| Show A man for the ages by irving bacheller 1 I learn earn that dails hns has recovered his nix all left tile the city A man can not do bushi business without frie friends ads and after the trial chicago was no place for him CHAPTER which presents tile the pleasant comedy of individualism in the new capital and the courtship of lincoln and mary todd samson with mr nimble on a pad stuffed with straw in front of him jogged bogged across the prairies and waded the creeks and sloughs on his way to springfield the little lad was in ills his fourth year that summer ile he slept and talked much on the way rind and kept stimson samson busy with queries about the sky and the creeks and the great flowery meadows they camped the first night in a belt of timber and samson writes that the boy slept snug against me with his head on my arm he went to sleep crying for ills his mother ile he adds it reminded me ine of the old lays days of my young fatherhood mr nimble wanted to pick VI ml the flowers all and splash ills his bare feet in every stream ani in the evening lie he would talk to the stars as if lie he were playing with them he Is like some of the grown folks in Clit chicago engo ile he would sit hanging on to the reins and talk to the ue horse and to god by the hour he used to tell me that god was as a friend of its his and I 1 think he was right it was good luck to get back to sarah and the children they took the little stranger into their hearts heart room house room Is the motto of this part of the country it was a new rt w town to which samson returned the gobernor goer nor ilor and the state officers had moved to springfield the new capitol was nearing completion the liard hard times which had followed the downfall of 37 had unjustly diminished mr Lincol ns confidence in fit his ability as a legislator he enjoy enjoyed ed the practice of the law which had begun to turn tits ills interest from the affairs of state but tile the pot of political science boiled before the fireplace in the rear of joshua speeds store every evening that lincoln and tits his associates wele in springfield the wit and wisdom which bubbled into its vapors vapor and in heat beat that surrounded it were the talk of the town many carn came e to witness the process and presently it was nl oel for a time to more accommodating quarters beff crowd of people in the 1 ChIl chillem Leh lincoln logan logaa balzer baker abw bro allag for the tes whigs and doug i calhoun lamborn and thomas f for or the democrats Demo cuts having assiduously prepared for the trial debated the burning issow essul s of the time the effort of each filled an evening and Lincol ns speech save gave him new hope of himself wise men began to have great confidence in ills his future he had taken the stale astle of webster for his model lie he no longer used the broad humor which had characterized ills efforts on the stump A study of the best speeches of the great new englander had made him qu estloa loi its value in a public address addres dignity clear reasoning and impressiveness were the chief alms abins of his new method the latter of which Is aptly illustrated by this passage from his speech in reply to douglas in the debate mentioned it if I 1 ever feel the soul within me elevate and expand to those dimensions not wholly unworthy of its almighty architect it Is when I 1 contemplate the cause of my country deserted by au the world besides and I 1 standing up boldly and alone and hurling de defiance deblance at her victorious oppressors pres sors here without contemplating consequences befaro high heaven and in the face of the lie world I 1 swear eternal fidelity to the just cause as I 1 deeni deem it of the land of my life my liberty and my iny love in these perfervid utterances one may find little to admire save a great spirit seeking to express itself rind and lacking as yet the refinement of taste equal to his undertaking he was no heaven born bom genius sprung in full panoply from the head of jove ile he was just one of the slow common folk with a passion for justice and human rights slowly feeling his way up ard ills his spirit ans growing strong in its love ant and knowledge of common uit nort men me and of the things necessary to their welfare it was beginning to seek and know the divine power of words every moment of leisure he gave to the tudy of webster and burke and byron and shakespeare and burris burns he lad begun to study tile the art of irving und and walter scott and of a new witter wilter of the name of dickens i there were four men m en who slept with him in the room above speeds store and one of the thorn has told how he be used to lie sprawled on oil the floor with lilb ills pillow and candle reading long oil after the others had pone gone to sleep samson writes that lie he never knew a nian man inho ho understood the art of using minutes az as lie he lid did A detached minute was to him a thing to he be filled with value yet there were few nien men so deeply lu in love with fun he loved to laugh at a i story tolling and to match ills his humor ill with fit thompson campbell Camp boll a famous raconteur brur and alid to play wit with children run was as nece coary ne ary to him as sleep ile he searched for it in people and in books he came often to house to play with mr ir Nini nimble bli and to talk I 1 with joel joe some of f ills host bet thoughts ailts i 1 ca came ti c av when aie n ac he w was bial talking k tn with vi th jo joe e and some of tits merriest moment when lie was playing with mr nim lie hie he confessed that it was the latter that reminded him that lie he had better bp be looking for a wife but lincoln was only one of man remarkable personalities in springfield who had bad discovered themselves and were ere seeking to be discovered sundry sundo individuals were lifting their heads above the crowd hut but not with the modesty and self distrust of honest hones t abe steve douglas whom samson had referred to as 11 that little booster of a mun man put on tile the stilts of ti brave and ana ponderous vigor his five foot foo stature and his hundred pounds of weight did not fit the part of achille but he would have no other lie he blustered much with a spear too heavy for tits his hands hand lincoln used to call him a kind of popgun this free for all joust of individualism one of the first fruits of freedom in the west gave to the life of the little village a rich flavor of comedy the great talents of douglas had not been developed his bis cb character was a yet shifty chitty and shapeless some of the leading citizens openly distrust distrusted td him lincoln never liked this little man in opposing whom he be was to conic come to the falness of its ills power on the platform it Is evident that lincoln regarded him as an able advocate of small sincerity looking chiefly for personal advancement there is a passage in the diary which illustrates the character of douglas and Lincol ns kno knowledge of it the passage relates to a day in the famous debates of 1859 lincoln had not reached havana in time to hear heal the speech of his opponent A freaa grea crowd had come by train and lc in wagons taking advantage of his at absence douglas had called lincoln a liar ilar a coward and a sneak and declared that lie he was going to fight him lincoln heard of tills this rind and said in his spee cli 1 I shall not fight with judge doug las A fight could prove nothing at a issue in this campaign it might prove that he is a more muR muscular cular man than 1 I or that I 1 am a more muscular miu mail than he but this subject Is not men tinned in either platform rt lomi again lie he and I 1 are really very good friends ind and when we are together he would no more think of fighting me than of fighting his wife therefore when the judge talked about fighting he be was not giving vent to any an feeling but was trying to excite well let us say enthusiasm against me on the part of ills hs audience justice accomplished her ends novi and then with comic displays of vio lence in the prairie capital one night abe lincoln and certain of his friend Lap a shoemaker who had beaten his wife and held him at the village pump while the aggrieved woman gave him a sound thrashing so this phase nf imperialism was cured in spring celd by hair off the same dog as I 1 neola put it one evening while E D baler baer ii was as speaking in the crowded village courtroom above Lincol ns office and was rudely interrupted and in danger of assault the loll 1011 long legs of honest abe suddenly appeared through a scuttle hole bole in the ceiling above the platform he leaped upon it and seizing a stone water pitcher defied any one to interfere with the right of free speech in a worthy cause so it ITT be seen that there were moments mornen ts in these sundry vindi bindi of the principles of democracy in the prairie capital about this time binic miss mary todd the laughter daughter of a kentucky banker arrived in springfield to visit her sister mrs W edwards she was a fashionably dressed good looking girl of blue gray eyes and dark hair bair well mary you found the fortunate young oung man yet mr edwards playfully asked the day of her coming ily you ou know my husband is going to be president of the united states and I 1 hoped that I 1 would find him in springfield mary answered in a i like vein theres great fishing here said mr edwards 1 I know the very man you are arc looking for he has conic come up front from the ranks and Is now the most popular member of the legislature ile he can make a stirring speech and they say he is going to be the president of the united states lies hes wise and witty and straight as a string but a rough diani diamond ond hig big awkward and homely youre just the girl to take him lu in band hand aud and give him a little polish and push him along his name Is abraham lincoln speed knew the lie todds dodds when he called upon mary she asked about mr lincoln and said she would like to meet him ashes just the girl for you abe speed said to him that evening she is 19 bright and well educated and her family has influence she could be a gleat help belp to ou oil this interested the member from sangamon county who was indeed eager to get along the companionship of a refined young lady was the nery cry tiling thing lie needed lct leta go over and pay our respect to her speed suggested they went I 1 lincoln being carefully dressed in in it first suit of black clothes miss todd was vas a bright vivacious girl of middle stature wenty twenty two years old she ta fashionably di dressed c ss ed ad and carried her head he td proudly a smart j witty itty viell e apohen girl but not espe k fialky handsome honest abe was tie cecely aply by her talk mid lind fiti ninn nors ners and general comeliness lii li felt lier her grace race and aliann and spoke of it with but to tin him I 1 and to lier her seemed to be an m mable able gulf fils between them size sie caned her mind about that hower hover eliell lien slit heard him speak and tol 1 ta tic c t r of ills his s saw L v alb race baui N ule uie candle of hs his spirit it was a handsome face in those moments of high elation clarion hardship and poison had bad lined and hallowed sall owed his skin the shadows of loneliness and sorrow were in its sculpturing but when big eyes eye glowed with passion one saw not the lough mask mash which the life of the pioneer had given him his form lost its awkwardness ills face took on a noble and e beauty to 1110 quote his own words to the boy josiah traylor tits ills diameter character was s speaking is as well as his lips mary had the insight to recognize tits his power she felt elt tile the strength of 0 his spirit she agreed wit with her friends that here was a man mail of threat great promise she felt the need of him to one who loved beauty and respected women as he be did the grace and refinement of this young lady had bad a singular appeal coupled as it was with the urge of his strong masculine nature it was a revelation he ww was like ilke a young poet going out into the open and seeing for the first time flie mys mysterious terlow beauty of the mountains mountain or fit the exquisite delicate thin curre cun c of the new moon in spring he begrin began to seek and study refinement of thought of manner of dress of expression he knew that he be needed mary hut but had the feeling that she was not for him A woman who lived near the edwards house had it a small hairy poodle do log one lay day as ahe and mary were walking along the street they met this woman wor ninn aiho bo asked led if they lad had seen her er flog do Q 1 I wonder if some one down the street lad had got him tied to the end of a pole and is using him to swab off his windows said abe lincoln with a good natured laugh ill try to find him for you mary enjoyed fun and this and the like sallies of the young legislator added a certain zest to their friendship women are like children in their love of humor the diminutive douglas saw in miss todd an asset of much value and his attentions began to be assiduous mary mars was indifferent to his lofty manner and sonorous vocalism vocal ism abe lincolm liked her better for that she encouraged the visits of the latter jatter and invited his confidence the fact filled him with a great joy they went about together in the edwards edward s parlor lie he modestly told her of his work and liis its life plan she differed with him on certain subjects were unfortunately fundamental he did not love her as lie had bad loved ann but her personality pleased and fascinated the oung boull legislator one evening under the spell of it he asked her to be his wife she consented then he began to think it et over alvr it was like lincoln in his re relations rations with women to get the cart before the horse 0 zo o to speak the points upon which they disagreed came up for consideration sider atlon site she could not think as he did on the subject of slavery and the kindred one of state rights his planners were not like hers they grew naturally out of ones history nichar acter he could be kind and gentle in tits his way but nia mainly his manners would have to be like the rugged limbs of the oak the grace and elegance of the water willow and the white birch were not for him it saddened him to conclude that lie he would have to be for a long time just what he be was crude awkward unlearned in the graces and amenities of cultivated people he rightly judged that his crudeness would be a constant source of irritation to the proud mary alary As their acquaintance progressed the truth of tits his conviction grew more apparent tills this however did nor so much concern him as her rack of sympathy ich xyth some of his deepest Tee pest motives he decided that after all lc bo did not love lovelier her and that to marry her would be c committing 0 a great gnat wrong some of the unhappiest days 0 of his life followed HI his conscience gava him no rest he knew not what to do he wrote a letter to miss todd in which he be reviewed the history of his thinking on the subject of their marriage ariage and frankly but tenderly stated ills his conviction that it would imperil her happiness to marry him before sending it lie he submitted the letter to his friend speed the latter read it over and looked very grave what do you think of it lincoln asked 1 I would never send a letter like that to a lady speed answered if you feel as you say go and tell her so but dont put it in a letter lincoln went to see her that evening and returned to his friend in a more cheerful mood did you tell her speed asked yes I 1 told her what happened sho she burst out crying and I 1 throw threw my arms arm around her and kissed her and that settled it we are arc going tf t se e married what nn in illustration of tile the humanity and chivalry of honest abe was wa in the proceeding im sure pet get along all right richt together said speed your spirit |
