a man of great personal dignity—­passed through the room where the lawyers were sitting, on his way to open court.  Lincoln, seeing him, called out in his hearty way, “Hold on, Breese!  Don’t open court yet!  Here’s Bob Blackwell just going to tell a new story!” The judge passed on without replying, evidently regarding it as beneath the dignity of the Supreme Court to delay proceedings for the sake of a story.

CHAPTER V

Lincoln in the Legislature—­Eight Consecutive Years of Service—­His Influence in the House—­Leader of the Whig Party in Illinois—­Takes a Hand in National Politics—­Presidential Election in 1840—­A “Log Cabin” Reminiscence—­Some Memorable Political Encounters—­A Tilt with Douglas—­Lincoln Facing a Mob—­His Physical Courage—­Lincoln as a Duellist—­The Affair with General Shields—­An Eye-Witness’ Account of the Duel—­Courtship and Marriage.

In 1838 Lincoln was for a third time a candidate for the State Legislature.  Mr. Wilson, one of his colleagues from Sangamon County, states that a question of the division of the county was one of the local issues.  “Mr. Lincoln and myself,” says Mr. Wilson, “among others residing in the portion of the county which sought to be organized into a new county, opposed the division; and it became necessary that I should make a special canvass through the northwest part of the county, then known as Sand Ridge.  I made the canvass.  Mr. Lincoln accompanied me, and being personally acquainted with everyone we called at nearly every house.  At that time it was the universal custom to keep some whiskey in the house for private use and to treat friends.  The subject was always mentioned as a matter of politeness, but with the usual remark to Mr. Lincoln, ’We know you never drink, but maybe your friend would like to take a little.’  I never saw Mr. Lincoln drink.  He often told me he never drank; had no desire for drink, nor for the companionship of drinking men.”

The result of this canvass was that Lincoln was elected to the Legislature for the session of 1838-39.  The next year he was elected for the session of 1840-41.  This ended his legislative service, which comprised eight consecutive years, from 1834 to 1841.  In these later sessions he was as active and prominent in the House as he had been in the earlier times when a member from New Salem.

Lincoln’s faculty for getting the better of an adversary by an apt illustration or anecdote was seldom better shown than by an incident which occurred during his last term in the Legislature.  Hon. James C. Conkling has given the following graphic description of the scene:  “A gentleman who had formerly been Attorney-General of the State was also a member.  Presuming upon his age, experience, and former official position, he thought it incumbent upon himself to oppose Lincoln, who was then one of the acknowledged leaders of his party.  He at length attracted the attention of Lincoln, who replied to