Show P WHY LINCOLN GREW A BEARD Amusing and Pretty Little Story of a Wee Miss Who First Suggested It to Him There are aro thousands of authentic portraits and pictures of Abraham Lincoln in existence today When he was was a young lawyer in Illinois riding riding rid ing Ing the tho circuit in the tho country districts districts dis dis- of at that state he was photographed photographed photo photo- graphed by local photographers hundreds hundreds hun hun- dress of at times and gradually as he became famous In politics his picture was taken many more times by experienced experIenced experienced and skillful photographers In Inthe Inthe inthe the larger cities each one of them attempting attempting attempting at at- tempting to excel the other in the best likeness of the man who was occupying so much attention throughout through through- out America and Europe says a writer In Pittsburg Dispatch Naturally too I during nis administration and as a successful close he was not only snapped but caricatured at every possible possible pos pas si sible le phase phase from from the sublime to the ridiculous During Lincoln's presidential campaign campaign campaign cam cam- he received a letter from a cere f v b mss n s rr 14 n cn You See Grace Ive I've Let My Whiskers Whiskers Whis k kers rs Grow lain tain small Miss ul expressing very frankly the ol opinion that she thought he would look much nicer with whiskers whiskers whiskers whis kers The childs child's naive simplicity evidently appealed to him for he at once began to cultivate them Several years after Mr Lincoln's death the Incident by many people considered a myth became be ame known in detail and was found to have an exceedingly exceedingly ex ex- ex- ex exi i substantial basis The little lit tle tie girl in question was Grace Bedell who lived in Westfield l Chautauqua County New York Her father who was a stanch Republican was a great admirer of oC his party's choice for president president president pres pres- ident in 1860 and one day carried a abig abig abig big campaign poster home with him On the poster was a picture of Lincoln Lin Lin- coIn coln and Hamlin around whose faces fa-ces was an appropriate border of at rail fences Little Grace examined the the picture carefully and then exclaimed Mr Lincoln would be twice as good looking If It h he had whiskers like you papa papa over over which opinion the family had a hearty laugh But the child was mortified at their mirth and at the fact that her remark was being made a joke of at when she was vas In dead earnest about the matter In the privacy of her room she determined determined deter deter- determined mined to write to l Mr r. r Lincoln herself feeling sure that he would not misunderstand misunderstand mis mise understand her even though her own family had Imagine her astonishment when in inthe inthe inthe the latter part of October a letter came to the village postoffice for irate Bedell with a signature which said Your very sincere wisher well-wisher A A. Lincoln The letter was as follows follows fol tol- fol- fol lows My Dear Little Miss Your Miss Your agree agree- able letter of at the kith is received I regret the necessity of saying that I have no daughter I have three sons one 17 one 9 and one 7 years of age They with their mother constitute constitute my whole family As to the whiskers never having worn any do you you not think people would call it a piece of silly affection if It I began wearing them now Your very ve-ry sincere wisher well-wisher A. A LINCOLN The letter didn't exactly promise ho he would follow her suggestion but apparently apparently apparently ap ap- ap- ap ho he took it t to heart and acted on it shortly afterward H He evidently kept the girl In mind all the time too for when he arrived In Westfield on his campaign tour he asked from tram the platform whether there here was a small miss miss in the audience named Grace Bedell Dedell When the surprised girl was brought forward Mr Lincoln climbed down off art the platform took her up In his arms and kissing her said e You see Grace Ive I've let my whiskers whiskers whiskers whis whis- kers grow for tor you And thus It has gone gona down In history that it was on account of a childs child's request request re re- re quest that Mr Lincoln grow grew whis whis- kers The little girl Grace Bedell who brought about this change mar liar married married ried Tied before she was an old maid went to live In Delphos Kan |