Lincoln Story Book, The

<h3>"I WANTED TO SEE THEM SPREAD!"</h3> <p>It is related that the ushers and secret service officials on duty at the Executive Mansion during the war were prone to congregate in a little anteroom and exchange reminiscences. This was directly against instructions by the President.</p> <p>One night the guard and ushers were gathered in the little room talking things over, when suddenly the door opened, and there stood President Lincoln, his shoes in his hand.</p> <p>All the crowd scattered save one privileged individual, the Usher Pendel, of the President's own appointment, as he had been kind to the Lincoln children.</p> <p>The intruder shook his finger at him and, with assumed ferocity, growled:</p> <p>"Pendel, you people remind me of the boy who set a hen on forty-three eggs."</p> <p>"How was that, Mr. President?" asked Pendel.</p> <p>"A youngster put forty-three eggs under a hen, and then rushed in and told his mother what he had done.</p> <p>"'But a hen can't set on forty-three eggs,' replied the mother.</p> <p>"'No, I guess she can't, but I just wanted to see her spread herself.'</p> <p>"That's what I wanted to see you boys do when I came in," said the President, as he left for his apartments.--(By Thomas Pendel, still usher, in 1900.) <br/> <br/> <br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />