Part 2 (2/2)

It was Abe's duty to drive the four yoke of oxen, a task which must have strained even his patience

They settled in Macon County, near Decatur There the son faithfully worked with his father until the family was fairly settled, then started out in life for hie of twenty-one As he had passed through the periods of childhood and youth, and was on the threshold ofto receive at this point the testiood boy, and I can say what scarcely one woave me a cross word or look, and never refused, in fact or appearance, to do anything I requested hiave him a cross word in all my life He was a dutiful son to me always I think he loved me truly I had a son John as raised with Abe Both were good boys; but Inow dead, that Abe was the best boy I ever saw, or expect to see”

These words of praise redound to the honor of the speaker equally with that of her illustrious stepson

Lincoln came into the estate of manhood morally clean He had forle to overco the blush of shame to his cheek, he was as free from vice as from crime He was not profane, he had never tasted liquor, he was no brawler, he never gambled, he was honest and truthful On the other hand, he had a genius forfriends, he was the center of every social circle, he was a good talker and a close reasoner Without a thought of the great responsibilities awaiting him, he had thus far fitted himself well by his faithfulness in such duties as fell to him

CHAPTER V

SECOND JOURNEY TO NEW ORLEANS

The first winter in Illinois, 1830-31, was one of those epochal seasons which come to all communities It is remembered by ”the oldest inhabitant” to this day for the extraordinary a in such a co any winter; but in such a winter as that there was practically nothing doing Lincoln always held himself ready to accept any opportunity for work, but there was no opening that winter The only thing he accomplished hat he did every winter and every summer of his life: na opened, Denton Offutt decided to send a cargo ofthat Lincoln, John Hanks, and John Johnston were ”likely boys,” he ee of the enterprise Their pay was to be fifty cents a day and ”found,” and, if the enterprise proved successful, an additional sum of twenty dollars Lincoln said that none of thelad to accept the offer

Two events occurred during this trip which are of sufficient interest to bear narration

The boat with its cargo had been set afloat in the Sangafield All ell until, at New Salem, they came to a h, owing to the spring floods, the boat stuck Lincoln rolled his trousers ”five feet s, waded out to the boat, and got the bow over the da to bail the water out, he bored a hole in the bottom and let it run out He constructed a machine which lifted and pushed the boat over the obstruction, and thus their voyage was quickly resu lawyer, he whittled out a model of his invention and had it patented

The ton The patent brought hi relic

This incident is of itself entirely unimportant It is narrated here solely because it illustrates one trait of theways andout of unexpected difficulties When, in 1860, the shi+p of State seeround hopelessly, it was his deterenuity that averted total wreck As in his youth he saved the flatboat, so in his mature years he saved the nation

The other event was that at New Orleans, where he saith his own eyes some of the horrors of slavery He never could tolerate awas alh born in a slave state, he had an earnest and growing repugnance to slavery Still, up to this tis At this tis

The details of this auction were so coarse and vile that it is ies with an accurate and faithful description Lincoln saw it all He saw a beautiful irl exhibited like a race-horse, her ”points” dwelt on, one by one, in order, as the auctioneer said, that ”bidders ht satisfy the to buy was sound or not” One of his companions justly said slavery ran the iron into hination Turning to the others he exclaiet a chance to hit that thing [slavery] I'll hit it hard!”

He bided his time One-third of a century later he had the chance to hit that thing He redeemed his oath He hit it hard

CHAPTER VI

DESULTORY EMPLOYMENTS

Upon the arrival of the Lincoln family in Illinois, they had the few tools which would be considered almost necessary to every frontiersman: namely, a coes were of wood and were made by each workman for himself To this stock of tools ht from Indiana, for at that period nails were very expensive and used with the strictest econoet along without them

When Abraham Lincoln went to New Salerew until it had the enor-cabined--in fifteen primitive structures The tributary country was not very important in a coeneral stores-- that is, stores containing nearly everything that would be needed in that community--offered their wares

The town flourished, at least it lived, about through the period that Lincoln dwelt there, after which it disappeared

Lincoln was ready to take any work that would get hireat strength in the work of a blacks the trade, but was, fortunately for the country, diverted fro so