The Backwoods Boy; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of Abraham LincolnAlger, Horatio, Jr.
General
The Backwoods Boy; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of Abraham Lincoln
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
It may readily be supposed that a man of Mr. Lincoln’s democratic tastes
and training might on some occasions act very unconventionally, and in a
way to shock those who are sticklers for etiquette. Certainly, he was
very far from aping royalty, as may be judged from the following
incident:
When the Prince of Wales was betrothed to the Princess Alexandra, Queen
Victoria announced the fact to each of the European sovereigns and to
the rulers of other countries by an autograph letter. Lord Lyons, the
British ambassador at Washington, who was a bachelor, called upon
President Lincoln to present this important document in person.
“May it please your Excellency,” said the ambassador, with formal
dignity, “I hold in my hand an autograph letter from my royal mistress,
Queen Victoria, which I have been commanded to present to your
Excellency. In it she informs your Excellency that her son, His Royal
Highness, the Prince of Wales, is about to contract a matrimonial
alliance with Her Royal Highness, the Princess Alexandra, of Denmark.”
The President’s eye twinkled as he answered, briefly, “Lord Lyons, go
thou and do likewise.”
Says Dr. Holland: “Mr. Lincoln’s habits at the White House were as
simple as they were at his old home in Illinois. He never alluded to
himself as ‘President,’ or as occupying ‘the Presidency.’ His office he
always designated as ‘this place.’ ‘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 against exposing himself so openly in the midst
of enemies, but he never heeded them. He frequently walked the streets
at night entirely unprotected, and he felt any check upon his free
movements as 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 talking 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--Mr. Lincoln
at the White House and his friend at the hotel--was whether he should
wear gloves. Of course, the ladies urged gloves; but Mr. Lincoln only
put his in his pocket, to be used or not, according to 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 Mr. 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.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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