Russell, of the Times gives the following illustration, which he himself witnessed, of Lincoln's story-telling propensity:
Mr. Bates remonstrating apparently against the appointment of some indifferent lawyer to a place of judicial importance, the President interposed with "Come now Bates, he's not half as bad as you think. Besides that, I must tell you he did me a good turn long ago.--When I took to the law, I was going to court one morning, with some ten or twelve miles of bad road before me, and had no horse. The Judge overtook me in his wagon. "Hello, Lincoln! are you not going to the Court House? Come and I'll give you a seat." Well, I got in and the Judge went on reading his papers. Presently the wagon struck a stump on one side of the road; then it hopped off to the other.--I looked out, and I saw the driver was jerking from side to side in his seat, so says I, "Judge, I think your coach man has been taking a little drop too much this morning." "Well, I declare, Lincoln," said he, "I should not much wonder if you are right, for he has nearly upset me half a dozen times since starting." So putting his head out the window, he shouted, "Why you infernal scoundrel, you are drunk;" Upon which, pulling up his horse and turning round with great gravity, the coachman said, "By gorra! that's the first rightful decision you have given for the last twelve-month."
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