The National tribune., 1900-01-04

liquor used by 4 sick man III less than two
weeks! 1t seems to me the medicine mus
have been taken in pretty good doses.
OF course this killed Mr.. KS case and he a
once withdrew his charge and paid the
costs with most crestfallen air.
QUICK REToRT.
Mr.. Wickizer gives a story which illus
trates the off-hand readiness of Mr. Lin
coins wit: 'In the court at Bloomington
Mr. Lincoln was engaged in case OF nc
great Importance, but the attorney on the
other side, Mr.. S., a young lawyer of fine
abilities, was always very sensitive about
! being beaten, and in this case manifested
| unusual zeal and interest. The case lasted
until late at night, when it was finally
submitted to the jury. Mr. S. spent q
sleepless night in anxiety: and early next
morning learned, to his great chagrin, that
he had lost the case. Mr.. Lincoln met
him at the Courthouse, and asked him what
had become OF his case. With lugubrious
countenance and melancholy tone, Mr.. S.
said, ITS gone to hellI" %, well,' replied
Lincoln, then you'll see it again" ,"
JOKE ON HIMSELF.
Mr.. Lincoln was always ready to join
in laugh at his own expense, and used to
tell the following story with intense ell
Joyment: "ln the days when used to be on
the;circWt / was aecosted in the cars by a
stranger, who said, Excuse me. sir but
have an article in my possession which be-
longs to YOU How is that? asked, CON
siderably astonished. The stranger took
a jackknIfe from his pocket. This knife,
said he, was placed in my hands some
years ago, with the injunction that | was
to keep it until ] found a man uglier than
myself. ] have carried it from that time
to this. Allow me to say, sir, that | think
you are fairly entitled to the property"
AN INvETERATE SToRY-TELLER.
Mr.. Gillespie says of Mr.. Lincoln's pas
sion for storytelling: AS a boon com
panion, Mr.. Lincoln, although he never
drank liquor or used tobacco in any form,
was without rival. No one would ever
think of putting in when he was talking.
He could illustrate any subject, it seemed
to me, with ar appropriate and amusing
anecdote. He did not tell stories merely
for the sake of telling them. but rather BY
way OF illustration of something that had
happened or been said. There seemed
TO be no end to his fund of stories" Mr.
Lamon states, "Mr. Lincoln frequently
sad that he lived by his humor, and would
nave died withoutit His manner of telling
a story was irresistibly comical, the fun
Ct 1t dancing in his eyes and playing over
every feature. His face changed in an
instant; the hard lines faded out of it. and
the mlrth seemed to diffuse itself all over
him like spontaneous tickle. You could
see it coming long before he opened his
mouth, and he began to enjoy the point
before his eager auditors could catch the
faintest glimpse of it. Telling and hear
ing ridiculous stories was one of his ruling
passions"
DELAYING COURT TO HEAR A STORY. !
An illustration of his great fondness for |
is given by Judge Sibley. OF |
Quincy, ILL.,, who knew Lincoln when prac- |
ticinS law at Springfield. One day a party |
OF lawyers Were sitting in the new law
library of the Courthouse at Springfield,
awaiting the opening of court, and telling
stories to kill the time, when Judge Breesn.
Of the Supreme Bench,-one of the most
distinguished Of American jursts. and n
man of great personal dignity.-passed
through the room where the LAWYERS were
sitting, on his way to open court. Lincoln
seeing him, called out i'll his hearty way.
Hold on. Breese, Don't open court yetr
Here's Bob Blackwell just going to tell a
new story." The Judge passed on with
,ut replying, evidently regarding it rs he-
leath the dignity of the Supreme Court fol
,eiay proceedings for the sake of a story.
GO he continued)