From
the thirteenth to the eighteenth, inclusive, he is not recorded on
any of the roll-calls, and probably was not present. But on the
nineteenth, when "John J. Hardin announced his illness to the House,"
as Mr. Herndon says (which announcement seems not to have gotten
into the journal), Lincoln was again in his place, and voted. On the
twentieth he is not recorded; but on every subsequent day, until the
close of the session on the first of March, Lincoln was in the House.
Thus, during the whole of the two months of January and February,
he was absent not more than seven days--as good a record as to
attendance, perhaps, as that made by the average member.
Mr. Thornton says further: "Mr. Lincoln boarded at William Butler's,
near to Dr. Henry's, where I boarded. The missing days, from January
13th to 19th, Mr. Lincoln spent several hours each day at Dr. Henry's;
a part of these days I remained with Mr. Lincoln. His most intimate
friends had no fears of his injuring himself. He was very sad and
melancholy, but being subject to these spells, nothing serious was
apprehended. His being watched, as stated in Herndon's book, was news
to me until I saw it there."
But while Lincoln went about his daily duties, even on the "fatal
first of January," his whole being was shrouded in gloom.
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