The Yale expositor., 1895-02-15

wager with one or the ohcerS that Sne
would kiss the President. Her audaci-
Gus sally won her box Of gloves.
During the war the proportion Of
civilians to those who wore the trap
pings of the army and navy was so
small that men felt it almost a distinc-
tion to wear the ordinary evening
dress An order from the war depart
ment forbidding military officers to
come TO Washington without leave did
not by any means abate what was felt
to be a great nuisance Too many Of
ficers haunted the Hobbies of the CAPT
toll in search of political aid to secure
them the promotions that they de-
sired, or the passage of bills in which
military or naval officers had special
interest. ] saw curious example OF
military absenteeism one night at
Ford's theater, where l had accompa-
MED the President to see Booth in
''The Merchant of Venice"
The President had sent word late in
the afternoon that he would like to
have box for himself and friend;
but when he arrived at the theater,
going in by the stage entrance, we
were met by the manager, who said
that the boxes bad all been taken be-
fore the Presidents message had been
received, but he would use his efforts
with a party of officers, as soon as they
arrived, to induce them to give up the
box which they had engaged. While
he was speaking, an usher came be-
hind the scenes, and said the officers
had very willingly rolinquished their
box for the pleasure of the President.
Between the acts the manager came to
pay his respects to the President, and
to inquire for his comfort, and
Lincoln asked the names OF
the military gentlemen who had
so kindly given up their even
ing's entertainment in his behalf
The manager replied that he did not
know, but afterward quietly told me
that he knew that one half of the num-
Der were officers absent from the army
without leave, and that they consid-
cred it good joke that they could es-
cape the Presidents observation at the
cost of relinquishing their box at the
theater The manager shrewdly
guessed that the President had asked
for their names in order to discover IL
they were in Washington on leave; but
that was not Lincoln's way.
President Lincoln's theater going
was usually confined to occasions when
Shallespeare's plays were enacted; for,
although he enjoyed hearty laugh,
he was better pleased with the stately
dignity, deep philosophy. and exalted
poetry of Shakespeare than anything
that was to be found in moro modern
dramatic writings. But / remember n
delightful evening that we once spent
at the old Washington theater, where
we saw Mrs. John Wood in John
Brougham's travestv Of "Pocahontas.
The delicious absrr3ity and cracking
puns of the piece gave the President
food for mirth for many days there
after At another time we saw Ed
ward Forrest in king Lear" and the
President appeared to be more i'm
pressed by the acting of John McCul-
F., Tough in the role of Edgar than the
great tragedian's appearance as the
mad king He asked that Mccullough
might come TO the box between the
acts; and when the young actor was
brought to the door, clad in his fantas-
tic garb 9f rags and straw, Mr.. Lincoln
warmly, and yet with dif1idence,
praised the performance of the scene
in which he had just appeared.
NOAH BROOKS.