Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1880-08-14 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

LINCOLN'S HOMELY FIEBASES.—In his letter as to remit ta wan you hey shust mentioned." declining an invitation to attend the Illinois Republican ONE of Gavarni's drawings represents a picture. Convention in 1883, Lincoln made use of two or three dealer and a poor artist haggling over a work of art. striking figtol39. Reviewing the military events of the The dealer offering five francs for it, the artist meekly past year, which had been favourable to the cause of the replies that the canvas itself had cost him more than Union, he said: "The Father of waters again goes that sum. "That is quite poesible," said the dealer, unvexed to the sea." And, referring tet the fact that "but then you had not spoiled the canvas by painting Southern Unionists Ind ex-slaves had one somethingto upon it. , help on the good work, he said: "On the spot their A GENTLEMAN seated in the stalls of a theatre, part of the history is dotted down in black and white." who was afflicted with remarkably long ears, overheard There was something in the phrase, "dotted down in the jocular remarks of a neighbouring young man black and white" which mightily tickled the popular to another, which were by far too loudly expressed. fancy. At the time, however, criticism was provoked The proprietor of the ears turned round thereat sharply by this odd figure employed by the President: "Nor and said, "Sir, it is true my ears are very large must Uncle Sam's web feet be forgotten. At all the indeed for a man,.but yours are very small indeed for watery margins they have been present, not only on the an ass." deep sea, the broad bay, the rapid river, but also up BIGGLES, a queer genius, had made frequent the narrow muddy bayous, and wherever the ground promises to his friends that he would put an end to was a little damp they have been and made their tracks." himeelf. One stinging cold night he vowed he would Lincoln was amused by the discussion in the news- go out and freeze to death. About eleven p.m. he papers to which the use of the phrase "Uncle Sam's returned shivering and snapping his fingers. "Why we feet" gave rise. He explained that the remarkable don't you freeze?" asked a loving relative. "By Jove!" feats performed by the gunboats in making their way said the pseudo suicide, "when I freeze I mean to take through sloughs and bayous, 'heretofore considered a warmer night than this for it!" unnavigable, reminded him of the stealthy passage of SHERIDAN agreed with Walker that the pronun, water fowl. The pleasantry concerning light-draught ciation of wind should be wynd, but insisted, contrary steamers going where "the ground is a little damp" is to Walker, that gold should be goold. Sheridan tells familiar to everybody. It will be a long time before us that Swift Used to jeer those who pronounced wind our people will forget Lincoln's homely simile of with a short i, by saying, "I have a great minn'd to "elder-squirts &mg with rosewater," as applied to finn'd why you pronounce it winn'd." An illiberal the Conservative programme for urosecuting the war. critic retorted this upon Sheridan by saying," If I may This was used in a letter addressl to Cuthbert Bullit, be so boold, I should be glad to be toold why you proof New Orleans, in which letter be also said that the flounce it goold." Conservatives were like complaining passengers on a WHEN a heavy sea runs high, would you expect ship—" The mutineers must go untouched, lest one of a light house to be brought low? What sort of timethese sacred passengers should receive an accidental piece is the dog watch? Do rats avoid the cathead ? wound." His imagination was powerfully stimulated When a sailor tips his flipper, does his money change by any reference to the history of the Republic. His . hands? Of what build is the tug of war? When address at Gettysburg, now one of the great historical sailors are right out at sea, can they be wrong in the speeches of the world, suggests, rather than expresses, main? Would you my a seaman given to marine a crowd of images. To Lincoln's mind, apparently, proverbs and deep sayings was fond of a sea-saw? Is American history was filled with noble and pathetic the ship's waist the proper place for her stays? In figures. In some of the loftier flights of his eloquence hugging the shore does a vessel lay hold of a neck of may be found traces of a strong poetic fancy—an Mame land? Are Mother Carey's chickens kept in the hennation fired by love of country, and inspired by the coops under the hatches? contemplation of the stirring eyents that have marked A CHARACTERISTIC trait of Indian hill character its history. No more striking example of this can be is quaintly depicted in' the following narrative. An found anywhere than in the memorable words which officer stationed in a bill district lately visited a town, 7losed his first inaugural address: "Time mystic chords and while there made some purchases, attended always )f memory, stretching from every battle field and patriot by a wild creature of the mountains, whom he entergrave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this tamed as a personal servant. In the course of the day broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when he went into a shop to buy a small but expensive again touched, as surely they will be, by the better article, and, on going outside, when at some distance angels of our nature?' from the door, the hill-man, with all due respect to his