The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-07-25
LINCOLN LIKED HER.
Story Of Elizabeth Keckly, a White
House Factotum.
Once she Bsd Scores of Influential
Friends, Now she Lives In
Poverty--A victim of ManSs
1nEratitude.
Especial Washington Letter.1

~ bhNHhM LiNIOBN was
~ good friend Of of mine; but h,
never knew what good friend
OF his was, and have ever been"
Elizabeth Keckly, of No. 1871 FIJI
teenth street, in this city, now so years
Of age, was seamstress for Mrs. Lin.
coin during the civil war. She was a
part Of the domestic family, as much
so as any cabinet minister was part
Of the official family. After making
the above quoted remark she said:
81 was Mr.. Lincoln's friend. am his
friend now. and will always protect
his memory, by keeping my mouth
closed concerning the many things
which he unhappily suspected or inn
agined were going on around him off,
cially and unoficially. I was born a
slave, but bought my freedom, and so
was under no oligations TO Mr.. Lincoln
for emancipation. But / loved him
for his kind manner towards me and
for his great act Of giving freedom to
my race. ! know what liberty Is, be.
cause i remember what slavery was.
When was young woman. modest as
any young woman, was stripped to
the waist and fogged into insensibil-
ity. This was done more than once.
simply on the prctext that my spirit
must he broken l know what unde-
served suffering was inflicted upon the
slaves. Therefore know what eman-
cipation meant. You who have never
suffered cannot understand the full
meaning OF liberty. ! was as good
girl as ever lived, and wanted to live
as good women live; but was com
PEELED to become n mother without
marriage. oh, yes, know whate,B-
erty Is, because l know what slavery
was. Consequently I.bavc. almost wor.
SHIPPED Abraham Lincoln. He was as
Kind and considerate in his treatment
OF me as he was OF any of the white
people about the white house. In that
he manifested the consistency OF his
belief that all human beings are ere
ated equal in the sight of God. He
arose every morning as n good man,
and he went to bed every night as
God-fearing, Christian man. They say
that servants do not reverence their
masters because they know their
as the rest OF the world
cannot know them. But no servant
failed TO respect and revere that grand
man OF God, and man of the common
people. His lie was pure. / cannot
say that Of all whom / knew In those
days.
II have been honest and not avari-
clous, or ] would not now in my days
OF feeblcness and age be working hard
with the needle to earn my daily bread.
never betrayed a secret in the DAYS
when secrets were worth gold. and
gold was scarce. Nearly all of the
great men and women who knew me
are now away from earth The men,
bers of the family that served long
est and best are needless of my age
and inflrmities and necessities, and un-
appreciative OF my loyalty; n loyalty
which i shall continue until my lips
are sealed In death. I served the
families OF Douglas, Harlan, Brecken-
ridge, Lincoln, Chase, and many others
who were famous in those days. by all
OF them, 1t seems, I am forgotten, else
would not be helpless and penniless
In my declining years"
Referring feelingly to Lincoln, she
said: 81 know, and ] know IL well,
that so unhappy was that great man,