Evening journal., 1912-03-18
new NEWS NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Pleasure Trip That
Lincoln Took
By Holland

In the middle of May. 1862, nearly
fifty years ago, President Lincoln,
with Secretary Of the Treasury Sal
mon =. Chase. Major General John q.
Wool then in command at Fortress
Monroe, and few personal friends
made an excursion from Washington
to Fortress Monroe. The party was
taken on at Washington navy yard.
The day was beautiful one, and all
looked forward with pleasant sntici-
patton to the sail down the Potomac
After Mount Vernon had been pass
cd the party separated into little
groups ON the forward deck of the
] steamer, enjoying the beautiful, mild
! May breezes and the soft landscape of
| the budding spring on either bank Of
! the river. After an hour or two il was
! observed that Mr. Lincoln was not in
/ the party. Secretary Chase went back
/ TO see if he could find the President
! His search was prolonged until at
! last he became considerably concern
ed. But, as he was passing from one
side of the deck to the other, he
! thought he saw a foot stretched out
! from behind tho wheol-house. Investi-
eating, he discovered tho President
seated behind protecting corner Of
the wheelhousc and absorbed in read
ing. As the secretary approached The
President, Lincoln. laid aside the
book. saying:
Well, Governor, ! found in the cab
| in Bible. / read a good deal in the
/ NIHh Il oh i nN.
! been reading | don't know how long
here. Have you been looking for mo?'
With the Bible in his hand Lincoln
arose and went forward, joining the
| other members of the party. Then,
| turning to one of the officers under
| General Wool, he asked.
Il would like to know If you have
got a copy of Shakespeare at Fortress
MOnroe?'
"Oh, yes" replied the officer.
Shakespeare is the one author that
General Wool roads. He not only reads
shakespeare, but frequently at night
poems"
Lincoln smiled at the reference to
the spouting of Shakespeare by the
distinguished commander of Fortress
Monroe. but he simply said.
We'll, ] reckon when VIC get TO tho
fortress, I'll ask General Wool If he'll
lend me his copy of Shakespeare"
The Shakespeare was brought TO
Lincoln on the afternoon Of the next
day. He asked one or two friends If
they would like TO hear him read a
little from Shakespeare. The party
was led to a convenient place. where
they could see the sea and feel the
breeze of the afternoon. Everything
was quiet and peaceful and. excepting
| for the evidences of war which the fort
/ contained. the pacing OF the sentries
/ and the occasional appearance of ma
/ rines there was nothing to indicate
that war was then prevailing
The President opened the Shake
speare, first saying. There are two
books that ! read a good deal of when
/ have the time I haven't read very
much. but have read a great deal in
these books. They are the Bible and
Shakespeare I'll read you a passage
that I am fond Of" And he read one of
the scenes from Macbeth" That fin
ishod, he read a scene from Hamlet
Then he opened TO king John turn
ing so quickly TO a scene i'm one OF
tho acts that II was apparent he was
familiar with it. II was the scene in
]
of her maternal love, describes her
sense of loss in the death of the
prince, her son.
Lincoln's S voice was very tremulous
as he read those lines Then closing
the book, he looked up at his friends
and said:
Have YOU ever i'm dream found
yourself i'm conversation with ono who
iu Norv dgur a trott aud tVhn is Ipad
and yet i'm the dream have been con
scious that the conversation was not
Teal?'
Mr. President" ono Of the company
said, that is not an unusual expert
cnce."
1T is mine" said Mr. Lincoln. "and
has often been mine since the death )
my boy. Many times 7 hold converse.
tions with him i'm my dreams that
seem real, and then I awake to the
unrcality."
Having said this. Lincoln leaned his
head upon the back of chair nearby
and yielded himself TO the agony of
sorrow, sobbinE couyulsivcly. anc
those who were of tho party deemed il
the wisest part silently 20 go away
that he might be left alone with his
grief
The presidents son. Willie, had dice
few weeks earlier, and the loss ri
this child was a sorrow from which
Lincoln never recovered,
Copyright. 1912. by T.. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell o
The Incident That Led TO the Found
frar ftr Il Ia.H