Mountain advocate., 1914-02-06

MS supper when MS WIG "shS
away w ~
In the evening, having no 4
club, Lincoln would ordinarily Is
go TO the grocery store and >1v-s,r
spellbind the cracker box S@. ALSr
habitues with some more of his " %IoGSIAf
everlasting anecdotes-only two VI I~Z|C
OF which, he insisted, were his
own invention. II minstrel
show came to town he was sure
to be a front-row frst-night patron, and, next to
blackface comedy. he enamored of magic
lantern" entertainments. He had a passion for
probing into the mysteries of anything mechanical,
and II he alive today the automobile would
have given him great Joy.
When circuit riding in the ante-railway days he
would utilize the rest OF the hour after lunch
con at some wayside farmhouse in crawling under
and prowling over the harvest machinery, as full
of questions q schoolboy, more insatiably
curious than any Of Ewes daughters. AS he
walked the streets OF Springfield every vehicle he
saw interested him, and the interior economy OF
the kitchen clock pleased him unutteraby.
In the house he spent most of his time indulgng
his children playing with the cat like Montague,
or lying sprawled out like Caliban. the floor Of
the hall reading He didn't like the parlor. be-
cause the haircoth chairs and marble table, the
flowers under glass bell, the portrait al
bHm and the family Bible, with their huge glass
clasps represented Mrs Lincolns ideas Of mag
nihcence and not his own notion OF solid comfort.
He would be In his shirt sleeves. and II loud
knocking at the front door disturbed his elegant
leisure he would go to the door just as he was
and promise to 'trot the women folks out" without
delay. Mrs. Lincoln never forgave him for help
ing himself TO butter at the table with his own
knife.
Lincolns favorite outer garb as he sailed forth
in winter for his office an ancient gray shawl
he took particular pains never to have his hat
brushed his shoes BACKED; his carpet bag
threatened at the TO disgorge its burthen OF
his cotton umbrella had
no handle TO speak Of and inside was the legend,
"A. Lincoln" the letters cut out OF white muslin
and sewed to the faded cloth. Altogether he
looked like the advance agent of a Denman
Thompson show. In 1856 a pair of spectacles
cost him thrty-seven and one-half cents.
The office was in character with the notorious
Indifference to appearances Of the senior partner
OF the firm. Once young law student attempted
TO blaze a trail through the accumulated rubbish,
and found that some seeds given by congress
man had taken root and sprouted in the dirt.
The mailbox Lincolns old plug hat, as was
formerly the case when he postmaster az
New Salem. He also used the hat as n repository
for legal papers of importance. Miscellaneous
transactions were confided to the safekeeping Ct
a mammoth envelope, on which Lincoln had
scrawled when you can't find 1T anywhere else
look into this"
When Lincoln went into court there was none
OF the see-theconQueri ng-hero swngger about him.
He would say. Well here am amt you glad to
see meE ana III IN the course OF lne hrsuiheh'
was necessary for him to concede point TO the
other side he would remark, Il reckon II would be
fair 10 let in that" and when overruled by tho
court would laugh and say, Well reckon must
be wrong"
When a lawyer asked him IL an attachment had
the force OF a summons his confession Of ignor
snce cheerfully frank "Damfno" On a long
palayering letter requesting his legal service he
wrote laconically, Count me in. A. Lincoln"
The accounts OF the firm never bothered him
he left all that TO Herndon He never disfgured
the account book himself with reckoning. When
anybody gave him money for legal services he
would divide with Herndon. II the latter was in
the office. and when Herndon not there he
would wrap the money up In piece OF paper.
mark II in pencil Case CT Smith VS.. Jones
Herndons half" and leave II In drawer OF his
partners desk
When they made him president and he Just
about 10 take the train for Washington he went
TO the cid once for the last time and found Hern-
don there