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LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN • 75A third time Robert arrived with a summons, a third time<strong>Lincoln</strong> promised, and a third time he played on. Then, suddenly,<strong>the</strong> boy drew back and violently kicked <strong>the</strong> chess-boardhigher than <strong>the</strong> players' heads, scattering <strong>the</strong> chessmen in everydirection."Well, Judge," <strong>Lincoln</strong> said with a smile, "I reckon we'llhave to finish this game some o<strong>the</strong>r time."<strong>Lincoln</strong> apparently never even thought of correcting his son.The <strong>Lincoln</strong> boys used to hide behind a hedge in <strong>the</strong> eveningand stick a lath through <strong>the</strong> fence. As <strong>the</strong>re were no streetlights, passers-by would run into <strong>the</strong> lath and <strong>the</strong>ir hats wouldbe knocked off. Once, in <strong>the</strong> darkness, <strong>the</strong> boys knocked off<strong>the</strong>ir fa<strong>the</strong>r's hat by mistake. He didn't censure <strong>the</strong>m, butmerely told <strong>the</strong>m that <strong>the</strong>y ought to be careful, for <strong>the</strong>y mightmake somebody mad.<strong>Lincoln</strong> did not belong to any church, and avoided religiousdiscussions even with his best friends. However, he once toldHerndon that his religious code was like that of an old mannamed Glenn, in Indiana, whom he had heard speak at achurch meeting, and who said: "When I do good, I feel good,when I do bad I feel bad, and that's my religion."On Sunday mornings, as <strong>the</strong> children grew older, he usuallytook <strong>the</strong>m out for a stroll, but once he left <strong>the</strong>m at home andwent to <strong>the</strong> First Presbyterian Church with Mrs. <strong>Lincoln</strong>. Halfan hour later Tad came into <strong>the</strong> house and, missing his fa<strong>the</strong>r,ran down <strong>the</strong> street and dashed into <strong>the</strong> church during <strong>the</strong> sermon.His hair was awry, his shoes unbuttoned, his stockingssagging down, and his face and hands were grimy with <strong>the</strong> blacksoil of Illinois. Mrs. <strong>Lincoln</strong>, herself elegantly attired, wasshocked and embarrassed; but <strong>Lincoln</strong> calmly stretched out oneof his long arms and lovingly drew Tad to him and held <strong>the</strong>boy's head close against his breast.Sometimes on Sunday morning, <strong>Lincoln</strong> took <strong>the</strong> boys downtownto his office. There <strong>the</strong>y were permitted to run wild."They soon gutted <strong>the</strong> shelves of books," says Herndon, "rifled<strong>the</strong> drawers and riddled boxes, battered <strong>the</strong> point of my goldpen . . . threw <strong>the</strong> pencils into <strong>the</strong> spittoon, turned over <strong>the</strong> inkstandson <strong>the</strong> papers, scattered letters over <strong>the</strong> office and dancedon <strong>the</strong>m."And <strong>Lincoln</strong> "never reproved <strong>the</strong>m or gave <strong>the</strong>m a fa<strong>the</strong>rlyfrown. He was <strong>the</strong> most indulgent parent I have ever known,"Herndon concludes.