While riding between the court towns, Menard and Fulton Counties,
Illinois, Lincoln rode knee to knee with an old settler who admitted
that he was going to Lewiston to have some "lawing" out with a
neighbor, also an old-timer. The young practitioner already preached,
as a motto, that there would always be litigation enough and again
exerted to throw oil on the riled water.
"Why, Uncle Tommy, this neighbor has been a tolerable neighbor to you
nigh onto fifteen year and you get along in _hunk_ part of the time,
don't 'ee?"
The rancantankerous man admitted as much.
"Well, now, you see this nag of mine? He isn't as good a horse as I
want to straddle and I sometimes get out of patience with him, but I
know his faults as well as his p'ints. He goes fairly well as hosses
go, and it might take me a long while to git used to another hoss'
faults. For, like men, all hosses hev faults. You and Uncle Jimmy ought
to put up with each other as man and his steed put up with one another;
see?"
"I reckon you are about right, Abe!"