nouncing him as a spy. They were thirsting for Indian blood. Captain Lincoln threw himself before the trembling savage, and, seeming to tower to an unusual height in his indignation, drove back the clamorous crowd. It was a dangerous thing to do; there were mutinous murmurs in the crowd, and a voice called out, 'This is cowardly of you, Lincoln !' Lincoln's rage grew higher. If any man thinks I am a coward, let him test it,' he said. But you are larger and heavier than we are,' cried the invisible mutineer. That you can guard against,' returned their captain; 'choose your weapons.' There was no more disaffection in Lincoln's company. He had vindicated his authority in no very military manner; but he had proved that he did not require his rank to cope with his soldiers. They respected and they feared him after that. When his company was disbanded, Lincoln at once re-enlisted as private in a spy company; and though he never was in any actual engagement, he saw a good deal of the monotonous and tedious part of campaigning, before the end of the war in July 1832.

The military field of contest was immediately exchanged for the civil. Abraham Lincoln was persuaded to issue an address as a candidate for the Legislature of Illinois, and to canvass the county. But though his popularity was sufficient to win him all the votes of his own precinct, he was not well enough known to be carried. But he attained one object; he brought himself into notice, and politicians began to take note of the clever, awkward young man, who spoke so strongly and humorously. His first real attempt at public speaking had been made in 1832, at a debating club, as the first attempts of so many great orators and statesmen have been before and since. His début has thus been described :-'As he arose to

speak, his tall form towered above the little assembly. Both hands were thrust down deep in the pockets of his pantaloons. A perceptible smile at once lit up the faces of the audience, for all anticipated the relation of some humorous story. But he opened up the discussion in splendid style, to the infinite astonishment of his friends. As he warmed with his subject, his hands would forsake his pockets, and would enforce his ideas by awkward gestures, but would very soon seek their easy resting - places. He pursued the question with reason and argument so pithy and forcible that all were amazed. The president, at his fireside after the meeting, remarked to his wife that there was more in Abe's head than wit and fun; that he was already a fine speaker; that all he lacked was culture, to enable him to reach the high destiny which he knew was in store for him.'

But he had still his bread to make; and he resolved to turn his previous commercial experience to profit, and embark in trade on his own account. His first step was a grave mistake. He entered into partnership with one Berry, a worthless, drunken fellow; and although Lincoln and Berry absorbed all the other stores, and became the sole warehouse in New Salem, the firm came to grief in 1833. Berry absconded, and Lincoln was left, struggling under a load of debt. It was not till 1849 that the last dollar was paid off; but the last dollar was paid eventually. He saw he had no aptitude for trade, so he sat down to read law. He had already begun before his store closed; and he is said to have mastered the first forty pages of Blackstone at one sitting. He was, of course, too poor to buy law-books; but Mr. Stuart, a lawyer in Springfield, cheerfully lent the uncouth lad as many books as he chose to come for. 'He used to read law,' says

his friend MacHenry, 'in 1832 or 1833, barefooted, seated in the shade of a tree, and would grind around with the shade, just opposite Berry's grocery store, a few feet south of the door. He occasionally varied the attitude by lying flat on his back, and putting his feet up the tree.' It is not to be wondered at that a man of Lincoln's practical intensity would wish to see some tangible fruit from all this study; and therefore we find him soon beginning to write deeds and contracts and other legal documents for the neighbours, using an old style-book for the purpose. He also began to assist people in cases before the justices of the peace; but he regarded this as simply exercise for himself, and did not charge for his services. He did not confine himself to lawreading; he was still educating himself in natural philosophy and in grammar; and he read novels and newspapers, songs and ballads, with unaffected eagerness. But all this study did not put money in his pocket. Fortunately, John Calhoun, Democrat statesman, surveyor of Sangamon County, was attracted by Lincoln's abilities. Giving him a book on landsurveying, he told him to master that, and he would find as much work to do as he could overtake. Six weeks of concentrated study made Lincoln a clever surveyor; Calhoun appointed him his deputy; and the law-student was able to maintain himself in a humble manner. In 1833 he received a more public appointment, for he was made postmaster of New Salem. This was but a humble post; for Lincoln is said to have carried on the business in his hat; but it had one advantage, in making him known among the surrounding people. His good-nature, too, made him always willing to read the letters for the ignorant recipients; and otherwise to yield to their demands upon his time. A good story is

told of how he succeeded in stopping the annoying pertinacity of an inhabitant of New Salem, who used to come to him every day, sometimes three or four times a day,—asking, 'Anything for me?' Lincoln one day concocted a letter, purporting to come to this man from a negress in Kentucky. After a variety of interesting particulars, it went on: 'Johnnie, come and see me, and old master won't kick you out of the kitchen any more.' The receiver of the letter was quite unable to read, so he took it to some friends to read it for him. They read out the astonishing contents, and he thought they were fooling him. He took it to others, with the same result. At last, in desperation, he took it to Lincoln. It was almost. too much for the postmaster, but he got through it, and he was never again troubled by that citizen. Many anecdotes are told of his magnanimous kindness. Though so tall and strong, and an acknowledged champion in wrestling and fighting, he never engaged in a brawl for brawling's sake, like so many of his friends and contemporaries. He used his great strength over and over again to stop hostilities; and his recognised prowess enabled him to avoid contests without any suspicion of cowardice. On one occasion a very indignant and very small man challenged the huge Abraham to battle. Lincoln agreed to fight, on condition that a figure of the same size as his diminutive antagonist should be chalked out on his larger person, and that every blow struck beyond that should be counted foul. 'After this sally,' continues Lamon, 'there was the best possible humour, and all parties were as orderly as if they had been engaged in the most harmless amusement.'

Undaunted by his previous defeat, Lincoln stood again for the Legislature of Illinois in 1834; and his courage was

rewarded with success. An elector, hearing Lincoln was a candidate, sneeringly asked, 'Can't the party raise any better material than that?' He was advised to go to hear the despised candidate. Why, sir,' the elector exclaimed, after hearing Lincoln speak, 'he's a perfect take in! he knows more than all of them put together!' So poor was Lincoln on his election that he had to borrow 200 dollars (£40) in order to make a respectable appearance in the Legislature at Vandalia. He had a good deal to learn besides the art of wearing a good suit of clothes, and he kept quiet and learned it. He was a Whig, and followed the bold policy of his party implicitly. He spoke little, but worked hard as a member of committee on public accounts and expenditure. More interesting it is to note that it was in this Legislature that Lincoln saw for the first time Stephen A. Douglas, with whom, for the next twenty years or more, he was to wage political combat. Next year (1835), Abraham's peace of mind was disturbed by a melancholy event in his private history. He fell deeply in love with a beautiful and amiable girl, who, when she plighted her troth to him, was slowly dying of a broken heart, caused by apparent desertion by a former lover. Her death produced a violent effect upon Lincoln. His reason was clouded for a season, and the fits of depression, unusual before, became more frequent and more gloomy, and remained ever after a strange element in his character. Long after this he confessed to a friend that he never dared carry a pocket-knife, lest he own life. The affectionate

should be tempted to take his care of friends restored Lincoln to his self-control, and he re-entered political life. The year 1836 saw him again a member of the Legislature; and this time in the van of the party whose gigantic and ill-digested schemes of internal improvements