It was about one hundred miles from New Salem to Vandalia, the capital of the state, where the legislature met. There were few railroads at that time and in addition Abraham Lincoln was very poor, so he walked to and from Vandalia. He was quite a big man and of course had big feet. They tell a funny story of one time he and a companion were walking home from Vandalia. It was cold weather and Mr. Lincoln complained of being very cold. His companion said: "Well, Abe, I don't see how you can help it when there is so much of you on the ground." Mr. Lincoln was eight years a member of the state legislature and was one of the most active members in securing the change of the capital from Vandalia to Springfield, where it now is. Stephen A. Douglas was also a member of the legislature. There is another funny story I might tell you of Mr. Lincoln's peculiarity of appearance. Mr. Lovejoy, who was a congressman from Princeton, Illinois, and a great abolitionist was talking with Mr. Douglas one day in Washington when Mr. Lincoln was passing by. They called over Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Lovejoy said: "Abe, I have been telling Judge Douglas that his legs are too short (Mr. Douglas was a very short, heavy-set man), and yours are too long; what do you think about it?" Mr. Lincoln replied, "Well, I never gave the matter much thought but I have always been of the opinion that a man's legs ought to be long enough to reach from his body to the ground." In March, 1837, he was licensed to practice law, and concluded to move from New Salem to Springfield. A pathetic incident is related of his moving. He had very little goods, so borrowed a horse and put most of them into a pair of saddle-bags, rode up to Springfield and went into the store of his friend Speed and asked him how much it would cost to buy a bedroom set of furniture. Mr. Speed figured it up. About the cheapest would be seventeen dollars. A sad look came over Abraham's face, and he said, "Well Speed, I suppose that is cheap enough, but cheap as it is, I have not the money to pay for it." "Well," said Speed, "I tell you, Abraham, I have a big double bed up stairs, and if you want to occupy half of it with me, you are welcome." Mr. Lincoln grabbed his saddle-bags and went up stairs. In another minute he was down, with a smile on his face. "Well Speed, I moved," and he never moved again but once, and that was when he moved as president of the United States from Springfield to Washington. A strange comparison.