / was so eager in my mission,
so sure of my success, that / had no
thought of hotels, breakfast or any
thing else, but went directly from the
station TO the white house. When ]
rang the bell I was informed, to my.
dismay, that the president had not yet
arisen, and positively would not re-
ceive anyone before nine o'clock. /
tried to plead for an earlier reception;
told the doorkeeper that / was Col.
IS wife; that he was in Libby
prison; that l had come all the way
from New York to tell the president
about it, but the door was closed upon
ne. Besides my eagerness to effect
my husbands release l was fearful
that delay might cause my absence to
be discovered at home. l tremblingly
walked to seat in the park and i'm
patiently waited for the hands of my
watch to point to nine. Promptly at
the minute was again at the door.
"Is the president up yet| l in
quired
"'Yes, madam, he is at breakfast,
and you cannot see him.
"'But l must see him. repeated,
excitedly. Tell him / am here-Col.
IS wife-my husband is in prison
must get back to New York
IL suppose pity for my almost hys-
tcrical condition touched the mans
heart, for he asked me to wait, and in
few minutes l was ushered into the
presence of the president. He was
sitting at round table near WIN
dow of the .room-his library, think
before him cup of coffee and a
plate containing two large slices of
bread, cut the full length of the loaf.
Up to this moment had felt that once
admitted to his presence / could pour
forth my grief and prayers to him in
words that would surely avail. But
now there was something in the simple
presence of that quiet man sitting
there ut the table that made me
speechless. felt that did not know
what to do. wished had not come.
"'Well, my little woman said he,
looking ut me over his paper, you
wish to see me?'
Yes gasped, rather than spoke,
my husband
Take that CHAIR he said, kindly,
seeing my inability to proceed; and
after had seated myself at the table
opposite him he asked me in the most
matrer-of-fact way if / had been to
breakfast. rtold him, with an effort
to control sey voice, that had not
cared for eny; could pot'have eatenit.
''"rhis will never do he said; you
must have breakfast with me, and,
while we eat, you can tell me your
story and pouring a portion of his
coffee into the saucer and halving the
two slices of bread, he shared the
bread with me and gave me the saucer
of coffee. I was beginning to feel
moro NJ ease. glanced at him un
easily, to try and catch some intima
tion of what l was expected to do lie
was slipping his coffee. tasted a
morsel of bread. II was the old piece
dear TO every country child-breada and
butter and sugar. And as we sat there
slipping our coffee aud eating ON
bread-something like Pip and Joe