Since　here　I　bid　farewell
  To　woods　and　fields；　and　scenes　of　play；
  And　playmates　loved　so　well。
  Where　many　were；　but　few　remain
  Of　old　familiar　things；
  But　seeing　them　to　mind　again
  The　lost　and　absent　brings。
  The　friends　I　left　that　parting　day；
  How　changed；　as　time　has　sped！
  Young　childhood　grown；　strong　manhood　gray；
  And　half　of　all　are　dead。
  I　hear　the　loved　survivors　tell
  How　naught　from　death　could　save；
  Till　every　sound　appears　a　knell；
  And　every　spot　a　grave。
  I　range　the　fields　with　pensive　tread；
  And　pace　the　hollow　rooms；
  And　feel　（companion　of　the　dead）
  I　'm　living　in　the　tombs。
  VERSES　WRITTEN　BY　LINCOLN　CONCERNING　A　SCHOOL…FELLOW
  WHO　BECAME　INSANE（A　FRAGMENT）。
  And　when　at　length　the　drear　and　long
  Time　soothed　thy　fiercer　woes；
  How　plaintively　thy　mournful　song
  Upon　the　still　night　rose
  I've　heard　it　oft　as　if　I　dreamed；
  Far　distant；　sweet　and　lone；
  The　funeral　dirge　it　ever　seemed
  Of　reason　dead　and　gone。
  Air　held　her　breath；　trees　with　the　spell
  Seemed　sorrowing　angels　round；
  Whose　swelling　tears　in　dewdrops　fell
  Upon　the　listening　ground。
  But　this　is　past；　and　naught　remains
  That　raised　thee　o'er　the　brute；
  Thy　piercing　shrieks　and　soothing　strains
  Are　like；　forever　mute。
  Now　fare　thee　well！　More　thou　the　cause
  Than　subject　now　of　woe。
  All　mental　pangs　by　time's　kind　laws
  Hast　lost　the　power　to　know。
  O　Death！　thou　awe…inspiring　prince
  That　keepst　the　world　in　fear；
  Why　dost　thou　tear　more　blest　ones　hence；
  And　leave　him　lingering　here？
  SECOND　CHILD
  TO　JOSHUA　P。　SPEED
  SPRINGFIELD；　October　22；　1846。
  DEAR　SPEED：You；　no　doubt；　assign　the　suspension　of　our
  correspondence　to　the　true　philosophic　cause；　though　it　must　be
  confessed　by　both　of　us　that　this　is　rather　a　cold　reason　for
  allowing　a　friendship　such　as　ours　to　die　out　by　degrees。　　I
  propose　now　that；　upon　receipt　of　this；　you　shall　be　considered
  in　my　debt；　and　under　obligations　to　pay　soon；　and　that　neither
  shall　remain　long　in　arrears　hereafter。　　Are　you　agreed？
  Being　elected　to　Congress；　though　I　am　very　grateful　to　our
  friends　for　having　done　it；　has　not　pleased　me　as　much　as　I
  expected。
  We　have　another　boy；　born　the　10th　of　March。　　He　is　very　much
  such　a　child　as　Bob　was　at　his　age；　rather　of　a　longer　order。
  Bob　is　〃short　and　low；〃　and　I　expect　always　will　be。　　He　talks
  very　plainly；almost　as　plainly　as　anybody。　　He　is　quite　smart
  enough。　　I　sometimes　fear　that　he　is　one　of　the　little　rare…ripe
  sort　that　are　smarter　at　about　five　than　ever　after。　　He　has　a
  great　deal　of　that　sort　of　mischief　that　is　the　offspring　of　such
  animal　spirits。　　Since　I　began　this　letter；　a　messenger　came　to
  tell　me　Bob　was　lost；　but　by　the　time　I　reached　the　house　his
  mother　had　found　him　and　had　him　whipped；　and　by　now；　very
  likely；　he　is　run　away　again。　　Mary　has　read　your　letter；　and
  wishes　to　be　remembered　to　Mrs。　　Speed　and　you；　in　which　I　most
  sincerely　join　her。
  As　ever　yours；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　MORRIS　AND　BROWN
  SPRINGFIELD；
  October　21；　1847。
  MESSRS。　MORRIS　AND　BROWN。
  GENTLEMEN：Your　second　letter　on　the　matter　of　Thornton　and
  others；　came　to　hand　this　morning。　　I　went　at　once　to　see　Logan；
  and　found　that　he　is　not　engaged　against　you；　and　that　he　has　so
  sent　you　word　by　Mr。　Butterfield；　as　he　says。　　He　says　that　some
  time　ago；　a　young　man　（who　he　knows　not）　came　to　him；　with　a　copy
  of　the　affidavit；　to　engage　him　to　aid　in　getting　the　Governor　to
  grant　the　warrant；　and　that　he；　Logan；　told　the　man；　that　in　his
  opinion；　the　affidavit　was　clearly　insufficient；　upon　which　the
  young　man　left；　without　making　any　engagement　with　him。　　If　the
  Governor　shall　arrive　before　I　leave；　Logan　and　I　will　both
  attend　to　the　matter；　and　he　will　attend　to　it；　if　he　does　not
  come　till　after　I　leave；　all　upon　the　condition　that　the　Governor
  shall　not　have　acted　upon　the　matter；　before　his　arrival　here。　　I
  mention　this　condition　because；　I　learned　this　morning　from　the
  Secretary　of　State；　that　he　is　forwarding　to　the　Governor；　at
  Palestine；　all　papers　he　receives　in　the　case；　as　fast　as　he
  receives　them。　　Among　the　papers　forwarded　will　be　your　letter　to
  the　Governor　or　Secretary　of；　I　believe；　the　same　date　and　about
  the　same　contents　of　your　last　letter　to　me；　so　that　the　Governor
  will；　at　all　events　have　your　points　and　authorities。　　The　case
  is　a　clear　one　on　our　side；　but　whether　the　Governor　will　view　it
  so　is　another　thing。
  Yours　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　WILLIAM　H。　　HERNDON
  WASHINGTON；　December　5；　1847。
  DEAR　WILLIAM：You　may　remember　that　about　a　year　ago　a　man　by
  the　name　of　Wilson　（James　Wilson；　I　think）　paid　us　twenty　dollars
  as　an　advance　fee　to　attend　to　a　case　in　the　Supreme　Court　for
  him；　against　a　Mr。　Campbell；　the　record　of　which　case　was　in　the
  hands　of　Mr。　Dixon　of　St。　　Louis；　who　never　furnished　it　to　us。
  When　I　was　at　Bloomington　last　fall　I　met　a　friend　of　Wilson；　who
  mentioned　the　subject　to　me；　and　induced　me　to　write　to　Wilson；
  telling　him　I　would　leave　the　ten　dollars　with　you　which　had　been
  left　with　me　to　pay　for　making　abstracts　in　the　case；　so　that　the
  case　may　go　on　this　winter；　but　I　came　away；　and　forgot　to　do　it。
  What　I　want　now　is　to　send　you　the　money；　to　be　used　accordingly；
  if　any　one　comes　on　to　start　the　case；　or　to　be　retained　by　you
  if　no　one　does。
  There　is　nothing　of　consequence　new　here。　　Congress　is　to
  organize　to…morrow。　　Last　night　we　held　a　Whig　caucus　for　the
  House；　and　nominated　Winthrop　of　Massachusetts　for　speaker；
  Sargent　of　Pennsylvania　for　sergeant…at…arms；　Homer　of　New　Jersey
  door…keeper；　and　McCormick　of　District　of　Columbia　postmaster。
  The　Whig　majority　in　the　House　is　so　small　that；　together　with
  some　little　dissatisfaction；　＇it＇　leaves　it　doubtful　whether　we
  will　elect　them　all。
  This　paper　is　too　thick　to　fold；　which　is　the　reason　I　send　only
  a　half…sheet。
  Yours　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDON。
  WASHINGTON；　December　13；　1847
  DEAR　WILLIAM：Your　letter；　advising　me　of　the　receipt　of　our　fee
  in　the　bank　case；　is　just　received；　and　I　don't　expect　to　hear
  another　as　good　a　piece　of　news　from　Springfield　while　I　am　away。
  I　am　under　no　obligations　to　the　bank；　and　I　therefore　wish　you
  to　buy　bank　certificates；　and　pay　my　debt　there；　so　as　to　pay　it
  with　the　least　money　possible。　　I　would　as　soon　you　should　buy
  them　of　Mr。　Ridgely；　or　any　other　person　at　the　bank；　as　of　any
  one　else；　provided　you　can　get　them　as　cheaply。　　I　suppose；　after
  the　bank　debt　shall　be　paid；　there　will　be　some　money　left；　out
  of　which　I　would　like　to　have　you　pay　Lavely　and　Stout　twenty
  dollars；　and　Priest　and　somebody　（oil…makers）　ten　dollars；　for
  materials　got　for　house…painting。　　If　there　shall　still　be　any
  left；　keep　it　till　you　see　or　hear　from　me。
  I　shall　begin　sending　documents　so　soon　as　I　can　get　them。　　I
  wrote　you　yesterday　about　a　〃Congressional　Globe。〃　As　you　are　all
  so　anxious　for　me　to　distinguish　myself；　I　have　concluded　to　do
  so　before　long。
  Yours　truly；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  RESOLUTIONS　IN　THE　UNITED　STATES　HOUSE　OF
  REPRESENTATIVES；　DECEMBER　22；　1847
  Whereas；　The　President　of　the　United　States；　in　his　message　of
  May　11；　1846；　has　declared　that　〃the　Mexican　Government　not　only
  refused　to　receive　him　＇the　envoy　of　the　United　States＇；　or　to
  listen　to　his　propositions；　but；　after　a　long…continued　series　of
  menaces；　has　at　last　invaded　our　territory　and　shed　the　blood　of
  our　fellow…citizens　on　our　own　soil〃；
  And　again；　in　his　message　of　December　8；　1846；　that　〃we　had　ample
  cause　of　war　against　Mexico　long　before　the　breaking　out　of
  hostilities；　but　even　then　we　forbore　to　take　redress　into　our
  own　hands　until　Mexico　herself　became　the　aggressor；　by　invading
  our　soil　in　hostile　array；　and　shedding　the　blood　of　our
  citizens〃；
  And　yet　again；　in　his　message　of　December　7；　1847；　that　〃the
  Mexican　Government　refused　even　to　hear　the　terms　of　adjustment
  which　he　＇our　minister　of　peace＇　was　authorized　to　propose；　and
  finally；　under　wholly　unjustifiable　pretexts；　involved　the　two
  countries　in　war；　by　invading　the　territory　of　the　State　of
  Texas；　striking　the　first　blow；　and　shedding　the　blood　of　our
  citizens　on　our　own　soil〃；
  And　whereas；　This　House　is　desirous　to　obtain　a　full　knowledge　of
  all　the　facts　which　go　to　establish　whether　the　particular　spot
  on　which　the　blood　of　our　citizens　was　so　shed　was　or　was　not　at
  that　time　our　own　soil：　therefore；
  Resolved；　By　the　House　of　Representatives；　that　the　President　of
  the　United　States　be　respectfully　requested　to　inform　this　House：
  First。　　Whether　the　spot　on　which　the　blood　of　our　citizens　was
  shed；　as　in　his　message　declared；　was　or　was　not　within　the
  territor