The National tribune., 1900-03-15
EVERYDAY LIFE OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
CONTINUED from first page.

A writer previously quOleu' MI 'eiiih
Bonham. describes visit that he paid Mr..
Lincoln at his room in the State House,
where he found him quite alone. except
that two of his children, one of whom was
Tad were with him. The door was open.
We walked in, and were at once recognized
and seated-the two boys still continuing
their play about the room. lad was
spinning his top; and Mr.. Lincoln. as we
entered. had lust finished adjusting the
string for him so as to give the top the
greatest degree of force. He remarked
that he was having little fun with the
boys"
The Hon. George W. Julian visited
Mr.. Lincoln at his home. i'll January.
He SAYS: Il had curiosity 10 see the famous
.rail-splitter' as he was then famllIarly
called and as a member-elect OF the thirty
seventh Congress ] desired TO form some
acquaintance with the man who was 10
play so conspicuous part in the impending
National crisis. On meeting him l found
him far better looking than the campaign
pictures had represented. His face. when
lighted up in conversation, was not tiil-
handsome. and the kindly and winning
tones of his voice pleaded for him. like the
smile which PLAYED about his rugged
features. He was full of anecdote and
humor. and readily found his way to the
hearts of those who enjoyed welcome 10
his fireSide. His face. however, was some
times marked by that touching expression
of sadness which became so generally
noticeable in the following years. On the
subject of slavery | was gratitied TO find
him less reserved and more emphatic than
/ expected. / was much pleased with our
first Republican Executive. and | returned
home more fully inspired than ever with
the purpose to sustain him to the utmost
in facing the duties of his great office.
.
SUCKERS"
Among the callers one day. says Mr..
Lamon were two tall, ungainly fellows,
Suckers as they were called. who entered
the room while Mr.. Lincoln was engaged
in conversation with a friend. They
fingered bashfully near the door, and Mr..
Lincoln. noticing their embarrassment,
rose and said gOod-naturedly: How do
you do. my good fellows? What can do
for You? VIII YOU sit down" Tire SpokeS-
man Of the pair. the shorter of the two.
declined 10 sit. and explained the object of
the call thus: he had had a talk about the
relative hight of Mr.. Lincoln and his com
panion. and had asserted his belief that they
We're of exactly the same hight. He had
come in 10 verify his Judgment. Mr
Lincoln smiled. went and got his cane,
and. placing the end of il upon the wall.
said, Here. young man, come under here.
The Young man came under The cane. as
Mr.. Lincoln held it and when it was Ier-
fectly adjusted 10 his hight Mr.. Lincoln
said: Now come out and hold up the cane.
This he did while Mr.. Lincoln Stepped
under. Rubbing his head back and forth
to see that it worked easily under the meas
urement. he stepped out and declared
to the sagacious fellow who was cIIriously
looking on, that he had guessed with re-
markable accuracy that he and the Young
man were exactly of the same hight.
Then he shook hands with them and sent
them on their way.
A PROPHETIC DINNER.
The two visitors just referred TO had
hardly disappeared, when, continues Mr..
Lamon, an old and modestly y-dresSed woman
made her appearance. She knew Mr..
Lincoln, but Mr. Lincoln did not at first
recognize her. Then she undertook to
recall to his memory certain incidents
connected with his rides upon the circuit
especially his dining at her house upon the
road at different times. Then he remem-
bered her and her home. Having fixed
her own place in his recollection. she tried
to recall to him certain scanty dinner of
bread and milk that he once ate at her
house. He could not remember it-on
the contrary, he only remembered that he
had always Jared well at her house. Well
said she, "One day you came along after
We had got through dinner, and We had
eaten up everything. and | could give you
Dul Il DDNl Oh DTed1 ana mix. ana
you ate it; and when you got up You said
il was good enough for the President of The
United States" The good old woman.
remembering the remark, had come in
from the country. making a journey of
eight or ten miles. to relate to Mr. Lincoln
this incident, which in her mind had doubt
less taken the form of prophecy. Mr..
Lincoln placed the honest creature at her
ease, chattei with her of old times. and
dismissed her in the most happy and COM
placent frame of mind.
"a WHISTLE FROM a PIGS TAIL"
"About the last of January. 1861" saws
- Hon. L. n. Haines, "Mr. Lincoln vacated
his house, and went with his wife and
family TO board at the Chenery House.
in Springfield. The Legislature, of which
was member, still being in session, |
happened in one evening, at the Chenerv
House, 10 make a call on some friends.
whom found in the parlor. Nr. Lincoln
and his wife were sitting in the parlor
amongst others. We shortly engaged in
general conversation. Mr.. Lincoln's s.
little boy, who think is the one they called
Tad. was in the room. when lady present.
with whom i was acquainted. called the
boy TO her and said TO me, This boy has
something that wish to show you. The
article was handed to me, and / saw that
IT was whistle made. as was remarked
from a pigs tail. The lady said. You
know this is something that it has been
said could not be done Mr. Lincoln re-
marked that IT was sent to him after his
election TO sio& that the thing could be
done. Rough as this joke was. Mr.. Lin
coin, as well as Mrs. Lincoln. took il in the
utmost good humor. Ny recollection is
that the whistle came from some one in the
Southern States"
LOOKING OVER THE SITUATION WITH
HIS FRIENDS.
Among the judicious friends of Mr..
Lincoln who gave him timely counsel al
this important epoch of his life was Judge
John d. Cation, who. though a Democrat,
saw plainly the tendency of political affairs
and was anxious for the preservation o,
the Union. Il met him in Springfield, ,
writes Judge Cation. "and we had a con.
ference in the law-library. Itold him il was
plafll that he had a war on his hands: tina,
there was a determination on the part OF
.he South to seceie from the Union, and
hat there would be throughout the North
an equal determination 10 maintain the
Union. l advised him that it would re-
lulre all his energies. and that of all OF
his friends, in the conduct of the struggl,
which was certainly coming / told him
that my advice would be not TO act hastily
but TO let the people of the South commi,
themselves as palpably as possible In
other words, 10 allow them apparently tc
drive him to the wall before he resorted II
the war power; for the reason that sucI
course would convince those in the Nortl