29、In earlier days few people read Whitman's poems. One person who did read them was Abraham Lincoln who was then a country lawyer. He liked the strength and honesty of Whitman's words. He often read them to visitors in his office. Whitman didn't know Lincoln, but he wrote a long article about slavery. Whitman was against slavery. He wanted to see a new kind of president, not a professional politician, but an ordinary working man. This man would be wise, healthy and middle-aged. He would have a beard. Whitman didn't know it, but he was describing Lincoln. Before he was a lawyer, Lincoln worked with his hands. He was wise, healthy and middle-aged, and he had a beard.
In 1860 Abraham was elected the president of the United States. In March 1865, Whitman was in Washington. Abraham Lincoln became president for the second time. Whitman watched the ceremony. The two men had never met but they had seen each other. Washington was very hot in summer. Sometimes Lincoln went outside the city. He passed Whitman's house on the way. He and Whitman often nodded to each other.
Early in April the civil war ended. But on April 13 someone shot President Lincoln, and on 14 Lincoln died. To Whitman it was like the death of a friend. He loved Lincoln so much. He wrote a poem to express his feelings about the death of the president. It was one of his saddest and most beautiful poems.