Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Lawrence, Richard M. 'Richard M. Lawrence (William H. Herndon Interview)' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: interview]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon715b.html

611. Richard M. Lawrence (William H. Herndon Interview).

June 23d 88

Mr. Lawrence, a merchant of Williamsville in this County gives me this incident of Lincoln. Lawrence was at the lecture and heard it and saw and heard Lincoln. About the year 1857 an accomplished lady came to this city to lecture — to read and to receite fine things from best authors. She was a fine reader &c. At Myers hall on the north side of the square this woman was to Lecture — or recite or whatever you call it: her subject — one of them was the recital of the piece — "Nothing to Wear". ^[1] She was reading finely and all was attention and silence in the hall. Lincoln seemed wrapt up in the piece — was all attention. In some turn of the piece when all was dead silence Lincoln burst out with a loud "ha ha" — a kind of deep satisfaction expressed in the ha ha — a kind of heavenly feeling at the turn of something in the piece. Lincoln felt glorious and forgot for the moment in his deep feeling where he was and what he was doing. The "ha ha" was the deep and honest Expression of an honest soul fired by the triumph of the right. ^[2] The audience was large & was at the time wrapt up in the piece and when Lincoln

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