John Sherman will be remembered as originator of the politicians'
"cover" for electioneering activity, "I am going home to mend my
fences." He was fresh from Ohio, but he included in his round of
duties, on visiting the capital, an attendance of a Lincoln reception.
He waited in the long file for his turn to shake hands, and, while
doing so, wondered how he would be received. For the informal
"function" was enlivened by the most untoward incidents, due to the
host's simplicity, spontaneous acts and words, and the homelike nature
of the scene. Truly enough, when his chance came, the meeting was
eccentric.
Lincoln scanned him a moment, threw out his large hand, and said:
"'You're a pretty tall fellow, aren't you? Stand up here to me, back to
back, and let's see which of us two is the taller!'
"In another moment I was standing back to back with the greatest man of
his age. Naturally I was quite abashed by this unexpected evidence of
democracy.
"'You are from the West, aren't you?' inquired Lincoln.
"'My home is in Ohio,' I replied.
"'I thought so', he said; 'that's the kind of men they raise out
there!'"
* * * * *
"HARDSHIPS STRENGTHEN MUSCLES."
As in the old country, kings evade the tiresome features of receptions,
after a time, by retiring and leaving the ceremony to be carried out by
a deputy, so the daintier Presidents before the sixteenth one eluded
the handshaking when possible. But, on the contrary, "the man out of
the West" continued to the last, and the latest visitor had no reason
to cavil at the grip being less hearty to him than the first comer. On
visiting the army hospital at City Point, where upward of three
thousand patients awaited his passing with enrapt respect, he insisted
on no one being neglected. A surgeon inquired if he did not feel lamed
in the arm by the undue exertion, whereupon he replied smilingly:
"Not at all. The hardships of my early life gave me strong muscles."
And as there happened to be in the yard, by the doorway, a
chopping-block with the ax left stuck on the top as usual, he took it
out, swung, and poised it to get the unfamiliar heft, and chopped up a
stick lying handy. When he paused, from no more left to do, he held out
the implement straight, forming one line with his extended arm, and not
a nerve quivered any more than the helve or the blade. The workers, who
knew what hard work was, gazed with wonder at what they could not have
done for a moment. One of them gathered up the chips and disposed of
them for relics to the sightseers who welcomed such tokens of the great
ruler.
(An American visiting Mr. Gladstone's country seat, Hawarden, and
seeing the premier chopping a tree for health's sake, observed
humorously, having also seen Mr. Lincoln employed as above: "Your Grand
Old Man is going in at the same hole ours went out!")
* * * * *