, 1874-01-17

humorous largo voltlnos of biography
which llavo boen publiahcsl afford 10
kootl an insight into hiH character M thla brof
stdowiHo narrative which IL all tho moro yalua-
bio for tho fact TINT something o'ao was tho roal
subject Of tho convorsntion. According to thin
narrative thoro woro two sides to A1r. Iincona
character. 11o waa naturally choory, mirthfnl,
aud IL, high npirta, tho kibtlcst man md tho
moat loving husband and fatllor III tho world.
mid ho sas extremely indulgont to Ills famtly.
At tho cloao Of tue Rebellion, bis delight WIS so
great that l'o actca like u boy. And yet with all
hla Indulgence Of those about llfm, aud with hia
cheerful, Bnny dfspoation, no was. Mrs. Lin-
con says, ia terribly firm mau when l,o put ls
foot down." NJ nlan or woman could then ru1e
him. Although ho was not technical Christian.
l,ta declaration to Airs. Lincoln, when ske In
formed linn of 8owarl's intention to rula him,
III Hhall rnlo myaof; Ahall obey my own con-
Hcionoo and follow God in it, shows 'tio moral
strength and real Christian re'innco which tho
mn,l had. With all this moral power, tllero WAS
d touch of tho old Grccian fatalism about him.
What Is to bo will bo, aud no prayera of ours
can arrest tho decree" was his favorite maxim.
gives such n c}onr inaight into her husbands
character that wo reproduce its.
could tell when Mr. Lincoln ha decided anything
1lo was cheerful Ut hsst; thon lie pressed or CON-
prcEscd ha lips tightly firmly, agafnst tho other.
When tLcao things showed themselves to me fash-
ioned myself uccordngly uni did all ohera around
linn HnF0 tn mi .vcu1i ind
out. When wo first went to Washington tnaly persons
thought that Mr. Lincoln was weak, but ho roso
graudy with tho circumstances Of thocaac, md ncn
1earncd that ho was ubovo them alt. never saw
ma1l's mind develop itself >lnely-hts manners
got quito polished. 11o would say to me, when
ta!ked 10 ht,n abo"s ohaso and those others who lid
lim evil, ado good to toac who hato you, and turn
their il-wll to frlrndship.r Sometimes In WushIax-
tou, being worn down. he spoke craIbed1y to 1nen,
harshly 10, n,a yet It aeemed tho people ualcrstoou
tho conditions aro,snd him anl forgive.
The biography Of Mr. Lincoln has yet to be
written. It is not the timo yot to estimate tho
real value Of his aorvices to tile country. or to
tix his place as statesman. Tho pasaionB Gu
gendored III tho War Of tho Rebellion, aud tho
political Btrifes coiucidont with it, have not yot
entirely cooled. aud tho material Is not complete
~~A
linn with othor statesinen and P1oBidonts But
tho material for tho personal history. Of Mr..
Lincoln. Ills lifo in his family, bis
personal relations to the world, his natural at
tributes Of charactcr-tho Mr. Lincoln o,ltaide Of
politics-are az complete iu these brief memo-
randa Of Mrs. Liucoln's conversation as if they
were volumes in length. Any bfographer who
bus studied human naturo, and is skilled in the
analysis Of human motives and aspirations,, can
take these mcmolanda, and with tholr a1d draw
d true picture Of A1r. Lincoln; for what sho
says In the interview with Mr. Herndon tallles
perfectly with tic glimpscs which others oo-
taincd who were nearest to him. Moreover,
this little sketch which Mr. Horndon has reH-
cued from the mildcw and the rata is calcu-
lated to give the public an improved WOW Of
Mrs Lincoln as vol az of her husband.