The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-07
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then we wrote notes. Since Abe was
made president l wish / had saved
some of them, but we were afraid the
teacher would catch on, so we tore
them up after reading them.
The nearest church in those days
was miles from us, and my father and
mother used to go for Abe's parents
every Sunday and take them to church.
Then Abe would come over and stay
with me and we would have a time.
We would go that stream of water
down there under the hill and wade
all around it.
ABE was a fighter in school. and in
my mind he was a hero. | suppose,
though, it was because he whipped a
boy for insulting me one day. Tho
boy was of the bully sort, and was
much larger than Abe. One day he hit
me. 1t didn't hurt me, but it fired Abe
and he thrashed him soundly, while
| stood off and cried. don't know
what | was crying about. Girls never
know. The boys often made fun OF
Abe's ragged clothes, and of his gawky
movements. Abe was awkward. They
leased him, too, because he minded his
mother. He would often cry because
they pulled at his clothes and tore
them, but he wouldn't tell his mother,
for he knew it would make her feel
bad. l sometimes mended his clothes
to keep her from knowing they were
tore. / made Abe a pair of pants once
for a Christmas present. They struck
him middle always between the knees
and ankles, not like they wear them
now, and he was proud of them, too,
They were the first long pants he ever
wore.
Abe made speeches in school,
and they were good ones, too, 1
thought. He always was a taIker. My
father owned a slave at that time, and
Abe thought a heap of him. He was
a mean negro and my father had q
great deal of trouble with him. and Of
ten whipped him This made Abe feel
sorry for the negro, and / have al
ways believed that then was the first
time the idea of emancipation entered
his head.
Abe used to make ink out of polk
berries and sell it in school. He had
a little store. He made money out 81
chips.
"Abe's father went from here to Ill
nois when Abe was about thirteen
years old. / hated to see Abe go. He
kissed me good-by, and told me with
tears in his eyes-wa were both cry
ing-that he would some day come
back and claim his boyhood sweet
heart. He worked on a farm in Hi,
noiS a year or two and then clerked
in a country store. He then studied
law awhile. l then lost trace of him
until | heard he was president, and /
was happy. Well, he deserved to be
president. When / heard he was as.
sassinated ! couldn't at first believe it,
and don't you know | cried when /
realized that he was dead.
Eyes, | am now the only living child
hood acquaintance of Lincoln's living"
When asked how she passed away
the time alone, she said:
ooh, when | am not busy with my
daily duties ! read the time away very
pleasantly. never get lonesome" and
| going to a corner in the little room
| she raised a curtain, showing a row
works of the best authors from Milton
and Shakespeare down to the latest
literary works
Miss Castleman is an extraordinarily
intelligent old lady. and talks quite
interestingly upon any subject that is
preached, her are refined and
her appearance rather striking.