Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-22
LINCOLN'S BOYHOOD.
An Interesting Sketch OF His Life
In Indiana.
His Mothers Deep Religious Belief aud the
Sons Great Love for Her-Golng Miles
60 Court TO Hear Famous Lawyer
speak-Removal to Illinois.

TO Court TO near u Lawyer
speAk-Remoyal to Illinois.
Being on train one day last autumn
on the railway leading from Jasper to
Rockport, in Southwestern Indiana, a
casual travelling acquaintance remarked
that We would soon pass over Lincoln's
farm. On seeking further information
he informed me that 1t was the farm
owned and occupied by Thomas Lin
coin, the father of President Lincoln,
and where the latter passed most of his
youthful years; this arrested my atten-
ton and decided me to stop at Lincoln
Station (Which takes its name from the
FARM and pass few hours amid the
scenes and surrounding which had been
so familiar to the martyred President.
The place is in Carmen Township,
Spencer County. Lincoln Station Is To-
Gated in the center of the Lincoln home
stead, and is now village OF q
dozen buildings or so, having the
usual concomitants of store, black
smith shop and saloon. Into this
then wild and rough region, almost
literally in the wilderness, Thomas Lin
coin moved his family, composed of his
wife and two children, named Abraham
and Sarah, in 1918. He built his cabin
on knoll some fifteen rods from where
the depot is now located. Young Lin
coin at this time was in his eighth year,
and for the next fourteen years this was
to be his home. Here he was to pass
through the formative period of his
character. Here, in extreme poverty,
in the hard and rough life he was lead
ing in that wild scenery, coming in con-
tact with nature in its crudcst forms,
without books or means of study, and
therefore left more fully to the study of
nature, without social advantages or
schools, but under the teaching of a
good Christian, devoted mother, the
foundations of that character were laid
which were to develop such remarkable
practical common sense, such sound
reasoning and Judgment, and such
adaptability and mastery skill in deal
ing with and shaping the great events
with which his name was to be forever
afterwards associated.
nothing remains to mark the spot
where it stood bat the partially-flled
cellar, and solitary cedar tree near by,
planted by young Abraham.
found an aged man in the vicinity
who was Abe's playmate, and from him
learned much that was interesting in
regard to his early habits, his earnest
desire to learn, and his passion for
books which he was not able to obtain.
He read everything he could find in all
the region about; it may have been
that this deprivation of books and the
means of learning threw him upon his
own resources and led him into those
modes of thought, of quaint and apt
illustration and logical reasoning so pc
culiar to him. He was about the only
one in the vicinity who could read and
write; he was noted for his kindness to
every one, and his services were fire.
quently drawn upon by the settlers to
write their letters, kindness he al
WAYS cheerfully rendered: Said the old
man: ABE was alIrs much gwen 10
larnin'.n Whenever the court was in
session he was frequent attendant, as
often as he could be spared from the la
bors of the farm, and especially
when a lawyer of the name of
John A. Breckenridge was to APP
pear in any case Breckenridge was
the foremost lawyer in all that region,
and was widely famed as an advocate
in criminal cases. Lincoln was then
sure to be present. Doing his "chores"
In the morning, he would walk to
Bonneville, the county seat of War
wick County, seventeen miles away,
nj tha,, hA,,,n -, -, fipon 10 do hic
"chores " at night, repeating this day
after day. The lawyer came to know
him. Years afterwards, when Lincoln
was President, venerable gentleman
one day entered his office in the White
House, and, standing before him, said:
"Mr. President, you don't know me. "
Mr.. Lincoln eyed him sharply for a
moment, then quickly replied with a
smile: IeS, uvi yOu are JUnu n.
Breckenridge fused to walk thirty
four miles day to hear you plead law
in Bonneville; and listening to your
speeches at the bar first inspired me
with the determination to be lawyer. "
Lincoln always manifested the
strongest affection for his mother, and
ever strove to relieve her as much as
was in his power, of the cares and
burdens of their hard life. Although
her lot was cast in that humble sphere,
it is evident from all that could learn,
that she was superior woman,
possessing all the traits of true and
noble mother, and that she left an inn
preston for good upon her young son
which he never threw off.
Thomas Lincoln and wife were OF
strongly marked religious character,
and were members of the Baptist faith.
Whenever services were held in the log
| building a mile distant which passed for
a church, they and their two children
were there, but the wife and mother
was not long to be with them. The
fatal disease of consumption had fast
ened upon her, and her life was slowly
wasting away. Day by day young
Abraham sat by her bedside and read
to her for hours such portions of the
Bible as she desired to hear. During
the intervals in reading she talked tc
him of goodness and truth, and urged
him to walk in the ways thereof. She
| portrayed to him the beauties of the
Christian faith, the hope of the Chris
tian life, and the joys of the Heavenly
Kingdom to which she was going. The
end was at hand, faithful watchers al
the bedside of the dying woman felt the
shadow creeping upon the.walls-it was
the shadow of death-the light of the
lowly cabin went slowly out-thC
mother had rest. Abraham gave way
TO grief that could not be consoled
They laid her tenderly away in an open
ing in the timber an eighth of mile
from the house. No minister could be
| nrocnrnd at the time to nerform The