from the
files by order of court. Demurrer to declaration, if there ever was one,
overruled. Defendants who are served now, at 8 o'clock p. m., of the
last day of the term, ask to plead to the merits, which is denied by the
court on the ground that the offer comes too late, and therefore, as
by nil dicet, judgment is rendered for Pl'ff. Clerk assess damages. A.
Lincoln, Judge pro tem.'

"The lawyer who reads this singular entry will appreciate its oddity
if no one else does. After making it, one of the lawyers, on recovering
from his astonishment, ventured to enquire: 'Well, Lincoln, how can we
get this case up again?'

"Lincoln eyed him quizzically for a moment, and then answered, 'You have
all been so mighty smart about this case, you can find out how to take
it up again yourselves."'

ROUGH ON THE NEGRO.

Mr. Lincoln, one day, was talking with the Rev. Dr. Sunderland about the
Emancipation Proclamation and the future of the negro. Suddenly a ripple
of amusement broke the solemn tone of his voice. "As for the negroes,
Doctor, and what is going to become of them: I told Ben Wade the other
day, that it made me think of a story I read in one of my first books,
'Aesop's Fables.' It was an old edition, and had curious rough wood
cuts, one of which showed three white men scrubbing a negro in a potash
kettle filled with cold water. The text explained that the men thought
that by scrubbing the negro they might make him white. Just about the
time they thought they were succeeding, he took cold and died. Now, I
am afraid that by the time we get through this War the negro will catch
cold and die."

CHALLENGED ALL COMERS.

Personal encounters were of frequent occurrence in Gentryville in early
days, and the prestige of having thrashed an opponent gave the victor
marked social distinction. Green B. Taylor, with whom "Abe" worked the
greater part of one winter on a farm, furnished an account of the noted
fight between John Johnston, "Abe's" stepbrother, and William Grigsby,
in which stirring drama "Abe" himself played an important role before
the curtain was rung down.

Taylor's father was the second for Johnston, and William Whitten
officiated in a similar capacity for Grigsby. "They had a terrible
fight," related Taylor, "and it soon became apparent that Grigsby was
too much for Lincoln's man, Johnston. After they had fought a long time
without interference, it having been agreed not to break the ring, 'Abe'