''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 199And of another, a Methodist minister in Kansas, living on a small salary,who was greatly troubled to get his quarterly instalment. He at last told thenon-paying trustees that he must have his money, as he was suffering forthe necessaries of life."Money!" replied the trustees; "you preach for money? We thought youpreached for the good of souls!""Souls!" responded the reverend; "I can't eat souls; and if I could it wouldtake a thousand such as yours to make a meal!""That soul is the point, sir," said the President.LINCOLN'S REJECTED MANUSCRIPT.On February 5th, 1865, President Lincoln formulated a message toCongress, proposing the payment of $400,000,000 to the South ascompensation for slaves lost by emancipation, and submitted it to hisCabinet, only to be unanimously rejected.Lincoln sadly accepted the decision, and filed away the manuscriptmessage, together with this indorsement thereon, to which his signaturewas added: "February 5, 1865. To-day these papers, which explainthemselves, were drawn up and submitted to the Cabinet unanimouslydisapproved by them."When the proposed message was disapproved, Lincoln soberly asked:"How long will the war last?"To this none could make answer, and he added: "We are spending now, incarrying on the war, $3,000,000 a day, which will amount to all this money,besides all the lives."LINCOLN AS A STORY WRITER.