The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-05-16
ABE WAS THE BEST BOY.
SUCH WAS THE VERDICT OF
LINcoLN's sTEPMoTHER.
A New "Reminiscences OF Lincoin's Boy
hood Home in the Bsckwoods OF
fndisns--A Good wo-
mans' Influenza.

southern inuiuuus IN the midst OF It's
grand old forest of towering oaks. OF
walnut and maple trees. were scattered
bits Of prairie land that rose and fell
in waves Of hill and hollow most fair
TO see.
Upon one OF these emlnences stood
small unsightly cabin OF rough and
unhcwn logs. with neither doors or
windows. In one corner of the room
poles were stuck into the cracks OF the
logs, while the other ends were sup
ported by forked sticks sunken into
the earthen floor. Over these boards
We're laid. upon which dry leaves were
scattered the whole surmounted with
skins Of animals and old clothes. This
was the only bedstead visible. Three
or four three-legged stools. "A slab with
the FIAT side upward serving "a table.
and a Dutch oven and skillet com
pleted the furniture OF the room.
This was tho home OF Thomas
Lincoln. an easy-going idle man.
whose chief excellences lay in his skill
as a huntsman and his remarkable
aptitude for storytelling.
About year after the death OF his
wife. who had left 10 him two children.
he sought another in the person OF
Sally Bush, who had I'm earlier years
rejected his suit. but who was now "A
widow living with her three children
in Kentucky.
In homely words. he urged immedi-
ate marriage and she yielded. II Is
fair 20 presume. however that had she
~
cabin lie her consent would have been
hard 10 gain.
Packing up her household goods and
loading them on wagon drawn by
four horses the newly welded pair
arrived al Thomas Lincoln's LONE.
Imagine her dissappo intment when. at
the close 81 cold December day. they
drove up before tha dooress, window
less cabin. in front Of which stood two
children, Nancy, girl OF IL, and Abe,
a boy years old.
III clad, with unwashed faces and un-
combed hair, these little creatures
gazed with eyes and mouths wide open
az the wonderful treasures unloadcd
from that wagon.
There were chairs and table. and
knives and forks and cooking utensils
and most marvellous OF all "a real
bureau. that In those days had cost $40
This last Thomas Lincoln had declared
sinful extravaganza. had urged Sally
20 sell it. but she would not heed and
80 il was brought 10 the bachwoods
cabin.
TO these uututored children who had
lever heard Of such things and who
new nothing OF their uses. this change
surroundings came like perfect
-ovelation and changed the whole color
u their lives.
In person, Sally Bush was tall and
lately handsome in face and figure.
with earnest eyes and curling beautiful
iair In conversation sho was bright and
,heery. and 10 all her charms added
ARE force OF character, expressing
Itself 10 neatness, energy. economy and
.hrift
Desolate as was her future prospect.
unpromising in its every feature, she
lost no time I'm lamentation. Looking
calmly into the face OF chaos. out q ii
she wrought comfort and order.
Turning with pity 10 the two ne
elected Lincoln children she cleaned
them thoroughly and combed and
Strengthened their tangled locks. She
taught them how % wash themselves
and gave them untirlng 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 foods were provided
for them. She treated them rs kindly
as she did her own children. and took
them into the heart OF her large and
gracious motherhood. Through her
ipsistcnce her husband laid wooden
floor and in due time. doors and win
dows found their proper places. Little
by little more land was cultivated and
better provisions were made for the
entire family
Instead Of blows and hard usage To
which the children had always been
subjected she ruled them by love and
by winsome ways. As Abraham Lin
coin so often said In after years '.she
was the woman who first made me feel
like "a human being To him she
was the embodiment OF all things good
his sanity mother. his Angel OF
mothes as he used 10 call her.
Uncultvated she certainly was. as
measured by book attainmcnts or by
the accomplishments OF these modern
times but she was strong In high mr-
pose and capable OF arousing ambition
in others by her earnest zeal A short
time after she arrived nj the Lincoln
home. Abe 10 whom she soon be-
came warmly attached. was fitted out
In "a comfortable suit OF clothes and
sent TO school for the first time In his
life