ns," she wrote, "to meet the
expenses of even a first-class boarding-house, and must sell out and
secure cheap rooms at some place in the country. It will not be
startling news to you, my dear Lizzie, to learn that I must sell a
portion of my wardrobe to add to my resources, so as to enable me to
live decently, for you remember what I told you in Washington, as well
as what you understood before you left me here in Chicago. I cannot live
on $1,700 a year, and as I have many costly things which I shall never
wear, I might as well turn them into money, and thus add to my income,
and make my circumstances easier. It is humiliating to be placed in such
a position, but, as I am in the position, I must extricate myself as
best I can. Now, Lizzie, I want to ask a favor of you. It is imperative
that I should do something for my relief, and I want you to meet me in
New York, between the 30th of August and the 5th of September next, to
assist me in disposing of a portion of my wardrobe."

I knew that Mrs. Lincoln's income was small, and also knew that she had
many valuable dresses, which could be of no value to her, packed away in
boxes and trunks. I was confident that she would never wear the dresses
again, and thought that, since her need was urgent, it would be well
enough to dispose of them quietly, and believed that New York was the
best place to transact a delicate business of the kind. She was the wife
of Abraham Lincoln, the man who had done so much for my race, and I
could refuse to do nothing for her, calculated to advance her interests.
I consented to render Mrs. Lincoln all the assistance in my power, and
many letters passed between us in regard to the best way to proceed. It
was finally arranged that I should meet her in New York about the middle
of September. While thinking over this question, I remembered an
incident of the White House. When we were packing up to leave Washington
for Chicago, she said to me, one morning:

"Lizzie, I may see the day when I shall be obliged to sell a portion of
my wardrobe. If Congress does not do something for me, then my dresses
some day may have to go to bring food into my mouth, and the mouths of
my children."

I also remembered of Mrs. L. having said to me at different times, in
the years of 1863 and '4, that her expensive dresses might prove of
great assistance to her some day.

"In what way, Mrs. Lincoln? I do not understand," I ejaculated, the
first time she made the rema