Whenever the people of Lincoln’s neighborhood engaged in dispute;
whenever a bet was to be decided; when they differed on points of
religion or politics; when they wanted to get out of trouble, or desired
advice regarding anything on the earth, below it, above it, or under the
sea, they went to “Abe.”
Two fellows, after a hot dispute lasting some hours, over the problem
as to how long a man’s legs should be in proportion to the size of his
body, stamped into Lincoln’s office one day and put the question to him.
Lincoln listened gravely to the arguments advanced by both contestants,
spent some time in “reflecting” upon the matter, and then, turning
around in his chair and facing the disputants, delivered his opinion
with all the gravity of a judge sentencing a fellow-being to death.
“This question has been a source of controversy,” he said, slowly
and deliberately, “for untold ages, and it is about time it should be
definitely decided. It has led to bloodshed in the past, and there is no
reason to suppose it will not lead to the same in the future.
“After much thought and consideration, not to mention mental worry and
anxiety, it is my opinion, all side issues being swept aside, that a
man’s lower limbs, in order to preserve harmony of proportion, should be
at least long enough to reach from his body to the ground.”