One of them shows that his
pets, like their young master, were allowed great liberty. It was
written when the family was living at the Soldiers' Home, and
Mrs. Lincoln and Tad had gone away for a visit. "Tell dear Tad,"
he wrote, "that poor Nanny Goat is lost, and Mrs. Cuthbert and I
are in distress about it. The day you left, Nanny was found
resting herself and chewing her little cud on the middle of Tad's
bed; but now she's gone! The gardener kept complaining that she
destroyed the flowers, till it was concluded to bring her down to
the White House. This was done, and the second day she had
disappeared and has not been heard of since. This is the last we
know of poor Nanny."
Tad was evidently consoled by, not one, but a whole family of new
goats, for about a year later Mr. Lincoln ended a business
telegram to his wife in New York with the words: "Tell Tad the
goats and Father are very well." Then, as the weight of care
rolled back upon this greathearted, patient man, he added, with
humorous weariness, "especially the goats."
Mr. Lincoln was so forgetful of self as to be absolutely without
personal fear. He not only paid no attention to the threats which
were constantly made against his life, but when, on July 11,
1864, the Confederate General Early appeared suddenly and
unexpectedly before the city with a force of 17,000 men, and
Washington was for two days actually in danger of assault and
capture, his unconcern gave his friends great uneasiness.
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