The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-19

prise. WIN true WO1nanly courage ana
zeal she set resolutely to work to make
right that which seemed wrong. Her
husband was made to put floor in the
cabin, as well as to supply doors and
windows The cracks between the logs
were plastered up. A clothespress filled
the space between the chimney jam and
the wall, and the mat of corn husks
and leaves on which the children had
slept gave way to the comfortable lux
uriance of a feather bed She washed
the two orphans and fitted them out in
clothes taken from the stores Of her own.
The work of renovation in and around
the cabin continued until even Thorn.
as Lincoln himself, under the genera,
stimulus of the new wife's presence,
caught the inspiration and developed
signs of intense activity. The advent of
Sarah Bush was certainly red letter
day for the Lincolns She was not only
industrious and thrifty, but gentle and
affectionate, and her newly adopted
children, for the first time perhaps, re-
allied the benign influence of a moth
er's love. Of young Abe she was espe
Cldlly lOuI, anu W0 ldN0 uCI
that her kindness and care for him were
warmly and bountifully returned.
The two sets of children in the Lin
coin household-to their credit be it
said-lived together in perfect accord.
Abe was in his tenth year, and his step
mother, awake to the Importance of an
education, made way for him to attend
1ohoo1 To hoy ha cnor1o1 fin ii of
Use, and although not so quick of COM
prehension as other boys, yet she believ-
ed in encouraging his every effort. He
had had few weeks of schooling I'M
der Riney and Hazel in Kentucky, but
it is hardly probable that he could read.
He certainly could not write.
Hazel Dorsey was Abe's first teacher
in Indiana He held forth mile and
a half from the Lincoln farm. The
schoolhouse was built of round logs and
was Just high enough for man to
stand erect under the loft The floor
was of split logs, or what were called
puncheons The chimney was made of
poles and clay, and the windows were
made by cutting out parts of two logs,
pldCluS p1CSSS VI cDll0 OOCsluo plOPOl
distance apart and over the aperture
thus formed FASTING pieces of creased
paper to admit light.
Abraham at School.
''He was always at school early, J"
writes Grigsby, land attended to his
studies. He was always at the head of
his class and passed US rapidly in his
studies He lost no time at home, and
when he was not at work was at his
books He kept up his studies on Sun
day and carried his books with him to
work so that he might read when he
rested from labor. -
Now and then, the family exchequer
running low, it would be found neces-
sary for the young rail splitter to stop
school and either work with his father
on the farm or render like service for
the neighbors. These periods of work
occurred so often and continued SO long
that all his school days added together
would not make year in the aggregate.
When he attended school, his sister
usually accompanied him. "Sally was a
quick minded young woman, is the
testimony of schoolmate. She was
more industrious than Abe in my opin-
ion. I can hear her good humored laugh
now. Like her brother, she could greet
you kindly and put you at ease. She
was really an intelligent woman.
At Dorsey's school Abe was 10 years
old. AT the next one, Andrew Craw
ford's, he was about IA, and at Swa-
L Ii
The last school required walk of over
four miles, and on account of the dis
lance his attendance was not only irreg
ular, but brief. Schoolmaster Crawford
introduced new feature in his school,
and we can imagine its effect on his
pupils, whose training had been limited
to the social requirements of the back
woods settlement. 1t was instruction
in manners. One scholar was required
to go outside and re-enter the room as
q lady or gentleman would enter draw
ing room or parlor. Another scholar
would receive the first party at the door
and escort him or her about the room,
making polite introductions to each per-
son in the room. How the gaunt and
clumsy Abe went through with this
performance we shall probably never
know. If his awkward movements gave
rise to any amusement his schoolmates
never revealed it.
He was now over feet high and was
growing at tremendous rate, for he
added two inches more before the close
of his seventeenth year, thus reaching
the limit of his stature. He weighed in
the region of 160 pounds, was why,
vigorous and strong. His feet and hands
were large, arms and legs long and in
striking contrast with his slender trunk
and small head. Ellis skin was shriveled
and yellow" declares one of the girls
who attended Crawford's school. Ellis
shoes, when he had any, were low. He
wore buckskin breeches, linsey woolsey
shirt and cap made of the skin of a
squirrel or coon. His breeches were bag
gy and lacked by several inches meeting
the tops of his shoes, thereby exposing
his shinbone-sharp, blue and narrow. -
In one branch of school learning he
was great success-that was spelling.
We are indebted to Kate Roby, pretty
miss of Is. FOR an incident which illus
trates alike his proficiency in orthogra-
Il ! L. L 4