The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-08-09
Abraham Lincoln at school.

He presided IN small mouse he6'
the Pigeon Greek Westinghouse,
mile and q half from the Lincoll
cabin. It was built Of unhewn logs
and had f'holes for windows, II
which CREASED paper" served 10
glass. The roof was jus thigh enough
for man to stand erect. Here n
was taught reading, writing and CT
phering. They spelled in classes
and strapped" up and down. Thes'
juvenile contests were very exeItlnl
to the participants; and 1t is SAID bl
the survivors that Abe was even theI
the equal if not the superior OF aDl
scholar in his class.
The next teacher was Andrew
Crawford. Mrs. Gentry says he be-
gan pedagogue in the neighborhood
In the winter of 1922 3, while most
of his scholars are unable to fix an
exact date. He "kept" in the same
little schoolhouse which had been
the scene of Dorsey's time. Abe was
now in his ninteenth year, and be-
gan to exhibit symptoms of gallant
| ~ toward the weaker sex, as we
shall presently discover. lie was
growing at a tremendous rate, and
two years later attained his fuii
height of six feet four inches. He
was long, wiry, and strong; while ms
big feet and hands, and the l5ngth
of his legs and arms were out OF ell
proportion to his small trunk and
head. His complexion was very
swarthy, and Mrs Gentry says that
his skin VAS shriveled and yellow
even then. He wore low shoes,
bUckskin breeches, hnsey-woolsey
shirt, and q cap made of the skin OF
an opossum or coon. The breeches
hung close to his thighs and legs,
but failed by a large space to meet
the tops of his shoes. Twelve inches
remained uncovered, and exposed
that much of his "shinbone, sharp,
blue aud narrow" ''He would al
ways come to school thus, good hu-
moredly and laughing" says his old
friend, Nat Grisby. "Hs was always
In good health, never sick, had an
excellent constitution, and took care
of it"
Crawford taught ''manners." This
was a feature of backwoods educa-
tion to which Dorsey had not in
spired, and Crawford had doubtless
introduced it as refinement which
would put to shame the humber eff
forts of his predecessor. One of the
scholars was required to retire, and
re-enter as a polite gentleman is sup
posed to enter a drawing-room. He
was received at the door by another
scholar, and conducted from bench
to bench, until he had been intro
duced to all the ''young ladies and
gentlemen" IN the room. Abe went
through the ordeal countless times.
If he took serious view of the busi-
ness, it must have put him to ex-
quisite torture; for he was conscious
that he was not a perfect type of
manly beauty, with his long legs
and blue skins, his small head, his
great ears, and shriveled skin. If,
however, it struck him as ut all funny,
it must have filed him with Unspeak-
able mirth, and given rise to many
antic tricks and sly jokes, as be was
gravely led about, shamefaced and
gawl1y. under the very eye of the
precise Crawford, to be introduced
TO the boys and girls of his most an
cient acquaintance.
But, though Crawford inculcated
manners, he by 70 means neglected
spelling. Abe was n good spoller,
and liked to use his knowledge, not
only to secure honors for himself,
but TO help mis- less fortunate school
mates out Of their troubles, and he
was exceedingly ingenious in the So
lection of expedients for conveying
prohibited hints. One day Crawford
gave out the difficult word "dclied. -"
A large class was on the floor, but
they all provoking failed to spell it
D-e-f-I-d-e, said one d-e-i-y-d-c,
said another; d-e-f-y-d-d-e.f-y-e-d,
cried another and another. But II
was all wrong; it was shameful that,
among ali these big boys, and girls,
nobody could spell "defed;" and
Crawlord's wrath gathered In clouds
over his terrible brow. He made the
helpless culprits shake with fear. He
declared he would keep the whole
class in al day and all night, if de-
fed" was not spelled. There was
among them a Miss Roby, a young
girl Of fifteen years of age, whom we
must suppose to have been pretty,
for Abe was evidently half IN love
with her. 81 saw Lincoln at the
window" says she; che had his fin
ger in his "eye." and a smile on his
face; I instantly took the hint, that
L must change the letter ''y" into an
81. F" Hence / spelled the word-tho
class was let out. fel5 grateful to
Lincoln for this simple thing.