Evening star., 1925-02-12
A Reminiscence of Lincoln
By Mrs. General George E. Pickett.

The day after the fire which marked
the surrender of Richmond, April
9, 1865, there was rap at our door.
The servants all had run away. The
city was full of Northern troops, and
my environment had not taught me
to love them. With my baby on my
arm I answered the knock, opened
the door and looked up at a tall,
gaunt, sad-faced man in ill-fitting
clothes, who asked with the accent of
the North:
rs this George Pickett's place."
This is Gen. Picketts home, sir"
1 replied, but he is not here"
II know that, ma'am; I know
where George Pickett is" he
answered, "but just wanted to see the
place. Down in old Quincy, Ill,
where I used to hear George Pickett
whistle the songs of Virginia in his
bird1ike notes, have heard him de-
scribe his home until in spirit have
been here many a. time. 1 have
smelled the multlhora roses and the
Lady Bankshire roses and the golden
cluster roses and those great cabbage
roses. I have seen the borders of
lilies of the valley blooming in the
chimney corner. the beds of violets.
the rows of beehives And the lily
beds that the bees knew were theirs
had been planted just for them. I
have stood under the arbor and gath
cred those strange green-looking
grapes that are like the Virginia
aristocracy. growing each one on it's
own individual stem. I think he
called them scuppernongs. have
sat on the back porch and listened to
! the music as his sister Virginia, of
| whom he was so proud, sang in that
| glorious voice he told me about, and
1 have swung in this old swing here
! while the moon and I watched and
waited for the old cat to die. So
wanted to see the place"
| Speaker Was Lincoln.
I, listening, wondered who he could
be, till he finished, and then he said:
| II am Abraham Lincoln"
'"The PRESIDENT I gasped.
'No-no-just Abraham Lincoln,
George Picketts old friend"
| II am George Pickett's wife, and
this is his baby" was all could say.
The baby reached out his arms, and
Mr.. Lincoln took him, look of ten
derness almost divine glorifying that
sad face. / have never seen that
expression on any other countenance.
My little one opened his mouth, and
insisted upon giving his fathers
| friend a dewy baby Kiss. AS he
handed my baby back to me, Mr.. Lin
coin shook his long hand at him and
| said:
| Tell your father, the rascal, that
could almost forgive him anything
for the sake Of those bright eyes and
that baby kiss"
Memory Enriched Life.
| The tones of his deep voice touched
all the chords of life to music, and 1
marveled no more at my soldiers love
for him even through all the bitter
ness of the years. He turned and
went down the steps and out of my
life forever, but in my memory that
wonderful voice, those intensely
human eyes, that strong, sad, tender
face have a perpetual abiding place
| Among my treasured possessions
are some old letters, written by Mr..
Lincoln when practicing law in
Springfield to George Pickett, then a
cadet at West Point, where he was
placed by John G. Stuart, Representa-
| tive from Illinois, at the request of
Mr.. Lincoln. The homely and humor-
Gus philosophy of these letters, the
honesty which breathes through
them. the cheerful outlook upon life