' said he, 'I thought I would like to have it
nice.'"

"BOTH LENGTH AND BREADTH."

During Lincoln's first and only term in Congress--he was elected in
1846--he formed quite a cordial friendship with Stephen A. Douglas, a
member of the United States Senate from Illinois, and the beaten one in
the contest as to who should secure the hand of Miss Mary Todd. Lincoln
was the winner; Douglas afterwards beat him for the United States
Senate, but Lincoln went to the White House.

During all of the time that they were rivals in love and in politics
they remained the best of friends personally. They were always glad to
see each other, and were frequently together. The disparity in their
size was always the more noticeable upon such occasions, and they well
deserved their nicknames of "Long Abe" and the "Little Giant." Lincoln
was the tallest man in the National House of Representatives, and
Douglas the shortest (and perhaps broadest) man the Senate, and when
they appeared on the streets together much merriment was created.
Lincoln, when joked about the matter, replied, in a very serious tone,
"Yes, that's about the length and breadth of it."

"ABE" RECITES A SONG.

Lincoln couldn't sing, and he also lacked the faculty of musical
adaptation. He had a liking for certain ballads and songs, and while he
memorized and recited their lines, someone else did the singing. Lincoln
often recited for the delectation of his friends, the following, the
authorship of which is unknown:

The first factional fight in old Ireland, they say,
Was all on account of St. Patrick's birthday;
It was somewhere about midnight without any doubt,
And certain it is, it made a great rout.

On the eighth day of March, as some people say,
St. Patrick at midnight he first saw the day;
While others assert 'twas the ninth he was born--
'Twas all a mistake--between midnight and morn.

Some blamed the baby, some blamed the clock;
Some blamed the doctor, some the crowing cock.
With all these close questions sure no one could know,
Whether the babe was too fast or the clock was too slow.

Some fought for the eighth, for the ninth some would die;
He who wouldn't see right would have a black eye.
At length these two factions so positive grew,
They each had a birthday, and Pat he had two.

Till Father Mulcahay who showed them their sins,
He said none could have two birthdays but as twins.
"Now boys, don't be