“Excuse me, sir,” I says again.
“That’s all right, little woman,” he answers, in that deep, gentle voice of his. “The nurse deserves the right of way nowadays; even over the President. She earns it.”
Just then, as I was moving aside (and longing, too, to thank him for being such a wonderful man) the superintendent steps up to him and says:
“Mr. President, this is Nurse Sessions you were asking about. Would you care to speak to her now? My office is here to the right. You won’t be disturbed there.”
Well, Jim, I could have gone through the floor, right then and there. I couldn’t believe my ears were telling me the truth. What could Mr. Lincoln have to say to me? And how could I have been away when he asked for me?
I just stood trembling and looking foolish.
And then Mr. Lincoln was smiling and holding out his hand—I wanted to kiss it!—and saying:
“Mrs. Sessions, one of the reasons I came here this morning was for a little chat with you. Shall we step in here?”
And I followed him into the superintendent’s office and he set a chair for me, just like I was a queen, and as if he was working for our folks.
We sat down. And here’s what he said, as close as I can remember. And I guess I’m not liable to have forgotten the words: