Part 171

= experienced.

by — know, +einem Unbekannten gegenüber+, to be placed after ‘should’ and the grammatical object ‘+es+’. To do the same oneself, +es auch so machen+.

I may — days = that I shall gain (+sich erwerben+) one of these days (+dermaleinst+) your confidence.

= were packed.

= where they should be sent.

= carry.

+von wo+; to be a spectator of a scene, +eine Scene mit an´sehen+.

+Herr+.

to set one’s own time for payment, +den Zahlungstermin selbst bestimmen+.

+betrügen+.

= best.

was — of = studied in.

+mit Wäsche+.

= ‘lodging’ here.

I was met by a companion, +ein Freund begegnete mir+.

+Ei+; his = the; with — embarrassment, +etwas verlegen+; you know, +doch+, to be placed after the verb; to carry = if one carries.

= Nonsense!

to be seen bearing = to bear.

Section 199.

ANECDOTES OF GREAT STATESMEN.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

The night previous to the meeting of the Convocation of Chicago, Mr. Lincoln did not get home until eleven o’clock at night. In the morning Mrs. Lincoln, who possessed a most amiable disposition, remonstrated with her good husband at breakfast. She kindly, but firmly, informed him that politics were leading him into bad habits, especially (S. 87, N. 6) to keeping late hours and drinking at the rum shops. She did not like it; she had to sit up, and also the children were kept awake. “And now, Abraham,” she continued, “let me tell you that to-night I will go to bed at ten o’clock. If you come before that hour, well and good; if not, I will not get up and let you in.” Ten o’clock came that night, and true to her word, Mrs. Lincoln went to bed with her children. About an hour later Mr. Lincoln knocked at the door. He knocked once, twice, and even three times before an upper window was raised and the nightcap of a female looked out. “Who is there?” “I.” “You know what I told you, Abraham?” “Yes, but, wife, I have got something very particular to tell you. Let me in!” “I don’t want to hear. It is political stuff.” “Wife, it is very important. There is a telegraphic despatch, and I have been nominated for the Presidency.” “Oh, Abraham, this is awful! Now I know you have been drinking. I only suspected it before, and you may just go and sleep where you got your liquor!” And down went the window with a slam. The next day confirmed the truth of the news that the humble husband had been nominated to rule over millions.—THE NEW YORK HERALD.

II.

PRINCE BISMARCK (S. 138, N. 12) AND LORD BEACONSFIELD.

Amongst a number of amusing anecdotes of Lord Beaconsfield is one of the State banquet given at Berlin at the time of the Congress, when he sat next to Prince Bismarck and opposite to the crown Princess of Germany. Near to him was a trophy of “bonbons,” on the papers of which were miniature photographs of the German Emperor and other members of the Prussian royal family. After the feast was over, the lord was busily engaged (S. 87, N. 6) in securing some of these sweets to take home as a [+zum+] remembrance of the occasion, when Prince Bismarck suddenly caught him by the arm and so startled him that he dropped his spoil and exclaimed: “I see, not only does Prince Bismarck give nothing away, but (S. 6, N. 10) he does not allow anybody to help himself.” The German Chancellor, on discovering (S. 55, N. 1) that he had interrupted Lord Beaconsfield in a feat of annexation, burst into a hearty laugh, and retorted: “It is true that I give nothing away; but, as you see, I am always ready for an honest alliance.” So saying, he turned to the table and executed an energetic raid upon the “bonbons,” part of which he handed over to his British colleague.—THE CORRESPONDENT OF “THE LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH.”

+über+, with Acc.

+=Abraham Lincoln=, Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Nord Amerika, war der Sohn eines einfachen Landmannes und wurde am 12. Februar 1809 im Staate Kentucki geboren. Seine Jugenderziehung war nur eine höchst mangelhafte, denn man sagt, er habe nur ein Jahr die Schule besucht; trotz der ungünstigsten Verhältnisse gelang es ihm aber dennoch, sich durch beharrliches Selbststudium zum gewandten Advokaten, tüchtigen Redner und einflußreichen Politiker heranzubilden. Er wurde Abgeordneter für die Legislatur des Staates Illinois, Mitglied des Kongresses und des Senats, und ward endlich im Jahre 1860, gerade in dem kritischen Augenblicke, wo die Südstaaten, welche die Ausdehnung der Sklaverei forderten, sich wegen Verweigerung dieser Forderung von der Union lossagten, von den Republikanern zum Präsidenten der Vereinigten Staaten gewählt. Gleich nach seiner Wahl zur Führung des Staatsruders erfolgte der Ausbruch jenes stets denkwürdigen Bürgerkrieges seitens der Union und der sich empörenden Südstaaten, welcher fünf Jahre lang mit mörderischer Wut das Land zerrüttete und endlich mit der gänzlichen Abschaffung der Sklaverei und der Besiegung der Südstaaten endete. Kaum war er jedoch im März 1865 zum zweiten Male durch ungeheure Stimmenmehrheit von der Union zum Präsidenten erwählt worden, und kaum waren die Streitkräfte der Südstaaten auf immer gebrochen und vernichtet, als der gefeierte Staatsmann am 14. April 1865 bei Gelegenheit einer Theatervorstellung im Ford’schen Theater zu Washington der ruchlosen Hand eines von der demokratischen Partei angereizten Mörders, des Schauspielers John Wilkes Booth, zum Opfer fiel. So endete das Leben eines Mannes, welcher als guter, rechtschaffener Bürger, als einflußreicher Staatsmann und als edelmütiger Befreier von fünf Millionen Sklaven von seinem Vaterlande stets in dankbarem Andenken gehalten werden wird.+

+Konvent+, m.; of, +zu+.