the fruit of study and deliberation. Apparently holding aloof from
politics after his return from Washington, in 1849, Lincoln was
earning a great name at the bar. His popularity was the wider as he
did not disdain poor clients and often won a case without permitting
any remuneration. There came to Lincoln & Herndon's office one day a
poor widow. She was entitled to a pension of four hundred dollars, but
the agent, one Wright, who had drawn it for her, retained one-half as
his fee. This greed so stirred Mr. Lincoln that he at once went to
the agent to demand disgorging of the money. On refusal, a suit was
instituted for the recovery.

At the trial, with his buoyancy, Lincoln said to his partner:

"You had better stay, and hear me address the jury, as I am going to
_skin_ Wright and get the money back."

He pleaded that there was no contract between the parties; that the
man was not an authorized agent; his charge was unreasonable; he had
never given the money due to the soldier's widow, but retained
one-half. Next he expatiated on her husband, during the Revolutionary
War, experiencing the hardships of the old Continentals at Valley
Forge in the winter; barefoot in the deep snows; ill-clad against
the rigors; their feet, cut by ice staining the ground, and so on.

The men in the box were also affected to tears, like the spectators,
while the pension "shark" wriggled under the invectives. The verdict
was in favor of the relict. Her advocate not only remitted his costs,
but paid her fare home and for her stay in Springfield, so that she
went off rejoicing.