Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07

ed. Richmond fallen, Jefferson Davis and
his cabinet fed. Lee surrendered. Mobile
captured. Nothing Of the Confederacy, in
short, remained but JOhnston's army, and
IT vas generally believed that its sur
render to Sherman was but matter OF
hours. How completely the conflict was
at an end, however. the people of the
north had not realized until they read
in their newspapers, on that Good Fri
day morning, an order of the Secretary OF
War suspending the draft, stopping the
purchase of military supplies and remov-
ing military restrictions from trade. The
war was over indeed.
Such a day of rejoicing as followed the
world has rarely seen.
One man before all others in the ma
ton felt and showed his gladness that
day-the President, Abraham Lincoln For
weeks now he had seen the end APP
preaching. and little by little he had been
thankfully laying aside the ways of war
and returning to those of peace. His
soul. tuned by nature to gentleness and
good will. had been for four years forced
to lead in a pitiless war. Now his duties
were to blind up the nations wounds;
to care for him who shall have borne the
battle and for his widow and his or
phan'; to devise plans by which the
members of the restored Union could live
toRether in harmony, to plan for the fu-
1ure of the four million human beings TO
whom he had given freedom All those
who were with him at this time remarked
The change in his feelings and his ways.
He seemed to be aroused to Il new sense
of the beauty of peace and rest. For
the first time since he entered the Dresi-
'dency he took holiday. lie loved to
lnger in quiet spots. and he read over
and over with infinite satisfaction lines
OF poetry which expressed repose. The
perfect tranquility In death seemed es-
pecially to appeal to him. Mrs. Lincoln
related to her friend. Isaac Arnold, that,
while visiting Grants headquarters at
CITY Point in April she was driving one
day with her husband along the banks OF
the James, when they passed country
graveyard! ''It was retired place, shaded
with trees. and early spring flowers We're
opening on nearly every grave. 1t was
so quiet and attractive that they stopped
the carriage and walked through 1t. Mr.
Lincoln seemed thoughtful and impressed
He said: Mary, you are stronger than l.
You will survive me- When l am gone,
lay my remains in some quiet place like
this"
There was a marked change in his ap-
his thin face had day by day grown
more haggard. its lines had deepened.
its pallor had become more CHASTITY
gray. His eye. always sad when he was
in thought had look of unutterable
grief Through all these months Lin
coin was. in fact. consumed by sorrow.
II think / shall never be glad again,
he said once to a friend. But as one
by one the weights lifted. a change came
over him; his form Strengthened. his face
cleared, the lines became less accentu-
ated His whole appearal e, poise and
bearing had marvelously changed says
Mr. James Harlan. He was. in fact,
TRANSPORTED. That indescribable sadness
which had previously seemed to be an
adamantine element of his very being
had been suddenly changed for an equally
indescribable expression of serene joy, as
IL conscious that the great purpose of his
life had been achieved"
Never since he had become convinced
that the end of the war was near had
MIR. Lincoln seemed to his friends more
glad, more serene, than on the 14th OF
April.
At the White House the family party
which met at breakfast was unusually
happy. Capt. Robert Lincoln. the Presi-
dents eldest son. then aid de-camp OH
Grants stan. had arrived thai morning
and the closing scenes of Grants cam
paign were discussed with the deepest
interest by father and son. Soon after
breakfast the President received SCHUYLER