The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1911-11-16

and passionatelY wretched. Tc
his friends who were unused t.
such finely wrought and ever
fantastic sorrows, his trouble
seemed so exaggerated that they
could only account for it on the
! ground of insanity
But he was not mad. Speed
picked him up bodily, as it were,
lane carried him off to Kentucky,
and into the bosom Of his own
happy and pious family circle,
where he quickly recovered his
equanimity, returning to Spring
field again. It was Speed, who
on his home visit, met his fate,
and, in perturbation of spirit, ex-
changed places With Lincoln.
Lincoln, who became the phv-
|sician of his friend, and, out Of
his own experience, administer
ed the needed mediciue of
thoughtful and tender sYlnpa-
thy,
The correspondence is yet ex-
tant revealing the innermost
throes of two natures exQuis-
itely strung and stretched to
their tension. neither Hamlet,
nor Werther, closer upon the
edge of the precipice, which
happily was withheld from
them. Their period of travail
endured for nearly two years,
from 184O to 1S42, the close of
the latter year finding each of
them safely married, Less than
twenty years thereafter-two
short decades-Lincoln, elected
president of the United States,
wrote to Speed: It's like a
Idream isn't it2''
Mr.. Watterson told a graphic
story of the coming of Lincoln
to Washington and his first in
auguration. His narrative took
the form Of a personal 'reminis-
cence. 7 was engaged by Mr..
Gobnight, the general manager
of the Associated Press in the
national capital" said he, to
assist him and Major Ben Perley
Poore, a well-known newspaper
correspondent Of those days,
with their report of the inaugu-
raj ceremonies Of the 4th of
March, 1861. The newly-elected
president had arrived in Wash
ington ten days before-to be
exact, the morning Of the 22d of
February. It was a Saturday.
That same afternoon he came
to the capitol escorted by Mr..
|Seward, and being on the floor
of the house, I saw him for the
first time, and was, indeed, pre-
sented to him.
He continued as follows:
Early in the morning of the
4th of March I discovered thrust
into the keyhole Of my bed
room a slip Of paper which read:
For Inaugural Address see Col.
Ward H. Lamon. Who was
"Col. Ward H. Lamon?'' I had
never heard of him. The city
was crowdedwith strangers. I
went directly to Willard's Hotel.
AS I passed through the long
corridor of t he second floor,
spliced with little dark entree-
ways, to the apartments facing
on Pennsylvania avenue, | saw
through a half-opened door Mr..
Lincoln himself pacing to and
fro apparently reading a manu-
script. went straight in,
He was alone, and as he turn
| ed and met me, he extended his
hand, called my name and said:
What can I do for you!'' L
told him my errand and dilem-
ma, showing him the brief
memorandum. Why" said
he, you have come to the right
shop; Lamon is in the next
room. I will take you to him
and he'll fix you all right" No
sooner said than done, and sup
piled the press copy of the
inaugural address, I gratefully
and gleefully took my leave.
Two hours later I found my
self in the senate chamber, wit
Messing there the oath of Office
administered to Vice President
elect Hannibal I'M Hamlin: Thence