The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918Various
History
The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918
Various
Wisconsin -- History -- Periodicals
He took a card and wrote a few words upon it, requesting the Secretary
of War to name the hospital “Harvey Hospital,” in memory of my
husband, and to gratify me he gave me the card, saying, “Now do you
take that directly to the Secretary of War and have it understood.” I
thanked him, but did not take it to Mr. Stanton. The hospital was
already named. I expressed a wish that he might never regret his
present action, and said I was sorry to have taken so much of his
time.
“Oh, no, you need not be,” he said kindly.
“You will not wish to see me again, Mr. President.”
“I didn’t say that and shall not.”
I said, “You have been very kind to me and I am grateful for it.”
He looked at me from under his eyebrows and said, “You almost think me
handsome, don’t you?”
His face then beamed with such kind benevolence and was lighted by
such a pleasant smile that I looked at him, and with my usual impulse,
said, clasping my hands together, “You are perfectly lovely to me,
now, Mr. Lincoln.” He colored a little and laughed most heartily.
As I arose to go, he reached out his hand, that hand in which there
was so much power and so little beauty, and held mine clasped and
covered in his own. I bowed my head and pressed my lips most
reverently upon the sacred shield, even as I would upon my country’s
shrine. A silent prayer went up from my heart, “God bless you, Abraham
Lincoln.” I heard him say goodbye, and I was gone. Thus ended the most
interesting interview of my life with one of the most remarkable men
of the age.
My impressions of him had been so varied, his character had assumed so
many different phases, his very looks had changed so frequently and so
entirely, that it almost seemed to me I had been conversing with half
a dozen different men. He blended in his character the most yielding
flexibility with the most unflinching firmness, child-like simplicity
and weakness with statesmanlike wisdom and masterly strength, but over
and around all was thrown the mantle of an unquestioned integrity.
THE DUTCH SETTLEMENTS OF SHEBOYGAN COUNTY
BY SIPKO F. REDERUS
Dutch settlements have never been numerous in America or in any other
country not flying the Dutch flag. The Hollanders, unlike their German
and British neighbors, have no natural inclination to roaming and
adventure; and being strongly attached to their native soil they have
preferred attempting to improve conditions at home to hazarding their
fortune in a foreign country. This love of country has changed the
Netherlands from a boggy land to a beautiful, productive country with
an intelligent, industrious, and artistic people now numbering about
six millions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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