The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-05-08
SALLY Rush.


tputHtfh iuufunds III tut t1ftSl oi IT'S
grand old forest of towering oaks, of
walnut and nipple trees. were seat
tered bits of prairie land that rose and
fell in waves of hill and hollow most
fair to see.
Upon one of these eminences stood
a small, unsightly cabin of rough aud
unhewn logs, with neither doors or
windows. In one corner of tile room
poles were stuck into the cracks OF tho
logs, while the other ends were sup
ported by forked sticks sunk into the
earthen floor. Over these boards were
laid. upon which dry leaves were seat
tered. the whole surmounted with
skins of animals, and old clothes. This
was the only beastend visible. Three
or four three-legged stools. ii slab with
the Hat side upward serving as u table.
aud Dutch oven and skillet COM
pleted the furniture of the room.
This was the home of Thomas Lin
coin. an easy going. idle man. whose
chief excellenees lay IN his skill as n
huntsman and his remarkable aptitude
for storytelling.
About year after the death of his
wife, who had left to him two children,
he sought another in the person of
Sally Bush. who iind in earlier years
rejected his suit. but who was now II
widow, living with her three children
in Kentucky.
In homely words he urged inime-
diate marriage aud she yielded IL is
fair to presume. however, that had she
known the real truth about the Indiana
cabin life her consent would have been
hard to gain.
Packing up her household goods and
loaitiug them on wagon drawn by
four horses. the newly welded pair
arrived at Thomas Lincoln's home.
Imagine her disappointme when, at
the close of cold December day, they
drove up before the doorless. Window
less cabin, infront of which stood the
two children, Nancy, girl of IL. and
Abe, boy 9 years old.
Ill-clad, with nnwashed faces and
uncombed hair, these little creatures
gazed with eyes and mouth wide open
NJ the wonderful treasures nnloaded
from that wagon,
There were chairs and n table. and
knives and forks aud cooking utensils,
and most marvellous of all real
bureau. that In those days had cost
$40. This last Thomas Lincoln had
declared sinful extravaganza. and
had urged Sally to sell Ii. but she
would not heed and so ii was brought
to the backwoods cabin.
To these untutored children, who
had never heard of such things, and
who knew nothing of their uses. this
change of surroundings came. like d
perfect revelation aud changed the
whole color of their lives.
In person. Sally Bnsh was tall and
stately, handsome in face and figure.
with earnest eyes and beautiful curl
ing hair. In conversation she was
bright and CHEEKY. aud to all her
charms added rare force of charac-
ter expressing itself in neatness. en-
ergy. economy aud thrift.
Deselate as was her future prospect.
unpromising in its every feature. she
lost no time in lamentation. Looking
calmly into the face of chaos, out of it
she wrought comfort and order.
Turning with pity to the Two
neglected Lincoln children she cleaned
them thoroughly aud combed and
Strengthened their tangled locks. She
taught them how to wash themselves,
and gave them untiring lessons in the
virtues of cleanliness. From her own
wardrobe she fashioned for them gar
ments. and clothed them comfortably
from head to foot. Nice warm beds
and nouriShing food were provided for
them. She treated them as kindly rs
she did her own children, aud took
them into the heart of her large aud
gracious motherhood. Through her
insistence. her husband laid wooden
floor. and in due time doors and win
dows found their proper places. Lit.
tie by little more land was cultivated
and bettrr provisions were made for
the entire family
Instead of blows and hard usage to
which the children had been always
subjected. she ruled them 10y love and
by winsome WAYS. As Abraham Lin
III i,,. In
was the woman who first made me feel
like human being" 10 him she was
the embodiment of all things good
his sanity mother" his Angel of a
mother" as he used To call her.
Uneultivated she certainly was. rs
measured by book attainments or bv
the accomplishments of these Inodern
times, but she was strong in high pur-
pose, and capable of arousing anhi-
tion in others, by her earnest zeal. A
short time after she arrived AT the Lin
coin home, Abe, 10 whom she snon
became warmly attached, was Hited
out in a comfortable suit of clothes.
and sent to school for the first time in
his life.
1t is true he walked four and half
miles each dav for this instruction.
which. at the best, was meagre. but it
was enough to stir desire for more, aud
fan to living flame the light that was
in time TO lead this land through dark
ened places.
Utterly ignorant. rude and uucouth.
the new mother found this boy seem
ingly destined to a life of rudeness aud
obscurity, and from these depths she
rescued the pure and honest and force
full spirit that is TODAY loved and rev.
erenced by the whole world.
Through the transformation she
brought about in the home and in the
entire life of the family she completely
won the boys confidence. so that he
rested entirely upon her wisdom and
yielded her, in all things, the most inn
plicit obedience. Did she assume that
certain things could be brought about.
he never for one moment questioned
the result.
Faithful always through his entire
life to this devoted woman. Abraham
Lincoln never forgot her. in the midst
of triumphs. whose glory might have
din med the remembrance of a.heart
less loyal than his OWE.
After his election to the presidency,
before he went to Washington. he vis-
tied his mother, now bent aud bowed
with age. 1t was sad parting. this
last one, for both share in the same
foreboding that they should meet no
more on earth.
After his assassination Mr.. Herndon,
Mr.. Lincoln's law partner, went to see
her. With streaming ewes she said: