Evening star., 1925-02-08


go many an unwrttten and
untold tale of generosity,
kindliness and compassion. The
half-forgotten anecdotes which are
dropped here and there, giving
glimpse of their true largesse, are
seldom gathered and made into
whole take. finished and complete
upon the page More often they are
left in the twilight memories of those
who speak them and so pass into the
ether.
But when such a chance brings the
name of Lincoln" into the conver-
sation, a pause is necessary, a Ques-
ton follows, and eventually the whole
comes clear out of the past, another
bit added to the volume marked
'Lincolnana, in which SO many of his
countrymen have had the opportunity
to write a sentence or a paragraph.
Generals have written therein cita-
tions for the Martyr Presidents
bravery; bishops have praised his
spiritual vision; poets have eulogized
his compassion for the race of men.
But all that brilliant company have
left a small unwritten space for
short but happy story of his tolerance
and sympathy for young lovers and
the quick pain which separation
brings them.
romance walked the by-ways of
Washington in lace and crinolines,
in ragged Confederate uniforms, in
worn and muddy blue, in red feathers
set on white poke bonnets for the
heartening of Southern captives in
Union prisons.
Threading the figures which wore
this motley Of silks and homespuns
ran the orderlies who carried on the
Nf xI-ho
provincial Government, the carriages
and pairs of lobbyists intent upon
their selfish errands, and the wob
bling wagon ambulances transferring
sick and wounded soldiers from the
depots to the temporary hospitals of
such structure as the Government
could afford.
While vacant houses were occupied
by staffs and patients wherever pos
sible, the number of wounded coming
into the city during the year of cam
paigning around Washington was SO
great that board shacks with rows
of rude cots in them were thrown up
with great speed and little considera-
ton for beauty or comfort.
Into such a building at the corner
of Thirteenth and Monroe streets,
! called the Carver Hospital rather by
virtue of it's purpose than Its equip
a
John MCGEE was carried one day early
in the Spring of 1854.
That he was a gallant and enticing
young gentleman before he Joined
the Pennsylvania regiment OF which
he was a member is proved by the
fact that soon after his arrival he
was visited by Miss Anna Carson.
beautiful and charming girl of II.
With physical bravery which
matched that of her soldier lover, she
had escaped from the select school
| for young ladies in Carbondale, Pa,
at which she was a student, and had
| travelled alone to Washington.
While the fascination of the blue
uniform is acknowledged (and have
been told that it was as bewitching
| as the Marines olive drab during the
| late wary, such an escapade In the GUS
certainly entailed a large proportion
| of the qualities which our writer's Of
| best sellers today consider necessary
! in their heroes. Only determination
| and purpose, inspired by deep anec-
ton. could have manipulated the
| hoops of '64 out from under vigilant
schoolmarm's eye, along miles OF
| railroad and carriage travel, and
| eventually rested them beside hos
! pital cot.
once in Washington, arrived at the
~ Carver Hospital, consoled and
| calmed by the sight of this most fas-
cinating young man, Miss Carson was
a little bewildered at her own bravery
| and undetermined as to what her next
step would be, although she was of
the full decision that never more
would she leave the vicinity OF the
| blue-eyed John McGee.
| Her youthful independence little
shaken, she looked with tear-f1lled
| eyes at the strawberry beds across
| the road from the hospital, turning
1 over in her mind whether she should
ask the mistress of the homelike old
1 farmhouse II she might come in for
the night.
At this moment Of indecision = lady