The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-28
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

HDllHIIHN1 lINUULV
 fBy Miss Eleanor Agnes Cushman.) } It was in the year eighteen hun dred and nine, that a child who was destined to become one of the great est men of the nation, was born This child was Abraham Lincoln. It was
 not very bright room in which he first opened his eyes, for his fathers cabin was very rude and poorly built However, he did not spend much of
 his childhood in the cabin in which
 he was born. The family moved from Kentucky to Indiana, when Abraham was but seven years old. About two years after their remov-
 saddened by the loss of Mrs. Lin
 coin, who died of quick consumption.
 MT. Lincoln soon married again,
 bringing his orphaned children a sensible woman for mother.
 Abraham's new mother allowed
 him to attend school as much as pos
 sible, but all the schooling, that he
 been received in a year. However.
 he was quick to learn and was soon
 able to write. He did most of the
 writing for his neighbors and was
 noted among them, not only for his
 cleverness and craving for books, but
 also for his honesty and kindhearted-
 ness.
 In fact, all through his life, Abra-
 ham Lincoln was noted for his hon.
 esty and kindheartedness. When he
 was but a boy, he borrowed 'The
 Life of Washington" Through some
 accident 1t was damaged while in his
 possession. Abraham worked three
 then told that he had fairly earned
 the book and might keep it. At first,
 the boy was overcome with joy and
 gratitude, but he soon saw the justice
 of the act for had he not honestly
 earned the book?
 When Abraham was about twenty.
 two years old, he became a clerk in
 have all, probably heard the stories
 of his honesty while clerk in this store. On one occasion. a woman came into the store and bought some goods amounting in value to two dol lars, six and quarter cents. When coin again added up the bill, and discovered he had charged the wo- man six and quarter cents too much. He closed up the store and.
 although it was night, walked sever al miles to the woman's house and returned the money to her. Other similar stories have been told which furnish good grounds for the nam. which was applied to him by all the people who knew him Honest Abe"
 Abraham Lincoln was never able to cherish resentment for anyone. While clerk in the aforementioneo store, he once had occasion to fight with man who was a decided bully. MT. Lincoln fought coolly and col lectedly and thoroughly defeated his opponent He then gathered some smart weed and rubbed it in the mans eyes until he cried with pain. All this had been done without any feelings of anger on MT. Lincoln's part, only a desire to give the man a and washed out the eyes of the thor oughly humiliated man. who after wards became a firm friends of MT. Lincoln.
 MT. Lincoln had always craved for an education. It was while he was clerk in the little pioneer store, that he began his study of English gram mar. When he had completed his study of the grammar book, he 1A said to have remarked that if the other sciences were no harder than the one he had just studied, he thought he could "subdue another" All his leisure moments were now this period told his friends that when he first saw Lincoln, he was stretch ed on a trundle bed covered with books and papers, some of which he was reading. With his foot, Mir. Lincoln was pushing a cradle, in which his landlady's baby lay. Can we wonder that MT. Lincoln was be- loved by all who knew him, when we think how willing he was to do a kindly act for a friend?
 The Black Hawk War broke out about this time. MT. Lincoln was appointed captain of little body of volunteers It is interesting to note that two of the simplest ana num- blest of men, Abraham Lincoln and Zachary Taylor afterwards became presidents of the United States.
 After the Black Hawk War, MT. Lincoln bought store in partner ship with an acquaintance. The partnership failed. but MT. Lincoln worked until he had paid his and his partners debts.
 He, then, served as postmaster in his village, having been appointed by President Jackson. In this posi- ton Lincoln had good opportunity to read plenty of newspapers and he his opportunity. In those days, one did not meet uniformed mail carriers with leather letter bags, MT Lincoln, for example, took the l mail around to the villagers in his hat.
 MT. Lincoln's reading of Henry Claws life had made him desdrous Of becoming a great lawyer and poll- tician. While he served as postmas- ter. he read a great many political papers. He became very we'll known | among the villagers, not only in car rying out his duties as postmaster but also as a surveyor. As a sur veyor he became acquainted With | people outside of his village. Tnen, i foo he made a few political speeches which brought him a still greater of friends and acquaintances So when he was nominated as cand1- | date for the legislature in eighteen | hundred and thirtyfour, he was elected by a. large majority.
 From this time on, Mir. Lincolns rise was steady and sure. He had become prominent throughout 1lh- nois for his part in changing the | capital of Illinois from Vandalia to | It was about this time | that he became acquainted with Stephen Douglas. Soon after his a acnuaintance with this man, Mr. Lincoln moved to Springfield, and there his career as lawyer began.
 Mir. Lincoln was a weak lawyer on the weak side. He always refused