discussed philosophy, politi interests."

Lincoln's guileless exteri fund of shrewdness and d ordinary matters, as well a realms.

"I remember once," w while several of us lawyers ing Judge Davis, Lincoln su question regarding court p no one particularly, to whic in the habit certainly of a share of any conversation, he understood the practice thereat laughed and said: “ hoping that you would answ

question to present to the c and I am very glad to find

is on my side."

A long letter about a law case, containing a desire to retain him, he returned with the indorsement: "Count me in. A. LINCOLN."

His first pair of spectacles, which he purchased in a small shop in Bloomington, with the remark that he "had got to be forty-seven years old and kinder needed them," cost him thirty-seven and a half cents.

At one o'clock, on a night after Lincoln had been away for a week, his Springfield neighbor heard the sound of an ax. Looking out of his window, he saw Lincoln in the moonlight chopping wood for his solitary supper.

"We had concluded a murder case," writes Whitney, "once in Champaign at noon, in which we had no chance of acquittal, and hoped the jury would disagree. In the afternoon a young lawyer from another county was making a rousing speech in a whisky-selling case, although there was nothing to talk about; but the chap was 'wound up' for a big speech and he couldn't stop till he had run down. We were in one corner of the court-room, anxiously hoping that our jury, which still remained out, would stay so, and finally disagree. Meanwhile, we were

after sailing in the air for several hours the aeronaut, who was arrayed in silks and spangles like a circus-performer, descended in a cottonfield, where a gang of slaves were at work. The frightened negroes took to the woods-all but one venerable darky, who was rheumatic and could not run, and who, as the resplendent aeronaut approached, having apparently just dropped from heaven, said, "Good mornin', Massa Jesus; how's yo' pa?"

A New York firm applied to Lincoln some years before he became President for information as to the financial standing of one of his neighbors. This was the answer:

"Yours of the 10th received. First of all, he has a wife and baby; together they ought to be worth $500,000 to any man. Secondly, he has an office in which there is a table worth $1.50 and three chairs worth, say, $1. Last of all, there is in one corner a large rat-hole, which will bear looking into.

While walking along a dusty road in Illinois in his circuit days Lincoln was overtaken by a stranger driving to town. "Will you have the