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Show NEW STORIES ABOUT AN OUT FAVORITE "ABE" LINCOLN I fiy Smith P. fry I -tNV I 11 u-o! ii story i it pohn.-.-tl Vj r".: l.li;Iiii)4 ttlw.ti.t I,! tho lt:!i-" le...,.ir.t, to iiht ipu.-nMi uu.t j IllcSHI IllSUHMll. Sfiwit'r Shelby M. Pullom. of 1U. whose oiin nunhoivl wns on. lishier.ftl and '. ate.l by the frinn.l. (;,U nf Uucoln. mut w.ia in lil.s lalor w.t:s tin etlhshlt'iunt: And elevrttliw I i;:rti:t".if upon the YiHinjt manhood of ! tv titer, nuviated experience ! vlu.'h ti.t new-r boon In print. It mvmis to h.tve boon lost tn tho ma-. m.;o of stoites conci-mlng that wonderful nobleman who lived hiuI dirtl siuoiiK mortal moil In our own land, "with m.ihce. tovur.l none aiul with charity for all." StMiator Trumbull accompanied rne. to the Whit Uouse on? afternoon. " slid Senator Oullotu. 'li:k clouds wero hoverlnR over th horuoii. VH.-a. iters and defeats tie-teleped tie-teleped .llsooui'a.K -iii.-nl day afto-Uy. afto-Uy. Over the minds of statesmen :.t the Capitol apprehension brooded from the rising of the tun to the (,-olns down of the Miiu1. "With the purpose of eyicoursslns k iVeriousmiiu'.ed. careworn 1'resl-ijent 1'resl-ijent who received us. Senator Trunii bull cheerfully greeted President Lincoln, Lin-coln, savins: - Mr. President. I hope that you art 1 lookins on the bright side of affairs. On Capitol Hl'.l we all wonder that you can do ao well In these trying times, especially as you have no precedent to fjUie you In anything. Judicial, civil or military." "Heartily grasping the hand of Sen ator Trumbull, and also clasping mine. Abraham Lincoln looked straight into j the eyes of the Senator and squarely j filmed toward me. and I saw- upon the ! face of that grand man a smile of con-j con-j tfp.tment. peace and hope, such as few men ever saw; and Lincoln thrilled me with his manner and his words. Even now the memory of his words. i nr I 1 W Pi I vw gal f - -: ' A- W by should the spirit of "v mortal be proud?"'' his wonderful smile, his confident manner man-ner thrills me. He very earnestly said: " 'Thank you. Senator Trumbull, for every word of encouragement. EuL. please tell the boys on Capitol Hill that I have precedents for everything. Tell them all that I shall commit no canrerous error: thav I shall not blun-de.-, because I have precedents, and I carefully follow them. I get my precedents, prece-dents, Trumbull, by my bedside at night- I get them while I am on my knees. I seek my precedents then and There: ar.d they come to me from the source of all wisdom." "As we were going away Senator Trumbull turned around, went back and grasped the hand of the President, saying: "' 'Abe Lincoln, you are simply a wonder! "Then the great big man seemed to grow even larger, as he said: "'I'm glad that you think so. Lyman. Ly-man. In fact, I wish that all of our people, every man and woman and chiid in our beloved and endangered country would trust me and look on Die in some sense as a wonder. I do so want their trusting confidence for the welfare of all of us, and not for myself. For, Trumbull, "why should the spirit of mortal be proud?"' "I have always felt and believed that I saw and heard Abraham Lincoln Lin-coln in one of his greatest moments, "N, when his spirit was in touch with the "Neat Spirit that sent him to us." Stnator James Harlan, of Iowa, i valued and helpful friend of my i parentless childhood, walking about Mount Pleasant, la., one evening while i the writer was there at the university, narrated several impressive incidents 4. concerning Lincoln, in whose Cabinet ' he had served as Secretary of the Interior, In-terior, and one of those stories has ; lingered vividly In memory. It depicts , the grand character in a spirit trmilar to that so eloquently described by Senator Sen-ator Cullcm. It was after a defeat of the Federal army in 1SC3, when all loyal men were agonized and apprehensive, that Senator Harlan voiced his fears, when Abraham Lincoln said: "Men do not realize the value of the teachings of the Man of Nazareth. Few men know how to say their prayers: pray-ers: and fewer still know how to pray at all. I believe in God; and when I pray I want to have 'my windows opened toward Jerusalem. ' " Senator Harlan afterward said: "My young friend, you should read and become familiar with your Bible. In that one sentence President Lincoln Lin-coln showed his familiarity with the story of Daniel when In captivity: for. when all prayer (except to the king) had been forbidden. Daniel continued .o pray, and the conspirators saw that he fearlessly 'kept his windows opened toward Jerusalem.1 Senator Harlan happened to be at 'he Whits House one morning when Prt.3ifit.su Lincoln stated his solu-'a solu-'a of tho Mormon question by -arrating one of his piercing parables. Jne of the callers that day was Governor Gov-ernor Cuming, of Utah Territory, who ,,""! "'onicoaUeM from that vxyiwi i'Y ( ' . ' ." .-' ''t '''1- KtK:tM.mtl church In tho v.oi Id, y ''resident Lincoln listened to the ver- W i ' rW , ulvi.ihi -i :3 that Al.n.li.'im I,Iik-oIii"m vtm.I knowl. t'ttl r-t.rt of v'timiiu. which cmoltid,..l . . y Kf r, . ,;' , V ... , V'( .V, - v.. -v.-,. t-r ;-v-.1 1 ,.,r.0 t the l;ihl- Vvi.m n-.t "ii:ill by i'ii ti, ,.,,, ,ha, -no t;v. rr'f:f.VT t : . uX . 'I uX th.i.,Ki....s. i o,m .,t ,..iy ,h:.t ernor of rtali can he Miiccessfiil. nor ;y '.'.,'' '','.''"'' V f ' '",' fj g. . ' " ( , ' - t II T ' ' 'V ' - .,' ' ' .1 uih-ii my own imtl.oi ity, hut t-lto It en ftlsiliy Micc.-ssful. unless- he ' ' ' 'r ' '' ' ''v I , j' ;.';.( -.' j :'. 'J J . 4 upon his authm II y. become a Moriuoo and a pol K.unls! ." .' ?V ' ' .' t -f . ' ' " i A'; . V ' """ knew .Sliakt-spt-are. and In the "I know n n,, ,). H,mtu, !.'.-ir-"- "r,;' i- --."-. J L ' ' ' " " ! '. ...j J J ' ! i rtsrk.-M hoiirM t tli lif of th nation, tht-re. CnnlnK."" roplled th- patient ' '). " ''((' : c.'.i .; ,i f ' ' Wi; :;'t 7,r,Z fn.T VTrT in she mld.-t of srreat d-presslon,. of..: nesldent, as he cnll.illy ...veUM ,he k VVfc-- i V J- 'MA I' 1 ' W "' , . ". ,' 0 U U II fl H U 0 0 when the 'a. t v.ai i ,.,sio, Mr. rcnuned othcia, and raised his voice 'f- -. -7 7. - f S ; . W, L ' , : . h , j f fj f ! ' j" 1; JjJ I D U fl ft f 1 Un.'o.n w,I .,.., a,,;,",-r so that newspaper men and others ), -r'' j S , V ' ,fa S - fa ' f.J'J U V 'U - -1- f Shakespeare, until .he ,. I.oli.rly t-f-uld hMr him ns he said: s i : d 'AW '. '. , ," 7 1 Heward would turn to 1,1m and say: , om' '"''"Ihlstnulon at --'alt Lake 1 t A " lL 1 ".Mr. Pi es.i.i, -ni, our und-, standing "V 1m Iwil Mlb(,. and I am' Of. vl . ' ' ) hl.H been that you have never gone to making a change wholly on account Tr''V ' 'A 7 Sl school, und yet you uote Sl,nke-i sue , "U Ml,, m-1" ""tlou. To enipha- VVv JVl.' ' ' " l' h I do not, ant I am reard.-d some- 1" yM. I have made 'r"' ' " ' I what as a Shakespearean srl,lar." out your ..PPolmnu-nt for another CoMl-lTV - . fV'-'TP) "Ilunyan's Tllgrlm's ITo7,.ss.' was Position. This Mormon qes,,o , e- 'JUXj(f " another book that he read, .'eed a m nd, me of a Mrnier frl, id of mine V j.f Krowln? mind upon the K,if.-lish of who was bothered for years by hlg Oi ,hM t(..xt!) luld you wi, ilave a cholco had been i .-called from thai position. ''resident Lincoln listened to the verbal ver-bal report of Ctiniiiiit. which concluded Willi the slalcnient thai "no Governor Gov-ernor of rtah can be successful, nor u 1 -'tlally successful, unless- he become a Mrnion and a polyK.unlsl." "I know all about the slliuilion there. Cumin."" replied th- patient President, as he cordially .-reeled (he removed otllcial and raised his voice so that newspaper men and others could hear him ns he said: "Your administration at --'alt Lake City has been satlsfnei and I mll ' making a change wholly on account of that Morm.m --.tloii. To enipha-sl.-e my confidence in you r have made out your appointment for another position. This Mormon question reminds re-minds me of a ferine,- frl, id of mine who was bothered for years bv hlg black gum log which encumbered ono of his best fields ; and it w as one of the most fertile fields in Illinois, too. "You see. Cuming, that log was too big to be moved; ,.nd It occupied a splendid plot for corn or wheat. It was too wet to burn It was too coarse and obstinate of texture to ho chopped or split. Thnt big log bothered my farmer friend every day In all of tho years, and In planting, growing, harvesting har-vesting time It even Vein him from sleeping. '"Flowing Around" "Sometimes during the many yearn his go. xi wife would hear the deacon uttering words which "ere unbecoming unbecom-ing for a deacon; but she did not reprove re-prove him. As a matter of fact that big black gum log bothered the good wife too. for It diminished her proper number of sunbonnets, gingham aprons and parlor furniture. In their old age sho was made very happy one morni-.g In springtime when Josiah went out to harness the horses for the plowing, as he stood In the doer hat In hand and said: , ""Mother. I've got that big black gum log question off of my mind at last. It's all settled. It won't worry us any more." " 'Lar.'s sakes, Josiah." exclaimed the old deaconess, "how on alrth have you got It done for?" " Tain't done for. Cynthy." he replied. re-plied. 'It's Jest settled, once and fer all. We must do jest what we been a'doln' all the time; and that's the only thing to do. "We've jest got to plow around the derned old thing." And now. after all of these years, the long-time troublesome question has been settled, because the country finally gave up the subject and "Just plowed around it." until It settled Itself. It-self. Congresman Samuel S. Cox. long time famous In the halls of Congress, told the narrator of a visit which he hurriedly paid at the White House en? morning xwhe the Confederate raider. John Morgan, was careering over Ohio, doing great damage and seemingly incapable of defeat or capture. cap-ture. Congressman Cox went to the "White House for information, saying substantially: "Mr. President. I have been to the War Department, but can get no Information In-formation concerning John Morgan. Can you tell me anything about him? Where Is he? Will he capture Columbus? Colum-bus? Will he "He has not told me yet." replied Mr. Lincoln." but I would be willing to make a bet that he will capture Columbus Co-lumbus If he can. and carrry off your live stock and fancy chickens. Mr. Cox, if he can get them. No, we don't know this morning Just where he Is. but you may be pretty sure that our boys will catch him soon. When they do got him I want to see him. One of Morgan's Tricks "I like that rascal, Mr. Cox, like him very much," continued Mr. Lincoln. Lin-coln. "John has .a sense of humor which thoroughly humanizes him. He captures mail trains, examines all of the letter mail, leU ordinary correspondence corre-spondence go right along, but the big envelopes with the War Department imprint he takes possession of, examines, ex-amines, and uses for his own military purposes. Only ''his morning I heard of one of his tricks, and what do you suppose it was? "In one of the big envelopes there was a commission promoting a second lieutenant to be major of his regiment; regi-ment; the promotion was made for merit and courage. Down in one corner cor-ner of the commission John read the words. "Approved. A. Lincoln." "Right underneath, he wrote: " 'Approved by me also, John Morgan," Mor-gan," and he forwarded that commission commis-sion to the worthy officer. I tell you, friend Cox. I like John and hope to see him one of these days, very soon." You never heard of the wrath of Abraham Lincoln, did you? Well. General Tom Ewing. of Indiana, told the old-timers on ancient Newspaper Row, In Washington city, an incident which he termed "a narrow escape from the just wrath of President Lincoln." Lin-coln." To understand It thoroughly the average reader must ask old grandpa or grandma to describe the immense comet which overcast the sky, really overspreading it. for many moons In the year of 1S57. Excepting the few scientists who comprehended the history of the comet, all of the people of the world were frightened; and the plain people of this country wero praying and following follow-ing a sect called "Millerites," who had been predicting the end of the world at that time. It was during the height of the excitement, apprehension and i alarm eau.-.ed by the comet that Gen-era! Gen-era! llwing was In Yincenncs. llld.. l"ea,ly lo tai.e a coach for liansporta-tlon liansporta-tlon to Indianapolis, lie said: "In front of tl'.e oh! hotel there, was n foiir-hurso old t.ishlum d coach Wl'h a veiV venr: able driver. On the reat-seat reat-seat 1 found a rustic lariner, or farmer's farm-er's son. inakiiiir himself coinftirlaMe. Now I did not want to ride backward, so I approached him anil said: "'My dear follow. Governor Willanl. of Indiana, is coming out in a mhiuto ind I know that It makes the Governor Gover-nor seasick torldn backward. So. If you don't mind. It would be a nice thlrg If oil would fake the front scat and leave the rear scat for tho Gov-ernor.' Gov-ernor.' "Tho farmer picked up his straw-hat, straw-hat, put it ov his bushy mat of black hair and through his Kick whiskers came tho words, v.iy cheerfully H'okon: " 'All right. ! t the Governor have the back seat. I guess I won't get sea-sick sea-sick as I have never been lo sea." "Gathering his cheap linen duster as-ound his skeleton and picking up his big carpetbag tho la-iky fellow-sidled fellow-sidled across: tuok the front seat and left the best seat, the back ore. for Governor Willard. of lm'.lan.i. as;d also for his diplomatic f, lend, Genera! Tom Ewlng. 1 lie Talc of a Comet "It was a rainy day and we traveled over an awfully muddy road, through a sea of mud. Governor Willard and I talked about the comet, wl-.at the newspapers were sayintt and what the magazines were guessing about it. The lanky one linked sevei al qu stions ehowir.g some knowledge of current rumor, and we put him oif with brief pert answers. Finally he address1-1 me by name, although I had not given him my name, and asked: " 'General Kwlug, If you know what effect this comet will hae on the earth I will be obliged for the information." informa-tion." "Afterward I remembered nls decent and respectful manner, but at the time I was annoyed, and shut him up for good by saying: " 'I have no doubt that the derned thing will grip up tli is earth and run away to hell with It." " "That finished him for the day. He asked no more, but respectfully listened, lis-tened, as we expected him to do. Whori we got to Indianapolis In the evening the gawky fellow rubbed resentment and reproach into my soul by Jumping out Into the mud( picking up a plank, placing it where Governor Willard and I could walk to the board sidewalk side-walk dry-shod, and ho disappeared into tho hotel before either one of us could utter an expression of appreciation. appre-ciation. Governor Willard said that Sir Walter Raleigh couldn't have done the act any better. "'Half an hour later Governor Willard Wil-lard and I were at one of the big tables in the dining room, which was crowded, when the farmer came in, looked around for a seat and moved toward our table. I asked Governor Willard If I should Invite the fellow, and was advised to do so, for there was a vacant seat next to Governor Willard, and I motioned for the tail country fellow to come, and he did so. "He looked a great deal better. Ho had combed his shock of black hair and had somehow smoothed his whiskers. Ho w-ore a black Prince Albert Al-bert coat, which was some worn, but looked genteel. As he came alongside of us he thanked Governor Willard, and also thanked me, for the honor of a seat at our table. "Apparently he was a very light eater, although he was a tall fellow and big enough to swing a heavy scythe or rake in a harvest field. He finished while tho Governor and I were taking dessert, and as he rose he thanked us a.aln for the honor, and asked Governor Willard If he inhiht tdl folks out Wte I that lo- had sat at the same tahlo al s'i;vr.- Villi Governor Gover-nor Willard. of Indiana, and the Gov-ernos- (iinoiously j.ae him that per-nil- "ion. "The Governor. hal,c: dres-' l jn my room for the evening, ,.-c. nd--J tht. stairs with m as he was Intending Intend-ing soon to Ju to the c'ecntlve mansion. man-sion. Wo heard -:iv Ian. :ktrr and l on uds of applause In the p-1 ' 1":", and I asked one of the t 1 I hutel (nuil'.ycs who the tall nine was that stood In tho pallor, and whom tin- people v.eio so hi -Illy chec: i:n. aa l I. is reply was: " "That is a lawyer fmm o it We t somewhere, Illinois I believe. Ho comes hero two or three times a year. His name Is Lincoln, Alaalvim Lincoln, and he is a fine Moiy teller." "Tin; ride, the story of the coiit't, the supper and all wrce f, I'liiiM.-ii soon, hut In tl'.e spiing of le-s than four years late.-, I went to Washington Washing-ton ia. y to a.-k '.hit .-.line gawky follow-to follow-to appoint me lo the Important and destiahle olliee of Ininis'.er to Mexico and I had the hear ts- indo: M-nient ot the lea. ling 1 h mi! . Ilea r. of Inii''na but I re..l:.x 1 that I was f.o lng tho pent-up wrath of the man v.). on. I had Indirectly but k i-nly In'sultv-I on that occasion, and re.Mi.-ssly. toe for he had h.-t n gei.'.lenia nly and courteous, cour-teous, w hile I had h, t n tioni ish. "I told my friends about It. and they were prepa- ' d with Lu.-l.t Is of ex-ciis. ex-ciis. s for me Put. fortunately, the Ms man In the White House looked me ot or rry keenly, did not recoi,-nie me. gras; , d my h ,r. I very ..or.liaUy and said: "'General Kwirc. the country mods men of exponent e ; ' n .o a w ho are In- dored as you are by !.;.; men ln-fortunately ln-fortunately for'you Indii iuiniHy. however. how-ever. I have promised that place to Tr-"' 1 ... .... f,V', ) 'ste.r- "'." ' A niched with poverty to compel com-pel his host efforts Torn Corwin. of Ohio. I have chosen him for the position- of minister to Mexico.' "I bpieved, and my friends bcUovcvl, that he was merely throwing tho harpoon har-poon of vengeance into mo, hut he was not. lie really did not remember me, and he said: 'Now I hoie 'hat you will look over the lUt of possibilities, select something substantially as ?rood and come back to me. The country needs veteran soldiers and men of ex-peiicnce ex-peiicnce who have proved their love of country. Come and see me airain, arid we will get together somehow. "Within a week I called auaini prop-o: prop-o: ly accompanied, and asked to be made minister to Brar.il, and President Presi-dent Lincoln pave me a note to the Secretary of State, ordering: that appointment. ap-pointment. It was made and promptly confirmed by the Senate. "Just about one month I seut at the Department of State receiving instructions in-structions concerning the duties of the position. Then when I was ready to kii to Brazil I was accompanied to the White House by tho Secretary of State to receive my final instructions from the President and to say good-by to him. "J'reMd'-nt Lincoln r-'ivo me sreater, (:-, more rum pi eh'-nsive Instructions Instruc-tions than I h.id n-'-'iv-d ut tho Do-p.iitiiH-.it i-f Stult H' wa- very rarn ( -r. wry r:r;ivo and thoroughly irn-pi irn-pi -d inn with the tru.it which was i ('-.( -cd in me by my country. Ho mad." me understand that the diplomatic diplo-matic n-nrf'-ntat t ws of fiome coun-trl.s coun-trl.s of South America, and of all except ex-cept Uu.--i;t in the countries of Lurope, wnuld h lik'dy to mirih-ad me into l u a rt ( Is or runt i ovt-i!r s. My duty ;n to l-itj'-p sober and calm uihIt all 'ii "( umstaiK Nothing unexpected -i ;m j ho all'i7"il to unbalance my nr-n'.'tl C'pii;.hi luni. One rare'.ess deed or W"id of mine mb:ht prove to be of praw danK'-r, possibly fatal to our rniitry. "Sr -ryrA :ivy Pward listened carefully, care-fully, as I did. At the roncluslon of t!wj audit v.cq Proidr-nt Lincoln bade n.e r"d !y ami pud;: peed, wnt to the door with tho Secretary and me and there lie took my hand and heartily t-U' .: '.! It in hia powerful grip and in id! "'Now you do your duty; I will do my dutv, arid between us, ere he threw his kr.R- I -ft arm around my rhouM"!i .and added, 'we ought to be eMe, Tm to l;p that derned old rornet Hum running to hell with this old earth. P'od-hy. " Coin:: e-man Simeon D. Fe of r,hi', says that In Oxford University, iTnurland, thty tach the finest English. t.u:-ht or sr-'ken in any place in the wo; I There, mark you. In one of the corridors of that great peat of learning. Is ehi'iited "one of the finest letters of foiiiliil'-:To ever writer! in our lan-guaL- ," wriu-n by Abraham Lincoln, hnd here Is a part of It: "Lear Madam: I have been hown n statement of t lie adjutant generaJ of M:i.-su ."hnsetts that you aro the mother cf live sons who have died fclnriocsly on the tleld of battle. I can r.ot refrain from t -:. lerliig to you the thank? of the republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Lather may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and I'Nt. and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice sac-rifice on the r.itar of freedom." Gettyshurg Speech Then go to the British Museum, where can be found books enough, if put on a single shelf, to reach forty miles. Ask there for the finest short speech in tho KnglLh language und yon will bo hande' at once tht splendid piece of rhetoric, high mark of literary appreciation r.nd statesmanlike statesman-like delivery, uttered by Abraham Lincoln Lin-coln at Gettysburg. "November 19. 1S63, beginning: "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived In liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created eqiKil." Addressing the House of Representatives Representa-tives of 'he American Congress on a special occa;-ion, Representative Fess said: "Who is this man, that he could thus speak ar.d write? Born In a hut in Kentucky, at the ase of seven he accompanied his parents and sister into Indiana, where they lived one winter In an open camp with but three sides to It? And yet without having gone to school-more than six months all told, according to his own statement, state-ment, here is a man. thus starting with no convenience, who lias reached a plane, an ability to speak the English Eng-lish language not reached by any of the scholars of his day. '"Where is the secret? I think that it might be found in the sort of books he read. "The one book with which he was o,uite familiar was King James's version ver-sion of the Bible. I once heard Parks Cadman, pastor of the "greatest Con- pwS Jsiiiij L C- .owDSvtlle. b i Kr f-K'i'lnn.'i 1 rhui ' h In th wot d, my that Abii'ihatn LIih-oIu'h wrb;i knowl. edj'o of th Bible Vv;m not. fjual'd by th theolojiau. I would not j-ny that upon my own aut hoi jt y, but etj It upon his authority. "1 lo knew Shakespeare, and In the darkevt ho 1 1 is of th'j life of the nation, iti the mld.-t of great d'-prei-Mon,. ofi-u when tho Cabinet v.ai in feion, Mr. Lincoln v.ould njiote page ufu-r pago of Shaker-peare, until the (a.larly Seward would turn to him and Fay: ' '.Mr. Pi evident, our understanding hftH been that you have never gono to hehofd. and yet you quote Sl-n ke-peai e an I do not, anl I am regarded horne-wlmt horne-wlmt a a Sha ke.peai ea n scholar.' "Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress' wa.i another book that he read. Peed a growing mind up"n the English of thesM texts and you will have a choho of English." Tho scholarly (Vngrcs--man also Fa id: "I roneede the rpeeches befoie mentioned an a high rank of expren-hlon, expren-hlon, but I think that the high-water mark was readied when, looking ba'k over four years of awful war, he said: "'Both lead the same B;ule and pray to the saniM fPd. and ea-"h involies I lis aid against the other. The prayers of both roukt not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The-Almlghty The-Almlghty has His own purposes. Dieted With Adversity "'Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled up by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited unre-quited toll shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn by the lah shall be paid by another drawn by tho sword, as was said three thousand years ai?o. so still It must be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.1'" , From the cradle to the grave Abraham Abra-ham Lincoln was blessed with ad-.r-sity and misfortune sufficient to constantly con-stantly compel his best efforts at ail times. That he was not only blessed with surT.cient poverty to compel his best efforts, but that he was also cheerful and content with his lot. is well illustrated illus-trated by an incident of his career which was narrated to the writer by the sometime famous parliamentarian. Congressman William M. Springer, of Springfield, 111.; one who was for many years a leader of thought and discussion i:i the procedures of the House of Representatives of the National Na-tional C.igress. There1 was a merchant from Kentucky Ken-tucky named Speed, who established and conducted a frontier store at Springfield; the kind of a store which lives only in history and In the memories memo-ries of those now old, bald or gray. In those days the "frontier general store" carried a stock of every thing, from pins and needles to buffalo robes and bullet molds; also molds for making mak-ing tallow candles. This merchant (Speed) had a young man from Louisville as his principal clerk; although he employed others as they were needed by the day or week- One damp, chilly, windy day of November the young lawyer (Lincoln) (Lin-coln) came intc the big caravansary of merchandise, which covered almost half an acr6 of ground, sat silently beside one of the big cannon stoves which heated the place, until he caught Speed at leisure for a minute, 'and Lincoln said: "Speed, I want to know what it will cost me for a single bedstead, mattress and a pillow. I've got a big buffalo robe which T use in the cutter when I am obliged to travel: and that robe will do for a covering at nights on my bed. I have two rooms at my shack. The front room is all the law oftice I need, and I can make a bedroom of the back room and thus save rent. Times are awful bird, and if I can afford a little bed and outfit, with time to pay for it, I can save quite a bit of money in rent in the course of the year." That little statement told of poverty and of a struggle for existenco without with-out thinking of comfort, much less of luxury. Abraham Lincoln was poor; yes. pitifully poor. hen Lincoln Moved After some conversation on the subject sub-ject Speed told the young lawyer, whom lie liked very much and for whom he had a special regard, because of his having been born in Kentucky; for Kentuckians arc clannish, always have been, and may they always continue con-tinue to be. neighborly clannish; so Speed liked Lincoln and told him that his clerk, the young man from Louisville, Louis-ville, was going back home on tho fol- , lowing day. which, was Saturday; that he was to be married and remain in Kentucky. Speed then as:kcd the poor young lawyer to go upstairs with him, and Lincoln accompanied him. The second story (and it was the top story, too) contained hundreds of barrels bar-rels and boxes of merchandise of all sorts. Threads were strung all around the walls and ceilings, and they carried car-ried dried apples and dried peaches for sale and use during tho winter. In the center, near the sheetiion "drum' which surrounded the stovepipe and radiated heat for that upper floor, there was a big bedstead, with feather bed and feather pillows, and also plenty of bedding. Speed said: "If you can get along hove, Abe, you can have this place, rent free, until you get better fixed. Take tho place, pave rent, keep wa rm, be comfortable, com-fortable, and take what yuu want to on reakj f.'jf out of thr, ,-.ore; and p;i me, sJ, V. he,, y,,'j get y,,,. ;, :,d I . adv." fJi;r,-;y and --ly Uo-'dT thank'-d Speed for tho offer, k;.:t down b'--idi tho bed foi a roup!' of nln u ! n n rid v.-'M.i. do-., n - 'a irs. Th-r wn no telephone to m: in i1;om- diyi. 'J here v. an no li i-f'-r ornp;t ny. J a ' n v.er- f.-w nr.d far l,e!v.- e-, (Jn i-.at 'J. v.hon Lincoln v-ant'-d to move hou-.ehoM good-. B'jt h managed f pa-k up all ut his )..: irl:.;"i that itfie; noon and move. O-ngr . :i'. n Kpiinger ,:ip l thai in:.!!-: of half art hour ofter having the .s'oro Abr.t:.a:n Lincoln ea rno baek, ca; r ;ng acron his M.ojMrrs an oM-f a.-hio.ned pa.r of t-addb; hags. t-w'i a v.e;e ea:r;l on horse' ba ks back of the radule. Lincoln Lin-coln pa--ed through the to:, went upsTalrr-, walked to tho bed and v. -a n hoaid to 'drop the saddle barrij. T h 1 he ran lightly downstairs, vent to the big cannon atovc, sat down In an old. wil-whittied chair, poked his bis feet up against the railing around the stove, looked at tho proprietor and said: "Well, Speed. I've moved!' A mischief m -.er told . Pr-!dent Lincoln that hli Secretary of War, Stanton, ha spoken of h!m as a baboon. Tho President made the mls-ehief mls-ehief maker happy by perlously asking ask-ing If ho could prove thnt Sta.nton ha! fcaid such a thing. Tho reply was: "Stanton paid It recently to Judge Holt; and there comes Judge Holt now. You can ask him." Still looking very grave, and possibly pos-sibly an cry. President Lincoln beckoned beck-oned to Judge Holt, who, of course, re pponded immediately, and, In the happy presence of the mischief maker, asked if Stanton ha.d made such a remark. re-mark. Judge Holt vainly tried to evade the question, but to the Intense gratification of the mischief maker, who hated Stanton, the Prc-sident Insisted In-sisted upon an answer, and finally Judge Holt said: "Yes. Mr. President, the Secretary of War did speak of you as a bis baboon, but it was one of Stanton's '"The girl who would soon be a widow but for me" cursory remarks. I would not pay any attention to it if I were you." "But I must," said President Lin-coin. Lin-coin. "If you had said such a thing, or if our friend here had called me a baboon, I might not pay any attention to it. But if Stanton said it. the matter mat-ter is a very serious one; for, don't you know, g-entlemen, Stanton is generally gen-erally right.' Secretary Stanton came to the "White House one afternoon to protest against a pardon which President Lincoln Lin-coln had issued for a soldier sentenced o bo shot for desertion. Stanton said: "That mother-in-law who came to ycu this morning was only shedding crocodile tears. She uoesn't care for that son-in-law. I'm told that she merely came as a matter of duty, because be-cause she had opposed the marriage of her daughter to that man, and to refuse to plead for his lite would have been almost unpardonable. But she didn't care for the pardon, and didn't expect it." "All of that -was very clear to ma, Stanton," was the reply of the wonderful won-derful Lincoln. "I only looked at her once, and then patiently listened to her. I had mad up my mind to Issue the pardon before that mother-in-law began to talk and weep. I did not look at her a second time, nor pay any heed to what she was saying. The pardon was issued, in my mind, as soon as I looked at that poor, frail, tearless Madonna, the girl who would soon be a widow hut for me. I led her to a seat, wrote and placed the pardon In her hands. I bade her good-by. but the tears that fell on to my hand were from the eyes of the child-wife, whose grief had been so deep that she had been tea-, less until she held that "pardon." Even so strong and patriotic a man as Horace Greeley published an open letter to Lincoln, in lSi"3, calling the President an opportunist and debouncing de-bouncing his policies. In his reply Mr. Lincoln plainly stated that he did not want to be known in history as "The Emancipator," but that his chief purpose was "to save the I'nion." Here are his sincere words: "My paramount object is to save the I'nion. and not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the I'nion without freeing any slave. I wouM do it. If I could save it by freeing free-ing all the slaves. I would do it. "i am ready to accept any new views as scon as they are proved to be true views." Well, by the course which he pursued pur-sued the I'nion was saved and today it Is the Gihralt tr of the democracy of the world Great as was the cause, of emancipation for the enslaved people, peo-ple, greater was the cause of saving tills I'nion and making it the great nation that it is today, "one and inseparable." |
