What is in a name? Edwin Booth was John Wilkes Booth older brother. While John Wilkes was a competent actor, Edwin was regarded as one of the 19th century’s great Shakespearean actors. He toured both the United States and Europe. Robert Todd Lincoln was the oldest of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s four sons. As told by Robert Todd. “The incident happened while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name.” Months after the incident, in 1865, Booth received a letter from a friend, Colonel Adam Badeau, then serving as an officer on Grant’s staff. Lincoln had related the story of the rescue to Badeau supposedly offered Booth his compliments for having performed such a deed. According to one Booth biographer, Robert’s superior, Ulysses S. Grant, also wrote to Booth to congratulate him on his heroism. Grant not only praised Booth’s quick actions but also said that if he could ever serve Edwin, he would. We all know the story of John Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Lincoln. As for Edwin Booth, the assassination almost destroyed him. In one foul instant he lost his younger brother, the prestige of his family name and his president. There were only two things that gave Edwin Booth comfort and helped him persevere through that terrible time: writing his autobiography and the knowledge that he had saved the slain president’s son from severe injury or death on that train station platform. While Edwin eventually recovered from the shock of the assassination, the Booth name was to some extent indelibly tainted by the youngest brother’s deed. Bispham related that one New York newspaper predicted none of the Booth clan would ever be permitted to perform on any American stage again. For a time Edwin feared to leave his house during the daytime. The assassination, as well as the universal vilification of his family, led Edwin to retire from acting for nearly a year. We bear the name of Christ. We are born again into God’s family. When we sin, those who know not Christ look at us as hypocrites. We be smudge the name of Christ. Who wants to be a Christian if that is how a Christian acts. We can hurt the blessed name of Christ just as John Wilkes hurt the name Booth.