They were as
much astonished at seeing him there as the President was, and
could not explain his presence; but he spoke for himself. He had
come, he said, from a little country town, hoping to get a place
as page in the House of Representatives. The President began to
tell him that he must go to Captain Goodnow, the doorkeeper of
the House, for he himself had nothing to do with such
appointments. Even this did not discourage the little fellow.
Very earnestly he pulled his papers of recommendation out of his
pocket, and Mr. Lincoln, unable to resist his wistful face, read
them, and sent him away happy with a hurried line written on the
back of them, saying: "If Captain Goodnow can give this good
little boy a place, he will oblige A. Lincoln."
It was a child who persuaded Mr. Lincoln to wear a beard. Up to
the time he was nominated for President he had always been
smooth-shaven. A little girl living in Chautauqua County, New
York, who greatly admired him, made up her mind that he would
look better if he wore whiskers, and with youthful directness
wrote and told him so. He answered her by return mail:
Springfield, ILL., Oct. 19, 1860.
Miss Grace Bedelt,
My dear little Miss: Your very agreeable letter of the fifteenth
is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter.
I have three sons, one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years
of age.
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