|
Prev
| Next
| Contents
THE OTHER ONE WAS WORSE.
It so happened that an official of the War Department had escaped
serious punishment for a rather flagrant offense, by showing where
grosser irregularities existed in the management of a certain bureau
of the Department. So valuable was the information furnished that the
culprit who "gave the snap away" was not even discharged.
"That reminds me," the President said, when the case was laid before
him, "of a story about Daniel Webster, when the latter was a boy.
"When quite young, at school, Daniel was one day guilty of a gross
violation of the rules. He was detected in the act, and called up by the
teacher for punishment.
"This was to be the old-fashioned 'feruling' of the hand. His hands
happened to be very dirty.
"Knowing this, on the way to the teacher's desk, he spit upon the palm
of his right hand, wiping it off upon the side of his pantaloons.
"'Give me your hand, sir,' said the teacher, very sternly.
"Out went the right hand, partly cleansed. The teacher looked at it a
moment, and said:
"'Daniel, if you will find another hand in this school-room as filthy as
that, I will let you off this time!'
"Instantly from behind the back came the left hand.
"'Here it is, sir,' was the ready reply.
"'That will do,' said the teacher, 'for this time; you can take your
seat, sir.'"
Prev
| Next
| Contents
Stories and Anecdotes About the Life of Abraham Lincoln
|