Beech Tree News Network

I don’t think the book got there by accident. 

When Abe Lincoln moved to Salem, Illinois from Kentucky, he and some fellow were in the store business together. 

One day, a man came by needing some groceries. He did have a right new looking wooden barrel in his wagon: he had no money. He asked Lincoln if he would trade the barrel for some store goods. Lincoln agreed. 

When the man left, Lincoln took the lid off the new barrel and found a book at the bottom. The book title read: “Blackstone’s Commentary on the Law.” Being an avid reader, Lincoln began reading the book. Long story short, that’s how he became a lawyer. 

He sold his interest in the store and set up his law practice. He eventually moved from Salem to Springfield where his practice became successful. This may have been where he picked up the nickname “Honest Abe.” This stood him in good light-the honest part, plas he became an excellent defence attorney. He also brought amusement to the courtroom at times. 

Once he was cross-examining a witness for the prosecution, he said to the man, “Sir, if you would, restate your name.” 

“Yes, them man agreed, “my name is J. Palmer Cass.” 

“That’s fine,” Lincoln said. “I think I’ll just call you ‘Jack, Jack Cass’.” 

Once, Abe was defending a woman for shooting her mean husband. He beat her a lot. She was charged with capital murder. 

“This is an unfair charge, she was only defending herself,” Lincoln argued. 

But it was to no avail. Lincoln saw things were going badly for the woman. It looked like she would face the death penalty. So in his mind, Abe thought, “this is where right disagrees with the law.I’ll do everything in my power to save her life.” 

Lincoln called for a short recess to confer with his client. The judge granted. 

Abe and his client went to a ground-floor room. When they got there, the woman complained of being hot and thirsty. 

Lincoln closed the door, went over and raised a window to the limit. He said to the woman, “I’m told they have really good, cold, drinking water in Tennessee.”

He left the room and closed the door. The story ended there. 

Somehow the book got into the barrel. 

“God works in mysterious ways, His glory to bestow.” 

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