The Newtown bee., 1892-01-22
Abraham Lincoln's Step Mother.

Abraham Lincoln was seven or eight
 coin, removed from Kentucky to Indiana,
 where, in year or two, his mother died.
 The year following her death, his father
 returned to Elizabethtown to search out,
 if possible, a former neighbOr and
 friend, Mrs Sally Johnston, whom upon
 inquiry he found still widow and to
 whom he at once made proposal of
 marriage. The quaint manner and
 homely words used to tell the simple
 narrative of that brief courtship, if courtship it could be called, together
 with the pith or point of the story, so pregnant with momcntous issues in the future of one who was 10 have commit- ted to him, one might almost say, the rise or fall of this free government, made a great impression upon the writ CT. "On entering Mrs Johnston's humble dwelling" said Mir lIaycraft, "Mr Lin coin asked if she remembered him. Yes replied she, T remember you very well, Tommy Lincoln; what has brought you back to old Kcntucky?' Well, said he, in answer, my wife Nancy is dead.' 'Why, you don't say so!' replied Mrs Johnston. Yes said Mir Lincoln, she died more than year ago and have come back to Kentucky to look for an other wife. Do you like me, Mrs Johns tonY said Mir Lincoln. Yes replied Mrs Johnston, T like you, Tommy Lin coln.' Do you like me well enough to marry me?' said he. Yes she answer ed, I like you, Tommy Lincoln and I like you well enough to marry you. but ] can't marry you now Why not? said he. 'BecAII.r. -aid she, I am in debt and could never think of burden ing the man marry with debt; it would not be right. What are those debts?' said he-and let it be remembered all this happened at their first interview, on renewing their acquaintance after an absence of several years. She told him of the sums. which, said she, T have all down here in my account book gO- ing toward a cupboard and taking out a small blank book. On looking it over. he saw that her debts ranged in sums be- tween fifty cents and a dollar and q quar- ter, amounting in the gross to some thing less than $l2 not a very startling sum even in those days of small things. He succeeded in putting the little book into his coat pocket without attracting her attention and went out, looked up the various parties and paid off all those little sums according to the memoran- dun and returned in the afternoon with the acknowledgements, by name or with their mark, of payments in full. On re- turning her account book to her, she ex- claimed, on beholding the evidence of what he had done, Why, Tommy Lin coin, have you gone and paid off all my debts?' Yes he said; and will you marry me now?' Yes said she and they were married the next morning at 9 o'clock" and MT Haycraft, the narra- tor, told me that he was present himself at the ceremony. They started the next day for Indiana. This woman, Mrs Sally Johnston, was the one who had the training of Abraham Lincoln-for he said that he had no definite recollection of his own mother-and to whom he gave the credit, while he was President of the United States, that he owed to her the principles of integrity which had been the guide of his life and that she taught him all that he knew about the Holy Bible.-r Rev George G. Hep burn.