Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

“He greeted the ladies with smiles and compliments, and then threw himself on the sofa without any apparent fear of wrinkling his evening attire. His sons were immediately upon him, wrestling and laughing, and he made a great show of bravely fending them off, joking all the while. Amused, Elizabeth suppressed a smile.”

The narrator sets an intimate tone by drawing attention to details like Mr. Lincoln’s casual way of sitting and his boisterous roughhousing with his sons. Building a warm, family scene reminiscent of a more humble family home, it is easy to forget that the characters are situated in the White House and preparing for an elaborate ball. Elizabeth enjoys seeing Mr. Lincoln at ease, which adds to her character development as warm-hearted.

“For a long moment, Elizabeth stood watching after them, a bit confounded, marveling at all that she had seen. ‘George will never believe this,’ she murmured as she drew on her shawl and collected her satchel. Yet she had observed the scene with her own eyes.”

Although never in each other’s presence, Elizabeth’s relationship with her son is interpreted as loving and strong in the subtle ways they think of each other. Elizabeth, a now trusted friend of the first family, witnesses the grandeur of a presidential ball, immediately thinking of George and wanting to tell him about the spectacle. Later, George’s death is all the more tragic, knowing how important he was to Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth did not often disagree with the president, but in this case, she did not share his opinion in the slightest. Mrs. Lincoln’s beautifully formed shoulders and neck were her best features, and the gown’s low neckline set them off to great advantage.”

Mr. Lincoln and Elizabeth share many commonalities, so much so that Elizabeth startles upon disagreeing with the president, even about something as minor as Mrs. Lincoln’s dress style. By drawing attention to Mrs. Lincoln’s neck and referencing her features in general, Elizabeth illustrates an intimate familiarity with the first lady. Elizabeth and Mr.