The National tribune., 1908-12-31
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Continued from page one.)


They were almost like one great family,
their close relation being cemented by
frequent intermarriages, and Nancy
had known the joyial, good-patured,
popular Thomas practically all her life.
Her mother had large family of chill
dren, and the kind-hearted Mrs. Spar
row, who had not, lightened the cares
of the former by keeping the little
Nancy much of the time with her. In
deed, the child was more at home under
the Sparrow roof than that of her faith
er, and spent practically her entire
childhood with these good neighbors,
more frequently called by their name
than by her own.
All the Lincoln biographers seem to
agree that Nancy Hanks was an un-
commonly pretty girl, with dark hair
and bright hazel eyes. and that in intel
leet as well as in appearance she was
much superior to her humble station
in life. She could read and write, which
was a rare accomplishment in those
early days and she cared much more
for book or some quiet pleasure than
for the boisterous, somewhat rough
"merry makings'' of those days and
that locality. Her deeply religious ma
ture tinged her manner with something
of melancholy, which became more
manifest under the hard conditions of
her life, and her duties were ever her
first consideration. Thomas, who was
exactly her opposite in temperament
and in most of his ideas, attracted her
largely by reason Of his cheerful OPP
timism- and careless gaiety, and she
loved him with all the sweetness and
depth Of her gentle nature. He loved
her, too, in his rough, good-natured
way, proud of her beauty and book
learning, but she was no Lady Macbeth
to spur him on to greater activity or
aHfa hxro ohoc scir hi i'm q
of her tongue, and evidently preferred
to endure patiently the terrible priva-
tions which his improvidence imposed
upon her rather than "pester" him. AS
far as can be seen she did not color or
influence her husbands life in the least.
Birth of Abraham.
For awhile after Thomas and Nancy
we're married they lived in the little
house, IA feet square, in Elizahethto|n,
where he had taken her as bride, and
where he was near her Uncle Joseph
Hanks's carpenter shop, in which ne
worked. In the tiny home they were
at least warm and comfortable, fully
protected from the elements and with
enough to eat, and in after years poor
Nancy must have looked back upon
this period as one of comparative lux
liry. With no prenionitions of what was
in store for her, she performed her
tasks with wifely pride and dreamed
her dreams of future happiness, and
life was full of hope and gladness.
But this state of things did not last
long. Nothing could be more forlorn
or desolate than her surroundings on
Nolin Creek, both inside her wretched
little cabin, with its dirt floor, and out
side, where nothing but barren hillocks,
covered with stunted, scrubby under
brush, met the eye. At the time of the
birth Of the little Abraham she had only
the roughest care and attention, suffer-
ing for the commonest necessities of
life. Old Dennis Hanks, who was her
cousin, tells about Thomas walking into
his mothers house one cold morning
in February, and rather sheepishly an
nouncing the fact that he was again a
father, this time of a son.
Dennis's mother hurried up her work,
and went over to the Lincoln cabin to
attend to the m:ther, who had had no
one but her husband to do the simplest
thing for her. AS Mrs. Hanks entered the
cabin she saw Nancy lying on her pole
bed, covered with a bear skin, holding
the furture President clasped close to
her breast. The good woman washed the
baby and put a yellow flannel petticoat
and linsey shirt on him, cooked some
dried berries with wild honey for
Nancy, sAcked up the cabin, and then
went home, which was all the nursing
the baby or mother got. She lay on
only, till she had recovered strength
enough to take up once more the bur-
den of her daily duties.
As usual with men of his character,
Thomas Lincoln blamed his want of
fortune upon everything but his own
shortcomings. The location of his farm
was at fault, and when Abraham was
four years old his father moved Is
miles over to Knob Creek, where he
hoped the land might be made to laugh
more abundantly for the meager hoe
tickling he gave it than on Nolin Creek.
OF course, since he worked no harder
'1Il luck followed him. and when
Abraham was seven years old his faith
er felt that the virgin soil of Indiana
might give more for little than Ken
lucky Packing his family and goods
in one wagon, he trekked across the
Ohio to Spencer County. Ind, and set
tied on Little Pigeon Creek, one and
one-half miles east OF Gentryville.
"Kaintucky." as Dennis Hanks after
ward said, "was gettin' stuck up, with
some folks rich enough to own niggers,
% ii didn't seem no place fur pore folks
Nancy empty the shucks out of the
tow-linen ticks, and to pile the few
housekeeping belongings, the INSULT
cfent bedding and clothing and the few
pans and kettles on the backs of two
borrowed horses, and that he and the
6pdfTOWS went dlOASs lOOs Dul lilOol
biographers agree that the Sparrows
did not join the Lincoins in their new
home for over year.
Removal TO Indiani.
In the midst of the dense forest of
beech, oak, hickory and black walnut
Thomas Lincoln set up another "camp,"
and it was only what was then called
Q "haif-faced camp" that is, it was a
mere shed of poles, inclosed on three
sides, with the fourth open TO the
weather. There for IL long months
Nancy Hanks Lincoln lived with her
two Children daughter, aged eight.
and little Abraham, seven years old.
Then they were forced to move into
the house which she and the children
had helped to build, tho II was not
completed, for the Sparrows came along
shout that time, and the camp" had
to be given up to them. The new house
YVES, of course, more comfortable than
the camp" so much more so, in fact
that Thomas Lincoln was quite satisfied
with It, and tho 1t was without windows.
doors or floors, made no effort TO sup
ply this lack during the few years of
life that remained to poor Nancy.
Altho still young woman. Nancy's
hard life had made her look like an old
one The terrible strains on her health
and strength had told terribly, and the
pretty, clear, red-and-white skin of the
young bride of only few years back