Tad at the Telegraph Office

The Lincolns were very indulgent parents. The story goes that one day their son Tad accompanied his father to the telegraph office in Washington. While Lincoln was busy looking over some dispatches from the front, Tad went into the other room and busied himself by drawing on a very white marble tabletop with some very black ink.

When Madison Buell, the telegraph operator, discovered what had happened he grabbed Tad by the collar and dragged him into the presence of the boy’s father. Buell was outraged and told the President that Tad had ruined the table.

Tad - he had not a deceitful bone in his body - held up his black fingers to show that he had, in fact, been up to some fun.

At that, Lincoln lifted Tad up into his arms and said, "Come, Tad; Buell is abusing you."