The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-14

come and eat dinner with me tomorrow.
VIII you do TT" OF course we accepted
with profuse thanks, and as we said good
by he reminded us: "No formallty at din
ner tomorrow Not bit" At this mo-
ment remembered and said: "Now, Mr..
Lincoln, you have requested me to be hero
at In the morning. Pray tell me how I
am to get ini'' "Oh, the usher Is only
tender little Irishman. II be refuses TO let
you pass, slap him down the steps and
walk In as you did just now" At this
the gentlemen all laughed heartily, and as
ths president turned to me he held out his
hand, and smiling like summer said, "You
come when I tell you, my child, aud you
will get ia as sure as you're alive"
walked briskly to the White House the
next morning and stood at the head Of the
stairs waiting for my watch to say the mo-
ment, not In the least guessing how was
to get permission TO enter. Standing ut
the end of the corridor nearest the door I
had passed through the day before heard
some one say, "This way, Mrs. Byers
Looking up, I saw, TO my great astonish-
ment, at the farther end of the corridor the
president motioning me TO come walk
ed up to where he stood as quickly as pos
sible. He grasped my hand warmly, led
me in and introduced me TO William II.
Seward and Mr.. Nicolay He sat down
by his desk, reached out for the petition and
wrote across the back: "Rcleaso this man
on order No. ---. A. Lincoln" As he
handed 1t straight back 10 me he remark
ed, with looks full Of inexpressible sympa-
thy and goodness: "Mrs. Byers, that will
get your man out. And ted his poor
mother wish to heaven it were In my
power to give her back her eyesight SO she
might SEQ her son when he gets home to
her /" That afternoon we went together
from Willard's hotel TO dine with Presi.
dent Lincoln, and of all informal affairs
have ever attended 1t certainly took the
lead. was seated at the ri h,t of the pres
ident, Colonel Turner on his left; Mrs
Lincoln, the two boys and Colonel Han
cock occupied the rest Of the table. When
a dish of anything was brought, he reach
ed out for II, handled the spoon like an or
binary farmer, saying TO all in his reach,
OWN you have some Of this" dishing ID
into our plates literally. And SO il was
throughout the whole dinner, as he had
said, truly informal. Mrs. Lincoln was
very sweet and gracious. The contrast
between them was so striking that have
them plainly before me this moment as
they appeared then.
have always considered the presidents
actions through this whole affair of my
own very extraordinary in more ways
than one. Mr.. Lincoln was at this time
president Of the United States and COM
mander in chief of her armies-no foreign
nations To contend with, but his own be-
loved land and country. So many, many
wonderfully weighty matters upon his
heart mind and hands, and yet TO remem-
ber that /, an ordinary woman on an or
dinary mission, had been promised admis-
sion at o'clock op the morning Of Oct. 6,
and that this small matter had not been
forgotten. Stranger than all, that he had
not forgotten the poor, blind mother.
The more l contemplate the character OF
Abraham Lincoln the mere find to ad=
miro and the more am convinced that it
is beyond the power Of mortals to portray
the many godlike characteristics of this
the chief of all created men.-Mrs. Byers-
Jennings in Chicago Record.