The Jasper news., 1922-01-05
CHAPTER xxv-contInued.

fessed that we had soon to deal with
that question.
] was In his Office when Herndon
said:
81 tell you that slavery must be
rooted out."
what makes you think soT Mr..
Lincoln asked. =.
'1 feel It in my bones" was Hern-
don's answer.
After that he used to speak with
respect of "Bill Herndon's bone phil
osophy."
His term In congress having ended.
he came back to the law in partner
ship with William H. Herndon-a man
Of character and sound judgment.
Those days Lincoln wore black trou-
Sers, coat and stock, a wOistcoast OF
satin and Wellington high hat. He
was wont to carry his papers in his
hat. Mary had wrought great
change in his external appearance.
They used to call him "a dead square
lawyer" remember that once Hern-
don had drawn up a fictitious plea
founded on a shrewd assumption. LIN
coin carefully examined the papers.
rs 1t founded on factT he asked.
NO" Herndon answered.
Lincoln scratched his head thought
fully and asked: ..
"Billy, hadn't we better withdraw
that plea2 You know It's a sham and
generally that's another name for a
lie. Don't let 1t 60 on record. The
cursed thing may come staring us In
the face long after this suit has been
forgotten"
On the whole he was not so COM
municative as he had been in his young
manhood. He suffered days Of depres-
sion when he said little. Often. In
good company, he seemed to be think
ing Of things In no way connected
with the talk. Mary called him a
rather "shut-mouthed man."
Herndon used to say that the only
thing he frad against Lincoln was his
habit Of coming In morninys and
sprawling on the lounge and reading
aloud from the newspaper.
The people Of the town loved him.
One day, as we were walking along
the street together, we came upon a
girl dressed up and crying in front
Of her fathers door.
whats the matter?" Lincoln asked.
II want to take the train and the
wagon hasn't come for my trunk" said
she.
Lincoln went In and got the trunk
and carried It to the station on his
back, with people laughing and throw
ing jokes at him as he strobe along.
When think of him, his chivalry and
kindness come first to mind.
Z; He read much, but his days OF book
study were nearly ended. His learn.
ing was now got mostly in the school
Of experience. Herndon says, and
think II is true, that he never read
to the end If a law book those days
The study Of authorities was left to
the junior partner. His reading was
mostly outside the law. His knowl
edge of science was derived from
Chambers Ves:lges of the Natural
History of Creation.
He was still afraid Of the Abolition
Movement In 1852 and left town tC
avoid q convention Of it's adberents
lie thought the effort to resist b!
force the laws Of Kansas was crimina
and would hurt the cause Of freedom
let US have peace and revolutionizs
through the ballot box" he urged.
In 1854, little quarrel In New Yorl
began to weave the thread Of destiny
Seward, Weed and Greeley had welded
decisive power in the party councils
Of that state. Seward was a high
headed, popular idol. His plans anC
his triumphant progress absorbed hi
thought. Weed was dazzled by tn,
eplendor of this great star. NeIthe
gave a thought to their able eoIleagu,
"a poor man struggling to build VI
a great newspaper. An Office, Will
fair pay, would have been a help Il
those days. But he got no recognition
Of his needs and talents and services
Suddenly he wrote a letter to Wee
IN which he said:
THE firm Of Seward. Weed an
Greeley is hereby dissolved by the res
IgnatiOn Of its junior member"
When Greeley had grown in pOwe
and wisdom until his name was know
and honOred from ocean TO ocean. the
tried to make peace with him, bu
In vain.
Then suddenly a new purity and
new Lincoln we're born on the sam
day in 1855, at great meeting 1
bloomington. Illinois. There his sol
was 10 come into It's statellest mar
.lon nuf Of ifs lower vaulted ms