President Lincoln had not been in the White House very long before Mrs.
Lincoln became seized with the idea that a fine new barouche was about
the proper thing for “the first lady in the land.” The President did not
care particularly about it one way or the other, and told his wife to
order whatever she wanted.
Lincoln forgot all about the new vehicle, and was overcome with
astonishment one afternoon when, having acceded to Mrs. Lincoln’s desire
to go driving, he found a beautiful barouche standing in front of the
door of the White House.
His wife watched him with an amused smile, but the only remark he made
was, “Well, Mary, that’s about the slickest ‘glass hack’ in town, isn’t
it?”