The Life of Abraham Lincoln

ful in the birth of gre

ere born Charles Dar

am E. Gladstone, stat

incoln, l

d odd jobs as they were offered. He called himself a carpenter. But in a day when the outfit of tools numbered only about a half doz

arpentering, and so removed to a farm fourteen miles out, situated in what is now La Rue County, where his wife, on the twelfth day of February, 1809, gave birth to the son who was named Abraham

ncoln's Boyhood H

ears, when the father removed to another farm

day. This "roving disposition" cannot fairly be charged to shiftlessness. In spite of the extraordinary disadvantages of Thomas Lincoln's early life,

d of currency in that day. He then loaded the bulk of his goods upon a flat boat, floating down the stream called Rolling Fork into Salt Creek, thence into the Ohio River, in fact, to the bottom of that river.

reat labor much of this was rescued and the travelers pushed on as far as Thompson's Ferry in Perry County, Indian

The little grave was in the wilderness, and before leaving that country forever, the mother, leading her six-year-old boy by the hand, paid

e furniture,-to use so dignified a name for such meager possessions,-were lo

heir destination. They pushed northward, or back from the river, about eighteen miles into the woods

nd pay the government fee at the United States Land Office at Vincennes.

ructure was entirely open on one of its four sides. This was at the lower side of the roof, and the opening was partly conc

tices were filled in with chips and clay, which was called "chinking." The fireplace and chimney were built at the back and outside. The chief advantage of this style of domici

labor. Two sides of the bed were composed of parts of the two walls. At the opposite angle a stake, with a forked top, was driven into the ground, and from this to the walls were laid two poles at right angles. This made th

nge of diet. Doubtless there were enough of the staple vegetables which grow easily

average of less than three months to each-and spread out over as many years. The branches taught were "readin', writin', and cipherin' to the rule of three." Any young man who happened along with a fair knowledge of t

achariah Riney, a Roman Catholic, from whose schoolroom the Protestants were excluded, or excused, during the opening exercises. Then came Caleb Hazel. These were in Kentucky, and therefore their

racter, and her influence could not be other than invaluable to the bright boy. Charles Lamb classified all literature in two divisions: "Books that are not books, and books that are books." It is important that

arious walks of life, under the title of "Books that have helped me." The most noticeable fact was that each of these eminent men-men who had read hundreds of books-specified not more than three or four books. Lincoln's first list was of three. They were emphatically boo

. A rain-storm came up and soaked the book through and through. By morning it presented a sorry appearance. The damage was done and could not be repaired. Crestfallen t

ok?" Crawford reckoned that the book "wa'n't of much account to him nor to any one

His one poet was Burns, whom he knew by heart "from a to izz

Those which are mentioned are, "Am I a soldier of the cross?" "How tedious and tasteless the hours," "There is a fount

h, after it was covered on both sides, he scraped down so as to erase the work. A note-

nd and pen he will be

striking resemblance

incoln's Early H

olns surrendered their camp and built for themselves a cabin, which was slightly more pretentious than the first. It had an attic, and for a stairway there were pegs

destructive. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow were attacked. They were removed, for better care, to the home of the Lincolns, where they shortly died. By this time Mrs. Lincoln was down with the same sco

buried Nancy Hanks, that remarkable woman. There was no pastor, no funeral service. The grave was m

g. He wrote a letter to the parson inviting him to come over and preach the funeral sermon. How he contrived to get the letter to its destination we do not know, but it w

g of any description until he was grown. But the neighbors to the number of about tw

nd after her untimely death, many people would have said that she had had at best but a poor chance in the world. Surely no one would have predicted that her name would come to be known and reverenced from