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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 58When Mr. Lincoln started for Washington, to be inaugurated, the inauguraladdress was placed in a special satchel and guarded with special care. AtHarrisburg the satchel was given in charge of Robert T. Lincoln, whoaccompanied his father. Before the train started from Harrisburg theprecious satchel was missing. Robert thought he had given it to a waiter atthe hotel, but a long search failed to reveal the missing satchel with itsprecious document. Lincoln was annoyed, angry, and finally in despair. Hefelt certain that the address was lost beyond recovery, and, as it only lackedten days until the inauguration, he had no time to prepare another. He hadnot even preserved the notes from which the original copy had beenwritten.Mr. Lincoln went to Ward Lamon, his former law partner, then one of hisbodyguards, and informed him of the loss in the following words:"Lamon, I guess I have lost my certificate of moral character, written bymyself. Bob has lost my gripsack containing my inaugural address." Ofcourse, the misfortune reminded him of a story."I feel," said Mr. Lincoln, "a good deal as the old member of the MethodistChurch did when he lost his wife at the camp meeting, and went up to anold elder of the church and asked him if he could tell him whereabouts inh--l his wife was. In fact, I am in a worse fix than my Methodist friend, forif it were only a wife that were missing, mine would be sure to bob upsomewhere."The clerk at the hotel told Mr. Lincoln that he would probably find hismissing satchel in the baggage-room. Arriving there, Mr. Lincoln saw asatchel which he thought was his, and it was passed out to him. His keyfitted the lock, but alas! when it was opened the satchel contained only asoiled shirt, some paper collars, a pack of cards and a bottle of whisky. Afew minutes later the satchel containing the inaugural address was foundamong the pile of baggage.The recovery of the address also reminded Mr. Lincoln of a story, which isthus narrated by Ward Lamon in his "Recollections of Abraham Lincoln":