Abraham Lincoln: A Play Part 10

_Susan_: Oh, no, ma'am. I always refer to him as Mr. Lincoln.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Yes, but you must say the President.

_Susan:_ I'm afraid I shan't ever learn, ma'am.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: You must try.

_Susan_: Yes, of course, ma'am.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: And bring any visitors up.

_Susan_: Yes, ma'am. There's a lady waiting now.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Then why didn't you say so?

_Susan_: That's what I was going to, ma'am, when you began to talk about Mr.--I mean the President, ma'am.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Well, show her up.

SUSAN _goes_. MRS. LINCOLN _closes her writing desk._ SUSAN _returns, showing in_ MRS. GOLIATH BLOW.

_Susan_: Mrs. Goliath Blow.

_She goes_.

_Mrs. Blow_: Good-afternoon, Mrs. Lincoln.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Good-afternoon, Mrs. Blow. Sit down, please.

_They sit_.

_Mrs. Blow_: And is the dear President well?

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Yes. He's rather tired.

_Mrs. Blow_: Of course, to be sure. This dreadful war. But I hope he's not getting tired of the war.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: It's a constant anxiety for him. He feels his responsibility very deeply.

_Mrs. Blow_: To be sure. But you mustn't let him get war-weary. These monsters in the South have got to be stamped out.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: I don't think you need be afraid of the President's firmness.

_Mrs. Blow_: Oh, of course not. I was only saying to Goliath yesterday, "The President will never give way till he has the South squealing," and Goliath agreed.

SUSAN _comes in_.

_Susan_: Mrs. Otherly, ma'am.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Show Mrs. Otherly in.

SUSAN _goes_.

_Mrs. Blow_: Oh, that dreadful woman! I believe she wants the war to stop.

_Susan (at the door_): Mrs. Otherly.

MRS. OTHERLY _comes in and_ SUSAN _goes_.

_Mrs. Lincoln_: Good-afternoon, Mrs. Otherly. You know Mrs. Goliath Blow?

_Mrs. Otherly_: Yes. Good-afternoon. _She sits_.

_Mrs. Blow_: Goliath says the war will go on for another three years at least.

_Mrs. Otherly_: Three years? That would be terrible, wouldn't it?

_Mrs. Blow_: We must be prepared to make sacrifices.

_Mrs. Otherly_: Yes.

_Mrs. Blow_: It makes my blood boil to think of those people.

_Mrs. Otherly_: I used to know a lot of them. Some of them were very kind and nice.

_Mrs. Blow_: That was just their cunning, depend on it. I'm afraid there's a good deal of disloyalty among us. Shall we see the dear President this afternoon, Mrs. Lincoln?

_Mrs. Lincoln_: He will be here directly, I think.

_Mrs. Blow_: You 're looking wonderfully well, with all the hard work that you have to do. I've really had to drop some of mine. And with expenses going up, it's all very lowering, don't you think? Goliath and I have had to reduce several of our subscriptions. But, of course, we all have to deny ourselves something. Ah, good-afternoon, dear Mr.

President.

LINCOLN _comes in_. THE LADIES _rise and shake hands with him_.

_Lincoln_: Good-afternoon, ladies.

_Mrs. Otherly_: Good-afternoon, Mr. President.

_They all sit_.

_Mrs. Blow_: And is there any startling news, Mr. President?

_Lincoln_: Madam, every morning when I wake up, and say to myself, a hundred, or two hundred, or a thousand of my countrymen will be killed to-day, I find it startling.

_Mrs. Blow_: Oh, yes, of course, to be sure. But I mean, is there any good news.