Lincoln's yarns and stories : $b A complete collection of the funny and witty anecdotes that made Lincoln famous as America's greatest story tellerMcClure, Alexander K. (Alexander Kelly)
History
Lincoln's yarns and stories : $b A complete collection of the funny and witty anecdotes that made Lincoln famous as America's greatest story teller
McClure, Alexander K. (Alexander Kelly)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Anecdotes
“Call me Lincoln,” said he to a friend; “Mr. President” had become so
very tiresome to him.
“If you see a newsboy down the street, send him up this way,” said he to
a passenger, as he stood waiting for the morning news at his gate.
Friends cautioned him about exposing himself so openly in the midst of
enemies; but he never heeded them.
He frequently walked the streets at night, entirely unprotected; and
felt any check upon his movements a great annoyance.
He delighted to see his familiar Western friends; and he gave them
always a cordial welcome.
He met them on the old footing, and fell at once into the accustomed
habits of talk and story-telling.
An old acquaintance, with his wife, visited Washington. Mr. and Mrs.
Lincoln proposed to these friends a ride in the Presidential carriage.
It should be stated in advance that the two men had probably never seen
each other with gloves on in their lives, unless when they were used as
protection from the cold.
The question of each--Lincoln at the White House, and his friend at the
hotel--was, whether he should wear gloves.
Of course the ladies urged gloves; but Lincoln only put his in his
pocket, to be used or not, according to the circumstances.
When the Presidential party arrived at the hotel, to take in their
friends, they found the gentleman, overcome by his wife’s persuasions,
very handsomely gloved.
The moment he took his seat he began to draw off the clinging kids,
while Lincoln began to draw his on!
“No! no! no!” protested his friend, tugging at his gloves. “It is none
of my doings; put up your gloves, Mr. Lincoln.”
So the two old friends were on even and easy terms, and had their ride
after their old fashion.
HIS LAST SPEECH.
President Lincoln was reading the draft of a speech. Edward, the
conservative but dignified butler of the White House, was seen
struggling with Tad and trying to drag him back from the window from
which was waving a Confederate flag, captured in some fight and given to
the boy. Edward conquered and Tad, rushing to find his father, met him
coming forward to make, as it proved, his last speech.
The speech began with these words, “We meet this evening, not in sorrow,
but in gladness of heart.” Having his speech written in loose leaves,
and being compelled to hold a candle in the other hand, he would let the
loose leaves drop to the floor one by one. “Tad” picked them up as they
fell, and impatiently called for more as they fell from his father’s
hand.
FORGOT EVERYTHING HE KNEW BEFORE.
President Lincoln, while entertaining a few select friends, is said to
have related the following anecdote of a man who knew too much:
He was a careful, painstaking fellow, who always wanted to be absolutely
exact, and as a result he frequently got the ill-will of his less
careful superiors.
During the administration of President Jackson there was a singular
young gentleman employed in the Public Postoffice in Washington.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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