for a faith and trust destined to play no small part in the
history of the next few years.

After the nominations were made Douglas went on a tour of
speech-making through the South. Lincoln, on the contrary, stayed
quietly at home in Springfield. His personal habits and
surroundings varied little during the whole of this campaign
summer. Naturally he gave up active law practice, leaving his
office in charge of his partner, William H. Herndon. He spent the
time during the usual business hours of each day in the
governor's room of the State-house at Springfield, attended only
by his private secretary, Mr. Nicolay. Friends and strangers
alike were able to visit him freely and without ceremony, and few
went away without being impressed by the sincere frankness of his
manner and conversation.

All sorts of people came to see him: those from far-away States,
East and West, as well as those from nearer home. Politicians
came to ask him for future favors, and many whose only motives
were friendliness or curiosity called to express their good
wishes and take the Republican candidate by the hand.

He wrote no public letters, and he made no speeches beyond a few
words of thanks and greeting to passing street parades. Even the
strictly private letters in which he gave his advice on points in
the campaign were not more than a dozen in number; but all
through the long summer, while welcoming his throngs of visitors,
listening to the tales of old settlers, making friends of
strangers, and binding old friends closer by his ready sympathy,
Mr. Lincoln watched political developments very closely, not