Connecticut western news., 1922-03-30
Copyright, Irving BacheIler
SYNOPSIS.

SYNOPSIS. |
 CHAPTER L-Samson and Sarah Tray Tor, with their two children, Josiah and in Vergennes, Vt, to the West, the land try r of the Sang sansamon. in illinois.
 CHAPTER TI.-At Niagara Falls they meet Q party of immigrants, among them . youth named John McNeil, who also assidss !, to go to the iaSer Sopny an a&ue. Sarah's ministrations save the life of . youth, Harry Needles. in the last stages of fever, and he aceompandi,s,ss ] d,,sntts the and are welcomed byN young Abe" Lin- coin. -. ...
 first acquaintances are Lincoln's friends, Jack Kelso and his pretty daughter Bim, 16 years of age. '...
 CHAPTER Iv.-Samson decides to To- cate at New Salem, and begins building his house. Led. by Jack Armstrong, ings. Iincoln thrashes Armstrong. Young Harry Needles strikes Bap McNoll, or the Armstrong crowd, and McNoll threat ems vengeance.
 Samson wrote in his diarye
 "On the way home my heart was sore. I prayed in silence that God would forgive me for my bad example to the boy. promised that l would not again misuse the strength He has given me. In my old home I would have been disgraced by it. The min ister would have preached of the de- struction that follows the violent man to put him down the people would have looked askance at me. Deacon Somers would have called me aside to look into my soul, and Judge .Grandy and his wife would not have invited me to their parties Here it's different. A chap who can take the law in his hands and bring the evil man to his senses, even if he has to hit him over the head, is looked up to. It's reckless country. You feel it as soon as you get here. In time, I fear, shall be as headlong as the rest of them. Some way the news of my act has got here from Springfield. Sarah was kind of cut up. Jack Kelso has nicknamed me The man with the iron arms and Abe who is better man every way, laughs at my ,embarrass- ment and says ought to feel honored. For one thing Jack Armstrong has become good citizen. His wife has foxed a pair of brooches for Abe. They say McNoll has left the country. There has been no deviltry here since that day. I guess the gang is broken up-too much iron in its way
 Sarah enjoyed fixing up the cabin. Jack Kelso had given her some deer and buffalo skins to lay. on the floors. The upper room, reached by a stick laddef, had its two beds, one of which Harry occupied. The children slept pushed under the larger one when it was made up in the morning.
 Some time I'm going to put in windletrap and get rid O that stick ladder" Samson had said. i. Sarah had all the arts of the New England home maker. Under her hand the cabin, in color, atmosphere and general neatness, would have de- lighted higher taste than was to be found on the prairies. save in the brain of Kelso, who really had some acquaintance with beauty To be sure the bed was in one corner, spread with its upper cover knit of gray yarn harmonizing in color with the bark of the log walls. A handsome dark brown buffalo robe lay beside it. The rife and powder horn were hung above the mantel. The fireplace had its crane of wrought iron.
 Every one in the little village came to the house warming. The people were in their best clothes. The women wore dresses of new calico-save Mrs Doctor Allen, who wore a black silk \ dress which had come with her from her late home in Lexington. Bim Kelso came in dress of red muslin trimmed with white lace. Ann Rut- ledge also wore red dress and came with Abe. The latter was father grotesque in his new linsey trousers, of a better length thap, the former pair, but still too short.
 "It isn't fair to blame the trousers or the tailor" he had said when he had tried them on. My legs are so long that the imagination of the tailor is sure to fall short if the cloth don't. Next time I'll have 'em made to meas ure with a ten-foot pole instead of a yardstick. If they're too long I can roll 'em up and let out link or two when they shrink. Ever since I was a boy I have been troubled with shrink ing pants.''
 Abe wore a blue swallow-tail coat with brass buttons, the tails of which were so short as to be we'll above the danger of pressure when he sat down. His cowhide shoes had been well blackened; the blue yarn of his socks showed above them, 'These darned socks of mine are rather proud and conceited," he used to say. "They like to show off,
 He wore shirt of white, un- bleached cotton, starched collar and black tie.
 In speaking of his collar to Samson, he said that he felt like a wild horse awz I %aI