The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-09
THE RAIN ON LINCOLN.
What He Said to Those who Told Him at
Was Killing Himself. /

There came time in the dark days of
the war when Mr.. Lincoln's close friends
feared for his life not from the assaiI-
SIMS bullet, but from loss of sleep and
overwork. He worked necessarily. he
seemed never to rest or sleep. He wtts
aooessibls TO everybody at all hours. lie
attended to details that should have de-
volved upon clerks. He turned FROM
consultation with the head of the army
or navy to listen to the story of a woman
whose husband was in Jail for resisting!
the draft and he nearly always sent her
away happy. Those close to him in
Washington could not understand how
he stood up under the load he carried
and daily anticipated the breakdown
they felt was inevitable. Appeals were
sent to his old friends in Illinois to come
to Washington and compel him TO rest.
They came and labored with him ana
went away convinced that what he was
doing he would continue to the end.
Nearly every man in Illinois who had
personal influence with Lincoln came to
Washington in the hope of reforming
his method Of living. Among these werp
William &. Greene, his closest friend in
Salem; Joshua Speed, his confidant and
adviser at the time Of his marriage, and
Rollin Dlller, his neighbor and friend III
Springfield. Mr.. Speeds experience has
been told in Berndon's history. and what
he SAW in general was seen by all the
others The last day he was with Lincoln
was one Of unceasing labor with TIE
President, and near its close two Womea
were granted audience with him. They
wanted pardon for husband and SOD,
1t was granted, and the women wanted
TO kneel at his feet and kiss his hands.
He hurried them out of the room, while
they showered blessings upon him and
the fervent hope that they would meet
him in heaven.
''We wer now alone" said SPEED.
81 said to him, Lincoln, with my
knowledge of your nervous sensibility,
it Is wonder that such scenes as this
don't kill you He Thought for mo-
mont, and then answered in q languid
voice: Yes, you are. to certain degree,
right. l ought not to undergo what I
so often do. [ am very unwelI now; my
feet and hands of late seem to be always
cold and l ought, perhaps, to be in bed
but things of the sort you have just seen
don't hurt me, for, to tell the truth, thai
scene is the only thing today that has
made me forget my condition or given
me any pleasure. l have, in that Order
made two people happy and alleviated
the distress of many poor soul whom
continued, was no counterfeit. The
mother spoke out in all the features of
her face. 1t is more than one can often
say that in doing right one has made
TWO people happy IN day. Speed, die
When l may, I want it said by those who
knew me best, that I always plucked a
thistle and planted flower when
LhCUpht flower WOulQ grow ~
Mr. DiileF. Uncle Rolly Diller,' as
every body knows him now, told me last
winter his experience with Mr.. Lincoln
in Washington. He had gone with the
determination of peIsuading Mr.. Lincoln |
TO take better care Of himself He went
TO the White House and waited his oppor- |
tunity for private talk. 1t came long
after midnight when Lincoln was terri |
bly, exhausted. MIR. Diller approached
the subject with the earnestness of a |
friend in a case Of great extremity. 81
told him" said "Uncle Rolly,N that he |
must take more rest or ne would die. |
told him how thin and holloW-eyed and
weak he looked, and that he couldn't go
On this way long without serious result |
told him it was criminal foolishness;
that he owed it to himself and his fami- |
1y and especially to the country that he
husband his strength and take no chances
o. breaking down. L told him to work
fourteen or sixteen hours a day if he
must, but TO have some definite and reg
ular time in which to rest, when he
would be absolutely alone I argued
with him and soolded him and told him
l wouldn't leave him until he had
promise me something definite about it,
and when l had finished he smiled wear
ily and said: Yes, Rolly, l know that
all you say about me is true. | should
take moro rest and sleep and it may kill
me, but it can't be helped.
Now let me tell you what happened
only last night, and then you can tell
NE what you would have done under the
same circumstances. / was worn out and
determined to rest. l gave orders that I
would see no one, but guard told me
chat there was an old woman outside
who had been waiting to see me for a
long time. / had her brought in, and
she told me her story while Wringing her
hands and in voice SO full OF tears she
could scarcely speak. Her son was a
Union soldier. He had been South for
several months and had been in battle.
His regiment had returned and was in
camp near Washington. He had asked
permission to visit his mother and had
been refused. He slipped away from
camp for day, saw his mother, and
then tried to get back. He was arrested
before he got inside the lines, with the
result that he was ordered to 5be shot at
sunrise. She wanted pardon for the boy,
anu she had barely time to get to the
camp and save hisliife. And I gave her
a written order that sent her away the
happiest old woman in the world, and I
suppose the boy is alive tonight, and his
mother is thanking God for his deliver
ance. And now, what would you have
done, Rolly? Would you have refused to
see the old woman because it was late,
and you were worn out. or would you
have seen her away with a pardon for
her sons life"
'Uncle Rolly'' didn't confess itsin tel
ling me the story. kbut I imagine he
rubbed away tear with one Of his big
knuckles as he replied: f Well, Abe. I'd
have done the same as you did. pye got
nothing more to say. New York Mail