Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05

tOhen the general 1CdS ABOUT rs years or
age.
our door. The servants had all run away The
city full of Northern troops, and my
environment had not taught me to love them
With my baby my answered the
knock, opened the door and looked up at TALL
gaunt sad-faced man in in-fitting clothes who
asked with the accent Of the North:
8" is this George Piekett's place.
g" This is Gen. Pickett's home, sir, replied
but he is not here
'' I know that ma'am know where George
Pickett is, he answered, but just wanted to
see the place. Down in old Quincy, Ill. where
used to hear George Pickett whistle the songs
of Virginia in his birdlike notes. have heard
him describe his home till in spirit have been
here many a tine. have smelled the Multi
fora roses and the Lady Bankshire roses and
the golden cluster roses and those great cab
bage roses. 1 have the borders of
hyacinths in the Springtime and the lilies-of-
the-valley blooming in the chimney corner, the
beds of vjolets, the rows of beehives and the
lily beds that the bees knew were theirs, had
been planted just for them have stood under
the arbor and gathered those green looking
grapes that like the Virginia aristocracy,
growing each one its own individual stem.
I think he called them scuppernongs. have
sat on that back porch and listened TO the
music as his sister Virginia, Of whom he was
proud, sang in that glorious voice he told me
about, and I have swung in this old swing
here while the moon and watched and waited
for the old cat to die. So wanted to see the
place
II, listening, wondered who he could be, till
he finished and then he said:
ct am Abraham Lincoln
1.-THE PRESIDENT gaspsd
" 'No-no-iust Abraham Lincoln, George
Pickett's old friend
F" I 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 tenderness almost
divine clarifying that sad face. I have never
seen that expression on any other face. 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.. Lincoln
shook his long hand at him and said:
p" Tell your father, the rascal, that I could
almost forgive him anything for the sake of
those bright eyes and that baby kiss
THE tones Of his deep voice touched all the
chords of life to music, and / marveled no
more at my soldiers love for him even through
all the bitterness Of the years. He turned and
went down the steps and out Of my life for
ever, but in my memory that wonderful voice,
those intensely human eyes, that strong sad,
tender face have perpetual abiding place"
GEORGE E. PICKETT-a name that win
always stand out in military history! No
wonder Lincoln was interested in him. for had
he not made 1t possible for him to become the
great general that he was by securing his ap-
pointment to West Point from which he later
graduated?
Much against his wishes, young Pickett had
been sent to Quincy ILL.,, to study law with
uncle. Four of his cousins had been sent to
West Point, and Pickett, too, longed to be a
soldier, but his people in Virginia had wfIed
otherwise He had sought the aid of London
who was then practicing law in Quincy and
who had taken quite fancy to the boy.
According to Mrs. Pickett, the scene opens
one night with young Pickett leaning the
gate, brooding over his disappointment, when
"a tall man for whom he was waiting came up
the street and asked What is the matter?
Holes in your pocket and your marbles and
knife all dropped out?' Yes said the boy L
have lost my knife and my marbles and there
are big holes in my pockets Well replied the
man. you must have strong pockets, like mine
have marbles and a knife, but my pockets are
SO strong now that they do not make holes in
them as they used to do. Come, sit down on
the grass and let's have game of mumble-de-
peg The man played so badly purpose that
1t was he who had to humble the peg but his
playmate insisted that he should humble it.
No, you have been mumbling the peg all day
my boy. want to keep you from mumbling
pegs
The next morning the boy was awakened
by handful Of gravel thrown against the
window. He looked out and saw his friend xyitI1