The Glenwood post., 1922-04-06

luck to get back to Sarah and the
children. They took the little stran-
ger into their hearts. Heart room,
house room is the motto of this part
of the country"
1t was new town to which Samson
returned The governor and the state
officers had moved to Springfield. The
new capitol was nearing completion.
The hard times which had followed
the downfall of '37 had unjustly dim
lnished Mr.. Lincoln's confidence in his
ability as a legislator. He enjoyed
the practice Of the law, which had be.
gun to turn his interest from the af-
fairs of state. But the pot Of political
science boiled before the fireplace in
the rear Of Joshua Speeds store every
evening that Lincoln and his associ-
ates were In Springfield. The wit and
wisdom which bubbled into its vapors
and the heat that surrounded 1t were
the talk of the town. Many came
to witness the process and presently
1t was moved. for time. to more
accommodating quarters. Before a
crowd of people In the Presbyterian
church. Lincoln, Logan. Baker and
Browning for the Wings, and Douglas.
Calhoun, Lamborn and Thomas for
the Democrats, having assiduously
prepared for the trial, debated tho
burning issues Of the time. The effort
Of each filed an evening and Lincoln's
speech gave him new hope Of himself
Wise men began to have great conf
dence in his future. He had taken
the style Of Webster for his model
He no longer used the broad humor
which had characterized his efforts on
the stump. A study Of the best
speeches of the great New Englander
had made him question, its value In
a public address. Dignity, clear rea-
soning and impressiveness were the
chief aims of his new method, the lat
ter of which Is aptly illustrated by
this passage from his speech In reply
to Douglas in the debate mentioned:
eff ever feel the soul within me
elevate and expand to those dimen-
sions not wholly unworthy Of Its Al
mighty Architect, it is when 1 con-
template the cause of my country de-
serted by all the world besides, and
I standing up boldly and alone and
hurting defiance at her victorious op-
pressors. Here without contemplating
consequences before high heaven and
in the face Of the world I swear eter-
nal fidelity to the Just cause, as I
deem it, Of the land Of my life, my
liberty and my love"
In these perfervid utterances one
may find little to admire save great
spirit seeking to express itself and
lacking as yet the refinement of taste
equal to his undertaking. He was
no heaven-bon genius sprung in full
panoply from the head of Jove." He
was just one Of the slow, common
folk, with a passion for justice and
human rights, slowly feeling his way
upward. His spirit was growing.
Strong In its love and knowledge of
common men and of the things neces-
sary to their welfare. 1t was beginning
to seek and know "the divine power
of words" Every moment Of leisure
he gave to the study Of Webster and
Burke and Byron and Shakespeare and
Burns. He had begun to study the
art Of Irving and Walter Scott and Of
new writer Of the name Of Dickens.
There were four men who slept with
him In the room above Speeds store,
and one of them has told how he used
to lie sprawled on the floor, with his
oft
the others had gone to sleep. Samson
writes that he never knew q man who
understood the art Of using minutes as
he did. detached minute was to
him a thing to be filled with value.
Yet there were few men SO deeply In
love with fun. He loved to laugh at
a storytelling and to match his hu-
NOR with Thompson Campbell-a fa-
nous raconteur-and to play with
children. Fun was as necessary to
him as sleep. He searched for 1t in
people and in books.
He came often to Samson's house
to play with "Mr Nimble" and to talk
came when he was talking with Joe
and some Of his merriest moments
when he was playing with "Mr. MINI
BILE" He confessed that 1t was the
latter that reminded him that he had
better be looking for Z wife.
But Lincoln was only one of many
remarkable personalities in Springfield
who had discovered themselves and
were seeking to be discovered. Sun
dry individuals were lifting their heads
above the crowd, but not with the
modesty and self-distrust Of Honest
Abe. "steve" Douglas, whom Samson
had referred to as that little rooster
Of a man." put on the stills of brave
and ponderous vigor. His hve-foot
stature and his hundred pounds Of
weight did not At the part Of Achilles
But he would have no other. He blus-
tered much with spear too heavy for
his hands. Lincoln used to call him
q kind Of popgun.
This free-for-all joust Of Individual
ism-one Of the first fruits OF freedom
in the west-gave to the life Of the lit
tie village a rich favor of comedy.