the writings-2-第3章

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and　meant　to　say；　that　for　them　now　to　meet　face　to　face　and

converse　together　was　the　best　way　to　efface　any　remnant　of

unpleasant　feeling；　if　any　such　existed。



I　did　not　suppose　that　General　Hardin's　friends　were　in　any

greater　need　of　having　their　feelings　corrected　than　mine　were。

Since　I　saw　you　at　Jacksonville；　I　have　had　no　more　suspicion　of

the　Whigs　of　Morgan　than　of　those　of　any　other　part　of　the

district。　　I　write　this　only　to　try　to　remove　any　impression　that

I　distrust　you　and　the　other　Whigs　of　your　country。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JAMES　BERDAN。



SPRINGFIELD；　May　7；　1866。



DEAR　SIR：It　is　a　matter　of　high　moral　obligation；　if　not　of

necessity；　for　me　to　attend　the　Coles　and　Edwards　courts。　　I　have

some　cases　in　both　of　them；　in　which　the　parties　have　my　promise；

and　are　depending　upon　me。　　The　court　commences　in　Coles　on　the

second　Monday；　and　in　Edgar　on　the　third。　　Your　court　in　Morgan

commences　on　the　fourth　Monday；　and　it　is　my　purpose　to　be　with

you　then；　and　make　a　speech。　　I　mention　the　Coles　and　Edgar

courts　in　order　that　if　I　should　not　reach　Jacksonville　at　the

time　named　you　may　understand　the　reason　why。　　I　do　not；　however；

think　there　is　much　danger　of　my　being　detained；　as　I　shall　go

with　a　purpose　not　to　be；　and　consequently　shall　engage　in　no　new

cases　that　might　delay　me。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









VERSES　WRITTEN　BY　LINCOLN　AFTER　A　VISIT　TO　HIS　OLD　HOME　IN

INDIANA…（A　FRAGMENT）。



＇In　December；　1847；　when　Lincoln　was　stumping　for　Clay；　he

crossed　into　Indiana　and　revisited　his　old　home。　　He　writes：

〃That　part　of　the　country　is　within　itself　as　unpoetical　as　any

spot　on　earth；　but　still　seeing　it　and　its　objects　and

inhabitants　aroused　feelings　in　me　which　were　certainly　poetry；

though　whether　my　expression　of　these　feelings　is　poetry；　is

quite　another　question。〃＇





Near　twenty　years　have　passed　away

Since　here　I　bid　farewell

To　woods　and　fields；　and　scenes　of　play；

And　playmates　loved　so　well。



Where　many　were；　but　few　remain

Of　old　familiar　things；

But　seeing　them　to　mind　again

The　lost　and　absent　brings。



The　friends　I　left　that　parting　day；

How　changed；　as　time　has　sped！

Young　childhood　grown；　strong　manhood　gray；

And　half　of　all　are　dead。



I　hear　the　loved　survivors　tell

How　naught　from　death　could　save；

Till　every　sound　appears　a　knell；

And　every　spot　a　grave。



I　range　the　fields　with　pensive　tread；

And　pace　the　hollow　rooms；

And　feel　（companion　of　the　dead）

I　'm　living　in　the　tombs。









VERSES　WRITTEN　BY　LINCOLN　CONCERNING　A　SCHOOL…FELLOW

WHO　BECAME　INSANE（A　FRAGMENT）。



And　when　at　length　the　drear　and　long

Time　soothed　thy　fiercer　woes；

How　plaintively　thy　mournful　song

Upon　the　still　night　rose



I've　heard　it　oft　as　if　I　dreamed；

Far　distant；　sweet　and　lone；

The　funeral　dirge　it　ever　seemed

Of　reason　dead　and　gone。



Air　held　her　breath；　trees　with　the　spell

Seemed　sorrowing　angels　round；

Whose　swelling　tears　in　dewdrops　fell

Upon　the　listening　ground。





But　this　is　past；　and　naught　remains

That　raised　thee　o'er　the　brute；

Thy　piercing　shrieks　and　soothing　strains

Are　like；　forever　mute。



Now　fare　thee　well！　More　thou　the　cause

Than　subject　now　of　woe。

All　mental　pangs　by　time's　kind　laws

Hast　lost　the　power　to　know。



O　Death！　thou　awe…inspiring　prince

That　keepst　the　world　in　fear；

Why　dost　thou　tear　more　blest　ones　hence；

And　leave　him　lingering　here？









SECOND　CHILD



TO　JOSHUA　P。　SPEED



SPRINGFIELD；　October　22；　1846。



DEAR　SPEED：You；　no　doubt；　assign　the　suspension　of　our

correspondence　to　the　true　philosophic　cause；　though　it　must　be

confessed　by　both　of　us　that　this　is　rather　a　cold　reason　for

allowing　a　friendship　such　as　ours　to　die　out　by　degrees。　　I

propose　now　that；　upon　receipt　of　this；　you　shall　be　considered

in　my　debt；　and　under　obligations　to　pay　soon；　and　that　neither

shall　remain　long　in　arrears　hereafter。　　Are　you　agreed？



Being　elected　to　Congress；　though　I　am　very　grateful　to　our

friends　for　having　done　it；　has　not　pleased　me　as　much　as　I

expected。



We　have　another　boy；　born　the　10th　of　March。　　He　is　very　much

such　a　child　as　Bob　was　at　his　age；　rather　of　a　longer　order。

Bob　is　〃short　and　low；〃　and　I　expect　always　will　be。　　He　talks

very　plainly；almost　as　plainly　as　anybody。　　He　is　quite　smart

enough。　　I　sometimes　fear　that　he　is　one　of　the　little　rare…ripe

sort　that　are　smarter　at　about　five　than　ever　after。　　He　has　a

great　deal　of　that　sort　of　mischief　that　is　the　offspring　of　such

animal　spirits。　　Since　I　began　this　letter；　a　messenger　came　to

tell　me　Bob　was　lost；　but　by　the　time　I　reached　the　house　his

mother　had　found　him　and　had　him　whipped；　and　by　now；　very

likely；　he　is　run　away　again。　　Mary　has　read　your　letter；　and

wishes　to　be　remembered　to　Mrs。　　Speed　and　you；　in　which　I　most

sincerely　join　her。



As　ever　yours；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　MORRIS　AND　BROWN



SPRINGFIELD；

October　21；　1847。



MESSRS。　MORRIS　AND　BROWN。



GENTLEMEN：Your　second　letter　on　the　matter　of　Thornton　and

others；　came　to　hand　this　morning。　　I　went　at　once　to　see　Logan；

and　found　that　he　is　not　engaged　against　you；　and　that　he　has　so

sent　you　word　by　Mr。　Butterfield；　as　he　says。　　He　says　that　some

time　ago；　a　young　man　（who　he　knows　not）　came　to　him；　with　a　copy

of　the　affidavit；　to　engage　him　to　aid　in　getting　the　Governor　to

grant　the　warrant；　and　that　he；　Logan；　told　the　man；　that　in　his

opinion；　the　affidavit　was　clearly　insufficient；　upon　which　the

young　man　left；　without　making　any　engagement　with　him。　　If　the

Governor　shall　arrive　before　I　leave；　Logan　and　I　will　both

attend　to　the　matter；　and　he　will　attend　to　it；　if　he　does　not

come　till　after　I　leave；　all　upon　the　condition　that　the　Governor

shall　not　have　acted　upon　the　matter；　before　his　arrival　here。　　I

mention　this　condition　because；　I　learned　this　morning　from　the

Secretary　of　State；　that　he　is　forwarding　to　the　Governor；　at

Palestine；　all　papers　he　receives　in　the　case；　as　fast　as　he

receives　them。　　Among　the　papers　forwarded　will　be　your　letter　to

the　Governor　or　Secretary　of；　I　believe；　the　same　date　and　about

the　same　contents　of　your　last　letter　to　me；　so　that　the　Governor

will；　at　all　events　have　your　points　and　authorities。　　The　case

is　a　clear　one　on　our　side；　but　whether　the　Governor　will　view　it

so　is　another　thing。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　WILLIAM　H。　　HERNDON



WASHINGTON；　December　5；　1847。



DEAR　WILLIAM：You　may　remember　that　about　a　year　ago　a　man　by

the　name　of　Wilson　（James　Wilson；　I　think）　paid　us　twenty　dollars

as　an　advance　fee　to　attend　to　a　case　in　the　Supreme　Court　for

him；　against　a　Mr。　Campbell；　the　record　of　which　case　was　in　the

hands　of　Mr。　Dixon　of　St。　　Louis；　who　never　furnished　it　to　us。

When　I　was　at　Bloomington　last　fall　I　met　a　friend　of　Wilson；　who

mentioned　the　subject　to　me；　and　induced　me　to　write　to　Wilson；

telling　him　I　would　leave　the　ten　dollars　with　you　which　had　been

left　with　me　to　pay　for　making　abstracts　in　the　case；　so　that　the

case　may　go　on　this　winter；　but　I　came　away；　and　forgot　to　do　it。

What　I　want　now　is　to　send　you　the　money；　to　be　used　accordingly；

if　any　one　comes　on　to　start　the　case；　or　to　be　retained　by　you

if　no　one　does。



There　is　nothing　of　consequence　new　here。　　Congress　is　to

organize　to…morrow。　　Last　night　we　held　a　Whig　caucus　for　the

House；　and　nominated　Winthrop　of　Massachusetts　for　speaker；

Sargent　of　Pennsylvania　for　sergeant…at…arms；　Homer　of　New　Jersey

door…keeper；　and　McCormick　of　District　of　Columbia　postmaster。

The　Whig　majority　in　the　House　is　so　small　that；　together　with

some　little　dissatisfaction；　＇it＇　leaves　it　doubtful　whether　we

will　elect　them　all。



This　paper　is　too　thick　to　fold；　wh