The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1867-03-20

book, and seldom read one. Mr.. Lin
coins education was almost entirely O
newspaper one. He was one of the
most thorough newspaper readers in
America, and for fifteen years before his
election to the Presidency subscribed
regularly to the Richmond Enquirer and
the Charleston Mercury. He grew slowly,
therefore, as public opinion grew, and
as an anti slavery man q gradual cons
vert, whereas Herndon, years before,
embraced at leap all the social reforms,
read all the agitators, and talked human
liberty to MIR. Lincoln, grayely listening
till fraternity OF sentiment developed,
and about the year 1874 the coming
emancipator declared himself an enemy
ofslaveholding.
1t is worth while to stop and ponder
that while Rhett and Wise, with Slavery
IN full feather, wrote every day the in>
ylolateness Of Secession and the divinity
Of bondage, these two Illinois lawyers,
IN their little square Office read every
vaunting, cruel word paid to read it =,
and educated themselves out of their
mutual indignations-the one to a grand
agency, the other to as grand an abhor-
renee.
Mr.. Lincoln had scme six or seven
places Of residence during his life; he
was OF full age before he left his family
never to return, and the plea ATTEST of
his "reminiscences were of his mo her. to
whom he imputed the best and the
brightest qualities he had inherited. lie
broke out once to Mr.. lIerndon, as they
We're returning from court IN another
county;
'BIlly,all am or can be l owe to my an
gel mother.
AS boy Lincoln made a frontier
mans living by hard work ,pollng flat
boat, getting out cedar and chestnut
rails-even saving wood. The scene
of his early struggles was in Indiana,
and there he developed into a sort of
amataer public clerk, writing letters for
folks to whom steel pen was mys.
terry, giving miscellaneous advice on law
and business, and exceling particularly
in the ing9nullies of antc lote and illus.
tration' The story telling reputation he
retains sno fabulous qualii;ltion nor
was it an idle and gosslpy recreation,
but a means of making intelligence PLAIN
10 rude mluds y this stage of his life
he wore m'cca>Ins and hunting shirt,
ana was IN great request by thick head.
cd people, because Of his clcarnoss and
skill in narration. The jury always got
rom nm falr statement OF any case IN
hand, and years later it was remarked
" the Chlet Justice OF Illinois that when
Lincoln spoke he arg ued both sides OF
the case so we'll that speech in response
was always superhuous. The habit he
had of enforcing fact With an anecdote
so far survived his moccasin days that it
seems TO have been constitutional in a
sense. No man ever told so many
stories, and he was seldom known either
to repeat one twice, or to tell one that
was hackneyed. Ills long, variable and
attentive experience with common.
native people, made him acquainted
with a thousand oddities, and he had a
familiar way of relating them that was as
piquant as his application Of them It
is also trne that some OF these stories
were moro cogent than delicate, yet in
no siuge case was he ever remembered
to have told an exceptional anecdote for
the sake of that in it which was excep-
tional Mr.. IIerndon remembers a
person who so far mistook Mr., Lincoln
once as to tell coarse story without
purpose. Daring Its recital Mr. Lin.
colu's face worked impatiently. Wien
the man had gone he said
Il had nearly put that fellow out OF
the office. He disgusts me-.
Finally he settled at Springfield. Mr..
Lincoln found the law jealous and mig
gard. lie was always able to keep
horse, and was very fond of riding; but
he made apoor income, though one
not incommonsurate with the general
smallness Of his colleagues at the Illinois
bar. Now and then he was pinched to
distress, and went to bed with no notion
how ho should meet the morrow's
claims.
For nearly fifth part of his whole
lto he owed money that he could not
pay, and although Of easy disposltion,
the debt CALLED him and has.ened his
wrinkles. lie cleared himself finally on
his return from Washington City, where
he sat as a representative in Congress.
When he quilted Springfield tor the
White House he was worth just $780,
900 Never moody nor petulant, he yet
loved solitude and self communion. and
has been known to sit six hours in one
place; to lie on his back, for example on
the floor ofhis house, looking abscntly
ut the ceiling, or to sun himself sitting
upon fence or in hay.mow all the
day. naHsinU tho proroauoo of n ,,lao