St. Mary's gazette., 1866-01-04
MIR. LINCOLN'S EARLY LIFE.

Happening to be in the eastern portion
of the country a few days ago, called to
see Mrs. Wilcox, formerly Mrs. Arm
strong. Years ago, when this goodly
State of ours was comparatively new, there
came to the little village of Salem, Menard
county, a tall, plain' and rather awkward
young 6 man to help in the mill, tend store,
and make himself generally useful. After
serving in this capacity, for some time, and
making friends of all who came in contact
with him, at mill or grocery, he was ap-
pointed County Surveyor, and went to live
with a farmer named Armstrong, residing
in the ncighborhood. This Mrs. Wilcox
whom / went to see was the wife of this
Armstrong, and the slender, raw-boncd
shop tender and surveyor was Abraham
Lincoln.
1.-The first time I ever saw him" said
Mrs. W., Il went trading. | told Arm
strong as soon as got home there was Il
new clerk at the store, and liked him
first rate, he was so pleasant and kind
A few days afterwards Armstrong went to
the mill, and when he came home he told
Inc he had seen the new clerk | Dragged
about so much, and he liked him too.-
They had got to lifting in the mill par
eel of them, and the clerk outlifted every
man there
"Well, he lived with you, did be not.
afterwards!'
"les; as soon as he got to surveying he
came to our house and made it his home.
[ made two pairs of deer-skin breeches for
him-shirts, too. Armstrong used to car
ry chain for him. They were great cro-
MES. Wherever Armstrong went Lincoln
would go too. He was poor and had no
horse; We had several, and he always rode
Bone~of~-sur-- creatures Sometimes they
would be gone week at time to Jack
sonville, Springfield, or somewhere else
They lied about him when he was nominal
ted for President; and said he used to
drink; bu. he never did. l never saw or
heard of his drinking. The young folks
thought him kind and queer.
When there was frolic, or any doings
among them, he would always go, but
never danced and cut up lie amused
himself by playing with the children, or
telling some funny story to the old folks.
Yes, he staid with us till we moved to
Missouri, and I never saw him angry the
whole time. He used to say he would
never marry until he could support wife
comfortably; and he didn't. We lived in
Missouri FIVE years. and when We came
back he had gone to Springfield. went
down there trading pretty soon, and Was
standing in a store door looking at the
folks, when I saw him coming down the
street
A lady was with him, his wife, and
everybody was bowling and shaking hands
with him. stood up straight in the door,
little back like, thinking may be he
would not want to see me, with his wife
and all those people around; L never could
put on any airs, and he knew it. He saw
me, though; before he got to me, and came
up laughing and shaking hands, real glad
to see me; asking after Armstrong and all
the rest, just as if he was one of the
family. l tell you, Mr.. F., he was a
And, good-hearted man, and true gen.
tleman.
He defended my son, Cher son was tried
for homicide, and acquitted), and after the
trial, when | told him / had no money to
pay him, he laughed at me, and told me
whenever was in any trouble to come to
him. EVERYBODY told me 1 was foolish to
write to him about my son, who was sick
in the army; that he had enough else to
attend to now, besides looking after me and
my family. But when telegraphic des-
patch discharging my son, and letter
to me too, came, they found out that he
had not forgotten his old home down in
Menard"