Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-02-10
CHAPTER XII.
IN Which Abe, Elected to the Legisis-
ture, Gives What Comfort He Can to
Ann Rutiedae in the Beginning Of
Her SorroWs--Also He Goes to
Springfield fer New Clothes.

SpFtnIHGI0 Tor new NiOtHCS.
Radford's grocery had been so
wrecked by the raiders that its owner
was disheartened. Reinforced by John
Cameron and James Rutledge he had
succeeded in drawing them away be-
get drunk But they had thrown
much OF his goods into the street.
Radford mended his windows and Of
fered his stock for sale. After time
Berry and Lincoln bought it, giving
notes in payment and applied for a
license to sell the liquors they had
thus acquired.
Late that autumn q boy baby ar
rived in the Traylor home. Mrs. On
stott, Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Keiso
came to help and one or the other
of them did the nursing and cooking
While Sarah was in bed and for a
little time thereafter. The coming
OF the baby was a comfort to this lone
~ mother of the prairies.
There is letter from Sarah TO her
brother dated May, 10, 1888, in which
she sums up some months Of history
In the words that follow:
'"The Lord has given as new son.
/ have lived through the ordeal
thanks to His goodness--and am strong
again. The coming Of the baby has
reconciled us TO the less of our old
friends as much as anything could
It has made this little home dear 70
as and proved the quality OF our new
friends. Nothing is too much for them
10 do. / don't wonder that Abe Lin
coin has so much confidence in the
people of this country. They are
sound at heart, both the northerners
and the southerners. Harry Needles
is getting over his disappointment. He
goes down to the store often to sit
with Abe and Jack kelso and hear
them talk He and Samson are get
ting deeply interested in politics. Abe
let's Harry read the books that he bor
rows from Major Stuart OF Springfield.
The boy is bent on being lawyer and
improving his mind. BIN Kelso writes
TO her mother that she is very hap
py in her new home but there is some
thing between the lines which seems
TO indicate that She is trying TO put
good face GA bad matter. Abe
has been appointed postmaster. Ev-
the letters in his hat and delivers them
az he gets a chance. We have named
the new baby Samuel"
One evening, of that summer, Abe
came out to the Traylors' with let-
ter in his hat for Sarah.
''How's business?'' Samson asked.
Going TO peter out, / reckon" Abe
answered with sorrOWful look. st
will leave me badly in debt. want
ed something that would give me
chance for study and / got it. By
jung, 1t looks as il / was going to
have years Of study trying to get over
it. Have you got any work to give
me? You know l can split rails about
as fast as the next man and Til take
my pay in wheat or corn"
You may give me all the time you
can spend outside the store" said
Samson.
That evening they had talk about
the whisky business and its relation to
the character of Eliphalet Biggs and
to sundry attractions Of law and order
in their community Samson had de-
clared that it was wrong to sell
liquor.
.All that kind Of thing can be safe
" left to the common sense of our
people,, said Abe. 'The remedy is
education, not revolution. Slowly the
people win have to set down all the
items in the ledger of common sense
thar passes from sire to son. By and
by some generation will strike bal
ance. That may not come in a hun
dred years. Soon or late the major
ity of the people will reach a reckon
ing with John Barleycorn. II there's
TOO much against him they will act.
You might as well try TO stop a gla-
eier by building dam In front of it.
They have opened an account with
slavery, too. BY and by they'll de-
eide &c fate"