Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-11
LincoIr,s First Friend.

Dennis Hanks is living now at the age of ninety years in this little city of eastern Hi nois. Every resident of the place knows ali about him; 80 I had no difficulty in having the house where he lives with his eldest daughter pointed out to me. The door was opened by an old lady with rippling dark hair in which scarcely gray thread appeared and with keen dark eyes. When I inquired for Dennis Hanks she laughed.
 "Father. On yes; you can see him. He IS always go pleased to talk of Uncle Abe, but you will find him feeble"
 She led me into an inner room and this is how Dennis Hanks appeared to me: He was sitting iu split-bottomed chair tipped back against the wall with his feet on the rungs, q feeble withered little figure of 8 man, his clothes hanging loosely aboat him. He leaned on knotted thorn stick polished by long use; soft felt hat covered his head and shaded his dim eyes; long hair, silyery wbite fell about his collar, while his skin had that peculiar soft pink hue seen only in first and second childhood. 1t was 8 gentle old face, in which the vigor of manhood had died out, leaving only childish interest and trust and innocence, with 8 soft halo of memory over it all. He lay aeleep in the sunshine that streamed over him through the parted curtain at the window, and an-
 
 His daughter touched him.
 Father" she said, "there is lady come from Chicago to see you, sent by the Fri bune." He started up from his sleep, blink ing his eyes, one of which was blind, with all the sleepy amazement of baby.
 s'Well, well, well. I'm glad to see her. There are not many who come to see old Dennis Maybe if they knew all I could tell they would come fast enough. l used to tell Abe-Abe Lincoln, you know; 'Abe,' says I, if you die first people will have to come to Dennis Hanks te find out what sort of boy you was' We used to laugh over that be- cause it looked as if Abe would live longer Abe was strong as a horse in them days. Abe'd had his joke if he'd died the next minute:' The old man chuckled to himself and lapsed again into doZe from which he reused moment later. In animation the face betrayed the Lincoln cast, the high cheek bones, broad forehead, firm mouth and jaw, and deep-eet eyes that sparkle with merriment and appreciation of his own droll thoughts. The skin Is bleaehed back to baby tints, but the hands are knotted and gnarled by time and toll. In his speech were many of the characteristics of his Ken lucky origin. He was born in Hardin coun- ty of that State in 1799.
 "I reckin I knewed Abe Linkhorn, we called i'm, before anybody, less it wur his pother. Nancy Hanks, she was my cousin, and she married Tom Lincoln, and they lived about two miles from us. One day Tom come over an says, kind O slow like, Nancy's got boy baby.' Mother, she got excited and hurried up her work to go over, but couldn't wait. I was about ten years old then, and babies wasn't common then as they are now. I jist tux and run two miles to see my new cousin. When Nancy put him in my arms he looked jist like red cherry pulp squeezed dry. I was tickled to death, and jist laid thar all night so's to see l him when he walked up, and Tom had to tend him. He was just twenty four hours old when made Abe Lincolns acquaintance | That young man had the longest legs you ever see. When he growed up he was six feet four and half inches high, the gang | lipgest, awkwardest boy that ever stepped | over rail fences. Even when 8 boy he got
 ahead of everything, and growed out of hit | clothes faster'n Sarah could make 'em." | "I thought his mothers name was Nancys'
 Ut was. This is the way: Tom fell 1T | love with Sarah Bush, but her folks discour I aged her from a-navin' him, sayin' Tom wa | a shif'le feller, an reckin he was; so Ton he up and married Nancy Hanks, and Sairy
 she married man by the name of Johnston
 After we all moved to Indiana, in 1909
 think, Nancy she up and died, and Mrs
 Johnston's man died; so Tom he went bacl
 to Kentucky for Sairy and brung her home
 Sairy was mighty geod woman. She didn'
 find much to come to but shanty and | couple of ragged children, but she love
 Tom and raised his children decent. Sh
 was Christian and made Abe a religion
 man."
 ''He never belonged to any churcha' "No; but he believed in God and woul O jined if he'd lived longer. He was
 good man and has gone to heaven. He keE
 the ten commandments better'n most of tn l preachers know.
 "I remember the day we got to Indians