The herald., 1895-06-01

by Jesse W. Weik. Copyright, 1892, by D. Ap'
pleton IL Co.
XVI.
While q member of congress and other
wise immersed in politics, Lincoln seemed
to lose all interest in the law. o. course
what practice he himself controlled passed
into other hands. l retained all the busi-
ness l could and worked steadily on until,
when he returned, our practice was as ex-
tensive as that of any other firm at tho
bar. Lincoln realized that much Of this
was due to my efforts, and on his return
he therefore suggested that he had no right
to share in the business and profits which
] had made. / responded that as he had
aided me and given Inc prominence when
I was young and needed it, could afford
now to be grateful if not generous. l
therefore recommended a continuation of
the partnership, and we went on as before.
could notice a difference in Lincoln's
movement as lawyer from this time for
ward. He had begun to realize a certain
lack of discipline-a want of mental
training and method. Ten years had
wrought some change in the law and
more in the lawyers of Illinois. The con-
viction had settled in the minds of the
people that the pyrotechnics Of courtroom
and stump oratory did not necessarily i'm
ply extensive or profound ability in the
lawyer who resorted to them. The courts
were becoming graver and more learned,
and the lawyer was learning as prelimi-
nary and Indispensable condition to sue
cess that he must be close reasoner, be-
sides having at command broad knowl-
edge Of the principles on which the statu-
tory law is constructed. There was, of
course, the same riding OIL circuit as be-
fore, but the courts had improved in tone
and morals, and there was less laxity-at
least it appeared so to Lincoln.
Political defeat had wrought marked
effect on him. 1t went below the skin and
made a changed man Of him. He was not
soured at his seeming political decline,
but still he determined to eschew politics
from that time forward and devote him
self entirely to the law. And now he be-
gan to make up for time lost in politics by
studying the law in earnest. No man had
greater power of application than he. Once
fixing his mind on any subject, nothing
could interfere with or disturb him. Fre-
quently would go out OH the circuit with
him. We usually at the little country
inns occupied the same bed. In most cases
the beds were too short for him, and his
feet would hang over the footboard, thus
exposing limited expanse of shin bone.
Placing q candle on chair at the head of
the bed, he would read and study for
hours. l have known him to study in this
position till 2 O'Clock in the morning.
Meanwhile 1 and others who chanced to
occupy tho same room would be safely
and soundly asleep.
On the Circuit.
On the circuit in this way he studied
Euclid until he could with ease demon
strate all the propositions in the six books.
How ho could maintain his mental equilb.
rum or concentrate his thoughts on an
abstract mathematical proportion while
Davis, Logan, SWEET, Edwards and I so
industriously and volubly filled the air
with our interminable snoring was a prob
lem none of us could ever solve. ! was on
the circuit with Lincoln probably one
fourth of the time The remainder of my
time was spent in Springfield looking aft.
er the business there, but know that life
on the circuit was a gay one. 1t was rich
with incidents and afforded tho nomadic
lawyers ample relaxation from all the irk-
some toll that fell to their lot. Lincoln
loved it. I suppose it would be a fair es-
innate to state that he spent over half the
year following Judges Treat and Davis
around on the circuit On Saturdays the
court and attorneys, II within reasonA-
BILE distance, would usually start for their
homes. Some went for fresh supplysof
clothing, but the greater number went
simply to spend day of rest with their
families. The only exception was Lin.
coin, who usually spent his Sundays with
the loungers at the country tavern and
only went home at the end of the circuit
or torn of court
'At first" relates one of his colleagues
on the circuit, ''we wondered at 1t, but
soon learned to account for his strange
disnclination to go home. Lincoln him
self never had much to say about home
and we never felt free to commont on it,
Most of us had pleasant, inviting homes
and as we struck out for them I'm sure
each one of us down in our hearts had a
mingled feeling Of pity and sympathy for
him." If the day was long and he was
oppressed, the fooling was soon relieved
by the narration Of Il story. The tavern
loungers enjoyed it, and his melancholy,
taking to itself wings, seemed to fly away.
As Story Tellor.
In the role of story teller l am prone
to regard Mr.. Lincoln as without an equal
have seen him surrounded by crowd
numbering as many as 200 and in some
cases 300 persons, all deeply interested in
the outcome of story which, when he
had finished it, speedily found repetition
in every grocery and lounging place with
in reach. His power of mimicry, as I
have before noted, and his manner of re-
cital were in many respects unique If not
remarkable His countenance and all his
features seemed to take part in the per-
formance. AS he neared the pith or point
of the joke or story every vestige Of seri-
BUSINESS disappeared from his face His
little gray eyes spnrkled, Il smile seemed
to gather up, curtainlike, the corners of
his mouth his frame quivorcd with sup
pressed excitement, and when tho point,
or "nnb, of the story, as he called it, came
no ones laugh was hcarter than his
These backwoods allegories arc out of dato
now, and any lawyer ambitious to gain
prominence would hardly dare thus to en-
tertain II crowd, except at the risk of his
reputation but with Lincoln it gave him
IN some mysterious way u singularly firm
hold on the people
How Lincoln appeared and acted in the
law office has been graphically and, I
must confess, truthfully told by gentle
man, now in New York, who was for SOW
eral years student in our Office I beg
to quote few lines from him: My broth.
or met Mr. Lincoln in Ottawa, Ills, one
day and said to him, i have brother
whom would very much like to have on
ter your Office as II student, All right
,.., h., ,,,,I, ,Spn1 hin, down mud ,ve,