Yours truly, A. LINCOLN.

It appears that on the Sunday which Lincoln spent in New York City he visited a Sunday School in the notorious region called Five Points, and there made a short address to the scholars.  After his return to Springfield, one of his neighbors, hearing of this, thought it would be a good subject for bantering Lincoln about, and accordingly visited him for that purpose.  This neighbor was generally known as “Jim,” just as Lincoln was called “Abe.”  The following account of his visit, furnished by Mr. Edward Eggleston, shows that he did not derive as much fun from the “bantering” as he had expected:  “He started for ‘Old Abe’s’ office; but bursting open the door impulsively, found a stranger in conversation with Mr. Lincoln.  He turned to retrace his steps, when Lincoln called out, ‘Jim!  What do you want?’ ‘Nothing.’  ‘Yes, you do; come back.’  After some entreaty ‘Jim’ approached Mr. Lincoln, and remarked, with a twinkle in his eye, ’Well, Abe, I see you have been making a speech to Sunday School children.  What’s the matter?’ ’Sit down, Jim, and I’ll tell you all about it.’  And with that Lincoln put his feet on the stove, and began:  ’When Sunday morning came, I didn’t know exactly what to do.  Mr. Washburne asked me where I was going.  I told him I had nowhere to go; and he proposed to take me down to the Five Points Sunday School, to show me something worth seeing.  I was very much interested by what I saw.  Presently, Mr. Pease came up and spoke to Mr. Washburne, who introduced me.  Mr. Pease wanted us to speak.  Washburne spoke, and then I was urged to speak.  I told them I did not know anything about talking to Sunday Schools, but Mr. Pease said many of the children were friendless and homeless, and that a few words would do them good.  Washburne said I must talk.  And so I rose to speak; but I tell you, Jim, I didn’t know what to say.  I remembered that Mr. Pease said they were homeless and friendless, and I thought of the time when I had been pinched by terrible poverty.  And so I told them that I had been poor; that I remembered when my toes stuck out through my broken shoes in winter; when my arms were out at the elbows; when I shivered with the cold.  And I told them there was only one rule; that was, always do the very best you can.  I told them that I had always tried to do the very best I could; and that, if they would follow that rule, they would get along somehow.  That was about what I said.  And when I got through, Mr. Pease said it was just the thing they needed.  And when the school was dismissed, all the teachers came up and shook hands with me, and thanked me; although I did not know that I had been saying anything of any account.  But the next morning I saw my remarks noticed in the papers.’  Just here Mr. Lincoln put his hand in his pocket, and remarked that he had never heard anything that touched him as had the songs which those children sang.  With that he drew forth a little book, saying that they had given him