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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 344Colonel McKaye said their place of worship was a large building theycalled "the praise house," and the leader of the "meeting," a venerable blackman, was known as "the praise man."On a certain day, when there was quite a large gathering of the people,considerable confusion was created by different persons attempting to tellwho and what "Massa Linkum" was. In the midst of the excitement thewhite-headed leader commanded silence. "Brederen," said he, "you don'tknow nosen' what you'se talkin' 'bout. Now, you just listen to me. MassaLinkum, he ebery whar. He know ebery ting."Then, solemnly looking up, he added: "He walk de earf like de Lord!"HOW LINCOLN TOOK THE NEWS.One of Lincoln's most dearly loved friends, United States Senator EdwardD. Baker, of Oregon, Colonel of the Seventy-first Pennsylvania, a formertownsman of Mr. Lincoln, was killed at the battle of Ball's Bluff, inOctober, 1861. The President went to General McClellan's headquarters tohear the news, and a friend thus described the effect it had upon him:"We could hear the click of the telegraph in the adjoining room and lowconversation between the President and General McClellan, succeeded bysilence, excepting the click, click of the instrument, which went on with itstale of disaster."Five minutes passed, and then Mr. Lincoln, unattended, with bowed headand tears rolling down his furrowed cheeks, his face pale and wan, hisbreast heaving with emotion, passed through the room. He almost fell as hestepped into the street. We sprang involuntarily from our seats to renderassistance, but he did not fall."With both hands pressed upon his heart, he walked down the street, notreturning the salute of the sentinel pacing his beat before the door."PROFANITY AS A SAFETY-VALVE.