“And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

January 23

During the run-up to the presidential election of 1864 the Republican Party appeared in complete disarray and the opposition rejoiced. One who was clearly disturbed about what appeared to be the impending defeat of the Republican ticket came to Lincoln about it. The president seemed oddly unfazed by the whole thing. “It is not worth fretting about; it reminds me of an old acquaintance who having a son of a scientific turn bought him a microscope. The boy went around experimenting with his glass on everything that came his way. One day at the dinner table his father took up a piece of cheese. ‘Don't eat that, father’ said the boy; ‘it is full of wrigglers.’ ‘My son,” replied the old gentleman, taking at the same time a huge bite, ‘let 'em wriggle; I can stand it if they can.'”