An old acquaintance of the President's visited him at Washington. Each
man's wife insisted on the gentleman, her lord, donning gloves. For
they were going as a square party out in the presidential carriage, and
the Washingtonians would not accept a king as such unless he dressed as
a king. Mr. Lincoln, as a shrewd politician, and married man, put his
gloves in his pocket, not to don them until there was no wriggling out
of the fix; the other one had his on at the hotel where the carriage
came to take that couple up.
They went out and took seats in the vehicle, whereupon the newcomer,
seeing that his host was ungloved, went on the rule of leaving the
fence bars as you find them. He set to drawing off his kids at the same
time as Mr. Lincoln commenced to tug at his to get them on.
"No, no, no!" protested the caller, fetching away his kids, one at a
time, "it is none of my doings! Put up your mittens, Lincoln!"
And so they had their ride out without their hands being in guards.
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