The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-09
NEW STORY SHOWS
LINC0LN'S KINDNESS
Daughter of Martyred Presidents Sec
rotary Gives Anecdote in September
Century"

iebdiJ Wives AHeNuulS III ocPtcHpct
Century"
The conviction that he was president
not to be hedged about with ceremony,
but to serve the people, made Lincoln
I feel that he must be freely accessible to
them, writes Helen Nicolay in the Sep
TENDER Century" telling Characteristic
anecdoes OF the martyred president. So
no matter how dark the shadow that lay
across his threshold or how heavy the
burden of care, his door was almost daily
opened between certain hours, and all
who would might enter and speak with
him. This brings me to perhaps the
NEST interesting of all notes-that of Il
conversation with the Hon James
Speed, one of Mr.. Lincoln's Oldest
friends, in which he told of a happening
in the executive Office during one of
my fathers infrequent absences
1T is extremely difficult" said Mr..
Speed, Ito portray adequately the ex
quisite pathos of Mfr. Lincoln's character
as manifested in his action from time to
time. There was, for instance, the Incl
dent Of granting a discharge to the
woman's sons.
"Is that all?" he asked of Edward
the usher, after the usual multitude of
daily visitors had entered and presented
their requests, petitions or grievances.
There is one poor woman there yet,
Mr. President" replied Edward. "She
has been here for several days, and has
been crying and taking on, and hasn't
got chance to come in yet
LET her in" said Mr.. Lincoln.
The woman came in and told her story.
1t was just after the battle of Gettys
burg She had husband and three sons
in the army, and she was left alone to
fight the hard battle of life At first
her husband had regularly sent part
of his pay, and she had managed to live.
But gradually he yielded to the tempta-
tions of camp-life, and no more remit
tances came Her boys had become
scattered among the various armies,
and she was without help. Would not
the president discharge one of them,
that he might come to her?
While the pathetic recital was going
on, the president stood before the fire
place, his hands crossed behind his back,
and his head bent in earnest thought
When the woman ended and waited
moment for his reply, his lips opened,
and he spoke, not indeed as if he We're
replying to what she had said. but rather
as If he were in distracted and uncon-
scious self communion
II have two. and you have none
That was all he said Then he walked
across to his writing table at which he
habitually sat and. taking a blank card,
wrote upon it an order for the sons dis
charge; and upon another paper he
wrote out in great detail where she
should present it, to what office, and to
what official, giving her such direction
that she might personally follow the
red -tape in labyrinth
A few days later, at similar close OF
the general reception for the day, Ed
ward said, THAT woman, Mr.. President,
is here again and still crying
let her in" said Lincoln. What can
be the matter now?"
Once more he stood in the same place
before the fireplace, and for the second
time heard her story. The presidents
card had been like a magic passport to
her. By its help she found headquaI
tiers, camp, regiment and company. But
instead of giving a mothers embrace to
a lost son restored, she had arrived only
in time to follow him to the grave.
And now would not the president give
her the next one of her boysy
Once more Mr.. Lincoln responded /
with sententious curtness as, if talking t. |
himself, 81 have two, and you have /
none" sharp and rather stern. the com
preston of his lips marking the struggle |
between official duty and human sympa- |
thy Then he again walked to his lit !
tie writing table and took up his pen /
to write for the second an order which 1
would give the pleading woman one OF /
her remaining boys And the woman, as
Z moved by filial impulse she could
not restrain, moved after him and stood [
by him at the table as he wrote. and
and with the fond familiarity of a moth
eE placed her hand upon the presidents
head and smoothed his wandering and
tangled hair.