He refused to take any fee from the poor

woman.

Lincoln had little business method. If he had an unusual or difficult case he worked hard over it, but for an ordinary case he made little formal preparation. He planned his line of argument, took a few notes, which he usually carried in his high silk hat, and that was all.

He was much in demand as an attorney in various Illinois towns, and wherever Judge Davis was holding court Lincoln was pretty sure to be one of the company of lawyers that "rode the circuit" with him. In travelling from place to place he rode horseback or drove in a dilapidated old buggy. The lawyers, when attending the circuit court, boarded and lodged together in some inn or large private house.

They were treated with great respect and given the best the host had to offer, but even the best was not very good. They often slept two in a bed, four in a room. However crowded the room or poor the fare Lincoln

never complained.

He easily accommodated himself to circumstances, and enjoyed going on the circuit.

While his companions slept he often studied till two o'clock in the morning. He studied by the light of a kerosene lamp placed on a rush-bottom chair beside his bed. The light was poor, the room was cold; was cold; why not go comfortably to sleep like the others? If the temptation came, he did not often yield. It was in those night hours that he learned geometry and read Shakespeare.

In the daytime, when not in court, he was usually the center of an interested group of townspeople and fellow-lawyers assembled to listen to and laugh at his shrewd sayings and funny stories.

In court he spoke in a slow, drawling way and seemed rather listless. Those who did not know him thought he must be a poor sort of a lawyer, but they soon learned better. It was his habit to grant to his opponent—with an indifferent “I reckon I must be wrong" or "I reckon it's fair to let that in "—all the

points he could justly claim; but as the opposing lawyer began to feel that the victory was his, Lincoln would introduce some clinching argument against him.

He was a sharp, clear reasoner, and though apparently inattentive and indifferent, was most alert. Besides, he had oratorical powers which won the sympathy of the jury for his cause; he was a matchless mimic, and was able to use mimicry, irony, sarcasm, and funny stories to put the jury into a good humor or make his opponent appear ridiculous.

He was quite as able, when the case demanded it, to rouse a sense of righteous indignation or even to make the honest-hearted jurors weep out of pity for his client. These gifts, added to the prevailing confidence in his honesty, made him a powerful advocate in a community where the question "Is it lawful?" was less important than the question “Is it right?"

CHAPTER VII.

POLITICAL SUCCESS.

THE qualities that made Lincoln a successful lawyer also contributed to make him a successful politician. He had been recognized in local politics for some time before he was called upon to take part in national affairs. In 1840, when General William Henry Harrison was nominated for the presidency, Lincoln was made presidential elector.

General Harrison had been closely identified with western life, having been governor of Indiana Territory and the hero of Tippecanoe. The log-cabin and hard cider figured prominently in the campaign. Lincoln stumped the State for Harrison. His speeches attracted much attention. Sometimes he held debates with Stephen A. Douglas, a Democratic speaker, who was very shrewd and able. The

debates held by these two popular speakers drew great crowds.

Having represented his district in the State Assembly for several years, Lincoln was elected Congressional Representative in 1846. He thought now the opportunity had come to make his mark in the political world; his constituents were fond and proud of him; he learned that they were waiting impatiently for their "Honest Abe," as they called him, to distinguish himself.

The war with Mexico was in progress. Lincoln knew that the men who had elected him favored the war, but he was opposed to it. He contended that it was unnecessary and had been begun unconstitutionally. He declared the president had no right to plunge the nation into war. He was not only sure that his views were right, but he believed that the men who had elected him would believe as he did if they knew what he knew.

He did not in the least doubt that he would be able to show them that he was right. He made a brilliant speech against the president's