THOMAS F. MARSHALL 79 



end of it he fell back upon his bed, cursing the villains who led 

 him into the fight and left him to take the consequences. 



My relations with Marshall continued until I went to Cam- 

 bridge, but my influence over his drinking gradually lessened 

 as he sank lower, and his able mind began to be permanently 

 clouded. When I had been some months at college, I espied 

 the poor fellow in the street, carpet-bag in hand, evidently 

 making for my quarters. I sent word by a messenger to my 

 chum, Hyatt, to receive and care for him, but to say that I had 

 left town, which was true, for I went at once to Greenfield, 

 where I had friends. Hyatt was also to provide the wanderer 

 with a suit of clothes and a railway ticket back to Kentucky. 

 I stayed away until I learned that Marshall was on his way 

 home. I have always been ashamed of my conduct in this mat- 

 ter, but the unhappy man was at that time of his degradation 

 an impossible burthen for me to carry; once ensconced in my 

 quarters it would have been impossible to provide him with a 

 dignified exit, and there was no longer hope that I might re- 

 form him. Yet the cowardice of the action has grieved me to 

 this day. 



Two years afterwards, in 1862, I saw Marshall for the last 

 time. I was with a column of troops going through the town 

 of Versailles, Kentucky. He was seated in front of a bar-room, 

 with his chin upon the top of his cane. He was so far gone that 

 the sight merely troubled his wits without affording him any 

 explanation of what it meant. His bleared though still noble 

 face stays in my memories as one of the saddest of those weary 

 years. 



Among the interesting and in a way shaping incidents of my 

 boyhood, was a brief contact with Abraham Lincoln about 

 1856. He was coming on foot from the town of Covington ; I 

 was on horseback, and met him near the bridge over the Lick- 

 ing River. He asked the way to my grandfather's house, which 

 was about a mile off. Attracted by his appearance, I dismounted 

 and asked him to get on my horse, which he declined to do; so 



