Lincoln Story Book, The

<h3>SALT BEFORE PEPPER.</h3> <p>The Cabinet being assembled in September, 1862, to consider the first draft of the Emancipation Act, those not yet familiar with the chairman's habit to supply a whet before the main dish, were startled that he should preface the business by reading the New York paper-- <i>Vanity Fair</i>--continuing the series of "Artemus Ward's" tour with his show. This paper was the "High-handed Outrage at Utica." He laughed his fill over it, while the grave signiors frowned and yet struggled to keep their countenances.</p> <p>If they had more experience, they would have heard him read "Josh Billings," particularly "On the Mule," from the New York <i>Weekly</i> columns. It was as "good as a play," the stenographers said, to see the President dart a glance over his spectacle-rims at some demure counselor whose molelike machinations were more than suspected, and with mock solemnity declaim:</p> <p>"'I hev known a mewl to be good for six months jest ter git a chance to kick his owner!'" In allusion to those remarkable feats of arms and--legs--Early's or Stuart's raids and Jackson's forced rapid marches, almost at horse-speed, when the men carried no rations, but ate corn-ears taken from the shucks and roasted them "at their pipes," the droll ruler would bring in that "mewl" again:</p> <p>"'If you want to find a mewl in a lot, you must turn him into the one next to it.'"</p> <p>Only the rebel "fly-by-nights" were more like the Irishman's flea--"when you put your hand on him, he was not there!" <br/> <br/> <br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />