midnight
Forty years had she spent apologizing for Abraham , and now she understood how these twenty-nine generous old hearts had raided him to the pedestal of a hero , while she stood a heroine beside him . Angy it was who trembled now , and Abe , gaining a manly courage from that , took hold of her arm to steady her -- they had paused on a step near the foot of the stairs -- and , looking around with his whimsical smile , he demanded of the bedecked company in general , `` Ladies , be yew ` spectin ' the President ? '' Cackle went the cracked old voices of the twenty-nine in a chorus of appreciative laughter , while the old heads bobbed at one another as if to say , `` Wo n't he be an acquisition ? '' And then , from among the group there came forward Blossy -- Blossy , who had sacrificed most that this should come to pass ; Blossy , who had sat till midnight painting the gold-and-blue ribbons ; Blossy , the pride and beauty of the Home , in a delicate , old , yellow , real lace gown . She held her two hands gracefully and mysteriously behind her back as she advanced to the foot of the stairs . Looking steadily into Abraham 's eyes , she kept a-smiling until he felt as if the warmth of a belated spring had beamed upon him . `` The President ! ''