Worship in Washington

[RJNorton]

One story I like from this time period goes as follows:

After Willie died in 1862 Dr. Francis Vinton, rector of Trinity Church, came down to Washington from New York. He was a friend of the Lincoln family, and was allowed in to see the President. Not wanting to beat around the bush, he told him it was not right to mourn like this over his son. He said, “Your son is alive in paradise with Christ, and you must not continue.” Lincoln sat there as though he were in a stupor, and then his mind caught onto the words that Dr. Vinton had said. He exclaimed, “Alive! Alive! Surely, sir, you mock me.” “No, Mr. President, it is a great doctrine of the church. Jesus himself said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Lincoln leaped to his feet and threw his arms around this pastor. He wept openly and sobbed, saying, “Alive! Alive! My boy is alive!” From that day on there began a change in Lincoln that even his wife Mary noticed.

One book that carries a version of this story is Twenty Days (p. 137). Twenty Days does not have footnotes, so I do not know the source. If anyone knows the story's source, please post! Thanks.