Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-10-24

TO other authorities. lie always had his
book with him when in company and
would read and talk alternately He
carried ii along in his walks to the
woods and the river: read II in daylight
under the shade tree by the grocery and
at night by any friendly light he could
find. most frequently the one he kin
died himself in the shop of his old ben.
efactor. the cooper.
Abes progress I'm the law was as sur
prising as the intensity OF his applica
ton to stu!y He n, rer lost moment
that m! glit be improve. Ii is even said
! that he read md recitei to himself OF
the road and l9y III" warside as be
came down from Springfield with the
Jocks he had borrowed from Stuart.
The first time he went up he had mas
tered forty pages Of Blackstone before
be got back.
First Legal Work.
II was not long until. with his rest
less desire to be doing something prac-
teal. he began to turn his acquisitions
to account in forwarding the business
of his neighbors. He wrote deeds, con-
tracts, notes and other legal papers for
them. using a small dictionary and an
old form book. petifogged necessarily
before the justice Of the peace and
probably assisted that functionary in
the administration of justice as much
as he benefited his own clients. This
species of country students practice
was entered upon very early and kept
up until long after he was quite dis.
tinguished man in the legislature.
But IN all this he was only trying
himself AS he was not admitted to the
bar until 1887 he did not regard II as
legitimate practice and never charged
a penny for his services. Although this
fact Is mentioned by n great number of
persons and the generosity of his con
duct much enlarged upon, it is serious
ly to be regretted that no one has fur
nished us with a circumstantial ac
count of any of his numerous cases be-
fore the magistrate.
But Mr.. Lincoln did not confine him
self entirely to the law. He was not
yet quite through with Kirkham nor
the schoolmaster The valuable copy
of the grammar he delighted to peruse
Is still in existence, with thumb marks
all over it. He also studied natural
philosophy, chemistry, astronomy. ETC.
He had no regular teacher, but perhaps
received more assistance from Minter
Graham than from any other person.
oil +1,n
pers that came to New Salem, chiefly
the Sangamon Journal, the Missouri
Republican and the Louisville Journal
The latter was his fayorite. Its wit and
anecdotes were after his own heart,
and he was regular subscriber for II
through several years when he could Ill
afford luxury so costly.
Fond of Novels.
Mr.. Lincoln was never profound
historical student. If he happened to
need historical facts for the purposes
of a political or legal discussion he
read them on the spur of the occasion.
For this reason his opinions Of current
affairs all through his life were based
more upon individual observation and
reflection than upon scientific deduc-
tions from the experience of the world.
Yet at this time, when he probably felt
more keenly than ever after the want
of little learning to embellish the let
ters and speeches he was ambitious to
compose, he is said to have read Rol-
Inns Ancient History" Gibbons Rise
and Fall of the Roman Empire" and
similar works with great diligence and
care. The books were borrowed from
William Green, Bowlin Greene and 9th.
er parties in and about New Salem.
But he greatly preferred literature of
another sort, such as Mrs. Lee Hentz's
novels, some of which he found among
the effects Of Mr.. Ellis, at the time his
companion and occasional bedfellow.
HE was very fond" Mr.. Ellis de-
clares, "of short stories one and two
columns long, like Cousin Sally Dill.
lard,' Becky Wilson's Courtship.' The
Down-easter and the Bull-how q
bashful man became married man,
with five little bashful boys, and how
he and his red headed wife became
Millerites and before they were to as
cend agreed to make clean breast of
it to each other, and how, when the
old lady was through, the down-e easter
earnestly wished that Gabriel might
blow his horn without delay"
One New Salemite insists that Mr..
Lincoln told this latter story, with
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4tn%ds 8 .'',.;;. T.,