The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-14

was truly heroic, and much that shrank from
the rude life around her"
From has father Lincoln inherited his con-
versatioD nal habit and love of anecdote.
Thomas Lincoln was brilliant as store-boK
whittier and leader of grocery store dia-
logues. His chief earthly pleasure was to
crsck Jokes and tell stories in group Of
chums who paid homage to his wit by Civ
ing him the closest attention aud loudest APP
plause. His son possessed this accom-
plishment," says Laura C. Holloway in her
book entitled "Mothers of Great Men aud
Women" but in his case il was INDUCED in
more to mask deep feeling and to avoid un-
pleasant subjects than for the pleasure the
telling of stories gave him. All his life he
put barriers between the world aud himself
through the medium of humor."
Thomas Lincoln was rolling stone. He
changed his residence whenever the mood
seized him, feasible undertaking any time,
since bis worldly goods were never bulky.
He was carpenter ostensibly, but worked
only at hunting. He could scarcely have
been greatly addicted to his trade, when the
bedsteads in his cabin were made OF saplings
with the bark on. Nancy Hanks married
him on the 23d of September, 1906, and
probably regretted it ever after.
In comparison with the people about her
Mrs. Lincoln was a learned woman. She
could read and write, though her husband
could not. She taught her little son 10 read
and write in their scanty cabin, and the few
books she possessed were comfort to her
otherwise dismal existence. She died OF
what was then called the ''milk Sickness
after q long illness, when Lincoln was m
years old. How pathetic were those last
days when she saw herself fading out of life
leaving her children in pinching poverty to
the Gaze of a careless father Lincoln had
sister named Sally, two years older than
himself, who married in her eighteenth year
and died less than year later. How earnestly
no oil tn 10 hor md hot ho
must set bin self some particular task in life
and do il we'll He could write fairly when
she died. A year later he wrote to the min
lister 'Sho had married his parents, requesting
him TO come and preach his mothers funeral
sermon since there had been no service at
the time of her death. Three months later
the minister came, and the funeral sermon
was preached over her grave in the Western
wilderness, in the presence of the children,
their father and about twenty of the neigh
bors To this day no stone marks her rest
ing place
No words can describe the Loneliness and
misery of Lincolr's life in the year that fol-
lowed. In the brightest days OF his manhood
he could not look back upon that time with
out agony and humiliation. A few months
more than year after the death Of his moth
er fate blessed him with a stepmother, who
was to him mother, friend and companion.
She was a widow when Thomas Lincoln mar
ried her-Mrs. Sallie JohDston-a Kentuck-
ian, with kind heart and agreeable person.
" hen Lincoln first saw her she was young,
good looking, cheerful and full of energy.
From the moment she set foot in the caOin
she took liking to the lonely, motherless
boy-a liking which soon ripened into love
on both sides and endured until death.
She, too, was one of Thomas LIncoln's VIC
Tins. He had represented that he was
farmer in comfortable circumstances in Indi-
ana. She found his home poverty stricken
cabin, his only support an occasional odd job
which he did for the thrifty farmers OF his
neighbOrhood. She made the best of her
unfortunate bargain, and found in the son
the companiOnship and help which were
lacking in the father. Great was her intu-
ence upon the lonely life of the future great
man. The furniture she brought with her
gave the Indiana cabin an air of comfort
and her two daughters and one son bright
ened it with their childish pleasures. The
little family lived affectionately together.
Lincoln was devoted to his stepsisters and
stepmother, and they were in turn deeply at
tached to him. In later years, when they
were married and had homes of their own,
nobody was welcomed more jOyfully than
Brother Abe" After his tragic death they
often spoke of his affection for their mother
and OF hers for him.
After Lincoln left home to work for him.
self he sent her share of the first money he
earned, and as long as she lived he continued
to provide for her comfort. When his father
, died he was unable to attend the funeral on
account of illness in his own family, After
he was elected President Of the United States
he went to see his stepmother Their meet
| ing and parting was most affectionate They
never met in this world again. After the
assassination, in an interview with Mr..
herndon, with overlooking eyes, Mrs. LIN LIN
coin SAID: II can say what scarcely one
mother in thousand can say. Abe never
gave me cross word or look: and never re.
fused, in fact or appearance, to do anything
| requested. never gave him a cross word
IN my life. His mind and mine-what little
had-seemed to run together"