Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-03-08
Missellann.
Abraham Lincoln.

Everything relating TO ABRAHAM LIN
coin is read with the deepest interest by
the American people. A correspondent
of the N. Y. Tribune recently visited Mr.
VIM. Herndon, the. law partner of Mr..
LINCOLN, at Springfield, Illinois, the home
of the late President, and from his letter
we make the following extract:
"Mr. Lincoln had some six or seven
places of residence during his life he was
of full age before he left his family, never
TO return and the pleasantest of his remin-
iscences were of his mother, to whom he
imputed the best and the brightest quail
ties he had inherited. He broke out once
TO Mr.. Herndon, as they were return ing
from Court in another county:
Billy. all am or can be l owe to my
angel mother"
As boy Lincoln made an frontierman'.
living by hari work, p ling a fat get.
ting out cedar and chestnut rails, even
saving wood. The scene of his early strug-
giles was Indiana and there he developed
into sort of amatuer public clerk, writ
ing letters for folks to whom steel pen
was mystery, giving miscellaneous ad-
advice ON law and business, and excelline
particularly in the ingenuities of anecdote
and illustration. The storytelling reputa-
tion he retains was no fabulous qualification
nor was it an idle and eossipy recreation
but means of making intelligence plain
to rude minds. At this stage of his life
he wore moccasins and hunting shirt, and
was in great request by thick-headed peo.
pie because of his clearness and skill in
narration. The jury also got from him a
fair statement of any case in hand. and
years later it was remarked by the Chiet
Justice of Illinois that when Lincoln spoke
he argued both sides of the case so well
that speech in response was always SUI
perfuous. The habit he had of enforcing
a fact with an anecdote so far survived hi.
moceasin days that it seemed to have beer
constitu tlonal in sense. No man evel
told so many stories, and he was seldom
known to repeat one twice, or to tell on,
that was hackneyed. His long, variable
and attentive experience with common
native people, made him acquainted will
a thousand oddities. and he had familiar
way of r, lating them that was as piquan
as his application OF them. 1t is also tru,
that some of these stories were more CO
gent than delicate. yet in nc sinsle oae,
was he ever remembered to have told al
exceptional anecdote for the sake of tina
in which it vas exceptional. Mr.. Hern
don remembers person who so far mis-.
story without purpose. During its recita
Mr.. Lincoln's face worked impatiently
When the man had gone he said
Il had nearly put that fellow out OF the
office. lie disgusts me-" A
Finally settled at Springfield. Mr.. Lin
coin found the law jealous and niggard
He was always able to keep horse ant
was very fond of riding; but he made 1
poor income, though one not commensu
rate with its general smallness of his col
leagues at the Illinois bar. Now and ther
he was pinched to distress, and went t.
bed with no notion of how he should NEE
the morrow's claims. For nearly fiftf
part of his whole life he owed money thai
he could no, pay, and although of easy
disposition. the debt CALLED him and has.
tened his wrinkles. He cleared himself
finally on his return from Washington City
where he sat as a Representative in Con.
gress. When lie quilted Springfield for
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