Francis B. Carpenter, Six Months at the White House

“‘ [132] you off this time!’ Instantly from behind his back came the left hand. ‘Here it is, sir,’ was the ready reply. ‘That will do,’ said the teacher, ‘for this time; you can take your seat, sir.’ ”

Mr. Lincoln's heart was always open to children. I shall never forget his coming into the “studio” one day, and finding my own little boy of two summers playing on the floor. A member of the Cabinet was with him, but laying aside all restraint, he took the little fellow at once in his arms, and they were soon on the best of terms.

Old Daniel — alluded to on a previous page -gave me a touching illustration of this element in his character. A poor woman from Philadelphia had been waiting with a baby in her arms for several days to see the President. It appeared by her story, that her husband had furnished a substitute for the army, but sometime afterward, in a state of intoxication, was induced to enlist. Upon reaching the post assigned his regiment, he deserted, thinking the government was not entitled to his services. Returning home, he was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to be shot. The sentence was to be executed on a Saturday. On Monday his wife left her home with her baby, to endeavor to see the President. Said Daniel, “She had been waiting here three days, and there was no chance for her to get in. Late in the afternoon of the third day, the President was going through the passage to his private room to get a ”