People who met Abraham Lincoln for the first time were charmed by his open-handed and affable manner, easy, humorous, and unassuming. Those who knew him better understood that behind the likability lurked a depth, a remoteness, a firmly closed door that only a few were allowed to open. Lincoln once spoke of friendship as the greatest boon of life; yet, he had few real friends whom he drew into close confidence. Partly, this was a matter of prudence. Lincoln was a politician, and he had learned early on that a politician did himself no favors by putting all his cards on the table. Partly, it was a matter of temperament. He was not one of those genial souls who enjoyed self-revelation. And on no point was his prudence, and his temperament, more on guard than on the subject of religion.
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