he had married. How far he enjoyed the mode of his safe-guarding is a
fruitless speculation.

Another result that may, perhaps, be due to Mary Lincoln was the
improvement in his fortunes. However, this may have had no other source
than a distinguished lawyer whose keen eyes had been observing him
since his first appearance in politics. Stephen T. Logan "had that
old-fashioned, lawyer-like morality which was keenly intolerant of any
laxity or slovenliness of mind or character." He had, "as he deserved,
the reputation of being the best nisi prius lawyer in the state."(4)
After watching the gifted but ill-prepared young attorney during several
years, observing the power he had of simplification and convincingness
in statement, taking the measure of his scrupulous honesty--these were
ever Lincoln's strong cards as a lawyer--Logan made him the surprising
offer of a junior partnership, which was instantly accepted. That was
when his inner horizon was brightening, shortly before his marriage. A
period of great mental energy followed, about the years 1842 and 1843.
Lincoln threw himself into the task of becoming a real lawyer under
Logan's direction. However, his zeal flagged after a time, and when the
partnership ended four years later he had to some extent fallen back
into earlier, less strenuous habits. "He permitted his partner to do all
the studying in the preparation of cases, while he himself trusted to
his general knowledge of the law and the inspiration of the surroundings
to overcome the judge or the jury."(5) Though Lincoln was to undergo
still another stimulation of the scholarly conscience before finding
himself as a lawyer, the four years with Logan were his true student
period. If the enthusiasm of the first year did not hold out, none the
less he issued from that severe course of study a changed man, one who
knew the difference between the learned lawyer and the unlearned. His
own methods, to be sure, remained what they always continued to be,