President Lincoln was reading the draft of a speech. Edward, the
conservative but dignified butler of the White House, was seen
struggling with Tad and trying to drag him back from the window from
which was waving a Confederate flag, captured in some fight and given to
the boy. Edward conquered and Tad, rushing to find his father, met him
coming forward to make, as it proved, his last speech.
The speech began with these words, “We meet this evening, not in sorrow,
but in gladness of heart.” Having his speech written in loose leaves,
and being compelled to hold a candle in the other hand, he would let the
loose leaves drop to the floor one by one. “Tad” picked them up as they
fell, and impatiently called for more as they fell from his father’s
hand.