Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-10-07
NO. 23s.
From Ward II. Lannon's Biography |
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. = =
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.

/
inches high,-the length of his legs being
out OF all proportion to that Of his body.
when he sat down on chair, he seemed
no taller than an average man. measuring
| from the chair to the crown OF his head;
but his knees rose high in front, and
marble placed on the cap of one Of them
would roll down steep descent to the
hip. He weighed about hundred and
eighty pounds; but he was thin through
the breast, narrow across the shoulders,
and had the general appearance Of con-
sumptive subject. Standing up, he stopped
slightly forward sitting down he usually
crossed his long legs, or threw them over
the arms OF the chair, as the most conven-
lent mode of disposing of them. His
head was long, and tall from the base Of
the brain and the eyebrows" his forehead
high and narrow, but inclining backward
as it rose. The diameter Of his head from
ear to ear was six and q half inches, The
size of his hat was seven and an eighth.
His ears were large, standing out almost
at right-angles from his head; his cheek
bones high and prominent; his eyebrows
heavy and jutting forward over small,
sunken blue eyes; his nose long, large,
and blunt, the tip of it rather ruddy, and
slightly awry toward the right hand side,
his chin, projecting far and sharp, curved
upward to meet thick, material, lower
lip, which hung downward; his cheeks
were fabby, and the loose skin fell in
wrinkles, or folds there was large mole
on his right cheek, and an uncommonly
prominent Adams apple on his throat;
his hair was dark brown in color, stiff and
unkempt, and as yet showing little or no
signs of advancing age or trouble; his
hair was dark brown in color, stiff, unkept,
and as yet showing little or no sign Of adj
vancing age or trouble; his complexion
was very dark his skin yellow. shriveiled,
guage of Mr.. Herndon, '.he was thin,
tall, wiry, sinewy. grizzly. raw-boned
man" hooking Woe-struck." His coun-
tenance was haggard and careworn, ex-
hibiting all the marks of deep and pro-
tracted suffering. Every feature of the
man--the hollow eyes. with the dark rings
beneath; the long, sallow. cadaverous
face, intersected by those peculiar deep
| lines; his whole air; his walk his long,
silent reverie, broken at long intervals by
sudden aud startling exelamations, as il to
con;ound an observer who might suspect
the nature of bis oughts-showed he was
Il man OF sorrows,-not sorrows OF to-day
or'yesterday, but long-measured and deep,
bearing with him II continual sense of
WEAKNESS and pain. He was plain, home
4 ~ sad, weary-looking man, to whom ones
heart warmed involuntarily. because he
seemed at once miserable and kind.
On a winters morning, this man could be
seen vending his way to the market, with
a basket on his arm, and u little boy at his
side, whose small feet ratified and pattered
over the ice-bound pavement, attempting
to make up by the number OF his short
steps for the long strides of his father.
The little fellow jerked and questioned,
begged and grew petulent, in vain Effort
to make his father talk to him. But the
latter was probably unconscious. of the
others existence, and stalked on, absorbed
in his own reflections. He wore on such
occasions an old gray shawl, rolled into a
coil, and wrapped like rope around his
neck. The rest of his clothes We're in
keeping. HE did not walk cunningly,-
Indian-like but cautiously and firmly"
His tread was even and strong. lie was
q little pigeon-toed; ndthis. with another
peculiarity. made his walk very singular.
He set his whole foot flat on the ground.
and in turn lifted 1t all at once,-not rest
ing momentarily upon the toe as the loot
rose nor upon the heel as it fell He
never wore his shoes ont at the heel and
toe more, as some men do. than at the
middle of the sole; yet his gait was not
altogether awkward, and there was mani
fest physical power in his step. AS he
moved along thus silent. distracted, his
thoughts dmly reelected in his sharp face.
men turned to look after him as an OBJ
.iect of sympathy as well as curiosity;
..his mrlancholy," in the words of Mr.
ii Ia ba
ed" If, however, he met friend in the
street and was reused by loud, hearty
"Good morning, Lincoln - he would
grasp the friend hand with one OF both
of his own, and, with his usual expression
Eor "Uowdv, howdy,' would detain him to
hear "a story; something reminded him of
it, it happened in Indiana, and ID must be
told. for it was wonderfully pertinent.
Ills WAY OF LIFE.
After his breakfast he would appear at
his office, and 60 about the labors of the
day with all OF his might, displaying pro-
digous industry and capacity for continu-
Gus application, although he never was IA
fast worker Sometimes it happened that
he came without his breakfast; and then
he would have in his hand piece of
cheese, or Bologna sausage. and few
crackers, DouSnl py INC way. At such
times he did not speak to his partner or
his friends, if any happened to be pres
ent; the tears were, perhaps, struggling
into his eyes, while his pride was strug-
Cling to keep them back. Mr.. Herndon
knew the whole story at q glance; there
was no speech between them; but neither
wished the visitors to the office to witness
the scene; and, therefore Mr.. Lincoln re-
tired to the back office, while Mr.. Hern.
don locked the front one and walked
away with the key in bis pocket. In an
hour or more the latter would return, and
perhaps find Mr.. Lincoln calm and col
iected; otherwise he went out again, and
waited until he was so. Then the office
i. was opened, and everything went on as
usual. Hs
When Mr.. Lincoln had speech to write.
which happened very often, he would put
down each thought, as it struck him, on
small strip of paper. and, having accamu-
lated a number OF these, generally car
ried them in his hat or his pockets until
he had the whole speech composed in this
.ll x.,ay tban bp world sit enu., at his