Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-14

came under cover Of the night with
handful of personal friends, amid uni
versal contempt for his ability and TIT
loud expressed conviction Of his faiIur'
from within and without his party
He faced a divided Nation and the
most awful civil convulsion in history
Through 1t all he had led the NatioI
in safety, growing each day in power
and fame, until tonight, amid the VIC
torious shouts of millions Of UnioI
fixed in eternal granite, he stood fortf
the idol Of the people, the first grea
American, the foremost man or tn'
world
There was a stir at the door, and tht
tall figure suddenly loomed In view o.
the crowd. With one Impulse they
leaped to their feet, and shout aftel
shout shook the building. The or
chestra was playing Hail to the
Chief" but nobody heard 1t. They
saw the Chief! They were crying
their own welcome in music that came
from the rhythmic beat OF human
hearts.
AS the president walked along the
aisle with Mrs. Lincoln, accompanied
by Senator Harris daughter and Ma
jor Rathbone, cheer after cheer burst
from the crowd. He turned, his face
beaming with pleasure, and bowed as
he passed.
The answer of the crowd shook the
building to its foundations, and the
president paused. His dark face flash
ed with emotion as he looked over the
sea of cheering humanity. 1t was q
moment of supreme exaltation. The
people had grown to know and love
and trust him, and it was sweet His
face, lit with the responsive fires OF
emotion, was transfigured. The SOU
seemed to separate itself from It's
dreamy, rugged dwelling place and
flash its inspiration from the spirit
world.
AS around this mans personality had
gathered the agony and horror OF war
so now about his head glowed and
cleaned in imagination the splendors
of victory.
Margaret impulsively put her hand
on Phips arm:
why, how southern he looks! How
tall and dark and typical his whole fig
urei"
Yes, his traits of character are even
more typical" said Phil. "On the sur
face, easy friendly ways and the ten
derness Of a woman-beneath an iron
will and lion heart. I like him. And
what always amazes me is his univer-
salty. A southerner finds in him the
south, the western man the west, even
Charles Sumner, from Boston, almost
loves him. You know I think he is
the first great all-round American who
ever lived in the White House."
The presidents party had now en-
tered the box, and as Mr.. Lincoln took
the arm chair nearest the audience, In
full view Of every eye In the house.
again the cheers rent the air. In vain
Withers' baton flew, and the orchestra
did it's best. The music was drowned
as in the roar Of the sea. Again he
rose and bowed and smiled, his face
radiant with pleasure. The soul be-
meath those deep-cut lines had long
mined for the sunlight. His love of
the theatre and the humorous story
were the protest Of his heart against
pain and tragedy. He stood. there
bowling to the people, the grandest.
gentlest figure Of the fiercest war OF
human his:ory-a man who was al
ways doing merciful things stealthily
as others do crimes. Little sunlight
had come into his life, yet tonight he
felt that the sun Of a new day In his
history and the history Of the people
was already tingeing the horizon with
glory.
Back Of those smiles what story!
Many a night he had paced back and
forth in the telegraph office Of the war
read its awful news Of de-
feat, and alone sat down and cried
over the list of the dead. Many a
black hour his soul had. seen when the
honors Of earth we're forgotten and his
great heart throbbed on his sleeve.
His character had grown so evenly and
silently with the burdens he had
borne, working mighty deeds with
such little friction he could not know.
?or could the crowd to whom he bow
ed, how deep into the core Of the peo-
pies life the love Of him had grown.
AS he looked again over the surging
crowd, his tall figure semed to straigh-
ten, erect and buoyant, with the new
dignity Of conscious triumphant lead
ership. He knew that he had come
unto his own at last, and his brain was
teemirg with dreams Of mercy and
healing.
The president resumed his seat, the
tumult died away, and the play began
amid a low hum Of whispered COM
ment directed at the flag-draped box.
The actors struggled In vain to hold
the attention Of the audience, until A.
nally Hawk. the actor playing Dun
drC airy, determined to catch their ear.
paused and said:
Now, that reminds me of a little
story, as Mr.. Lincoln says"
Instantly the crowd burst into a
storm Of applause, the president
laughed, leaned over and spoke to his
wife and the electric connection was
made between the stage, the box, and
he people.
After this, the play ran it's smooth
course, and the audience settled into
its accustomed humor Of sympathetic
attention.
In spite of the novelty of this her
first view Of a theatre, the president
fascinated Margaret. She watched the
changing lights and shadows Of his
sensitive face with untiring interest
and the wonder of his life grew upon
her imagination. This man who was
the idol Of the north and yet to her SO
purely southern, who had come out OF
the west and yet was greater than the
premely human-this man who sprang
to his feet from the chair Of state and
bowed to a sorrowing woman with the
Difference Of knight, every mans
friend, good -natured, sensible, master
full and clear in intellect, strong, yet
modest, kind and gentle-yes he was
more interesting than all the drama
and romance of the stage!
He held her imagination In a spell
Elsie, divining her abstraction, looked
toward the presidents box and saw
approaching 1t along the balcony aisle
the figure of John Wilkes Booth.
Look" she cried, touching Margar-
cts arm. There's John Wilkes Booth
the actor! Isn't he handsome? They
say he's in love with my chum, SEN
ator's daughter whose father hates Mr.
Lincoln with perfect fury"
HE Is handsome" Margaret an
swered But I'd be afraid Of HIM
with that raven hair and eyes shining
like something wild"
They say he is wild and dissipated
yet half the silly girls in town are III
love with him. He's as vain as
peacock"
Booth, accustomed to free access to
the theatre, paused near the entrance
to the box and looked deliberately over
the great crowd, his magnetic face
flushed with deep emotion. while his
fiery inspiring eyes glittered with ex-
citement.
Dressed in a suit Of black broad
cloth of faultless fit from the crown
of his head to the soles of his feet he
was physically without blemish. A
figure of perfect symmetry and pro-
portion. his dark eyes flashing, and his
marble forehead crowned with curling
black hair, agility and grace stamped