The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-15

What's the matter, little girl?"
he asked.
He" she pointed, pushed me
into the mud"
We'll, where do you live?" he
said
over there" she motioned.
Climb up" he said, I'll take
you home"
Margaret Caldwell's mother
met them at the door Of the
house. One quick glance and Mrs.
Caldwell began scolding Margaret
for riding with strange man"
who are you?" she demanded,
Indignantly, of the tall, gaunt
man.
MY name is Abraham Lincoln"
he said
Abraham Lincoln, then a con-
gresham, had dinner at the Cald-
well home that day, and today
Mrs. Margaret Dukes, 80, the little
Margaret Caldwell of that Incl
dent eighty-one years ago, looks
back fondly on that memory.
She recalls that the MONDAY
meal, prepared by her mother for
the eleven children of the FAM
lily, consisted of a huge crock of
milk in the center of the table,
and me-made bread. The milk
was ladled from the crock with
dipper, and Congressman Lin
coin ate as heartily Of the homely
food as any of the children.
my father told me what a
great man Mr.. Lincoln was, and
what hopes there we're for his fur
Their success" she says. 81 never
saw him again, though his actions
influenced my life in later years.
XX7HEN was only II years
w old, my mother told me
that it was time I learned to do
the family laundry. I washed the
clothing which she sorted for me,
and hung it up to dry. But my
mothers inspection was q strict
one, and she had me take the
clothing down, soak it in butter
milk overnight, to bleach it, and
rewaSh it.
Il had just finished hanging
the clothes for the third time
when a vehicle stopped in front of
the house. A 13-year-old boy
came in and asked for. drink of
water for his mother, who was
with him in the carriage. While
he went to get the water, his
mother looked at the clothing.
Did you do that washing, lit
tie grip she asked. I was indig-
nant Yes, I did, but I'm not a
little girl; I'm a womanl' I told
her" Mrs. Dukes smiled in
amused memory. It worked in
my fathers tailor shop a few
years later. and measured that
same boy for his first tailor made
suit. On April 10, 1864, I married
him, and the next day he left,
to serve in the Tenth Illinois cav
airy in the Civil war I didn't see
him again for two years: he re-
turned in February, 1866"
Mrs. Dukes is visiting her
granddaughter. Mrs. Thomas Nc
Clure, 507 South Mcclure street.
She arrived in indianapolis a few
days ago, on her first return visit
to Indiana since the day she left
Greensburg with her family.
borne in two covered wagons to a
land grant near Champaign, III.
The trip to Illinois. eighty-two
years ago. took three weeks for
its completion. On the way, the
family camped along the trail.
and cooked its meals in covered
skillets over open wood fires.
NTHEN they arrived at the
w new home-site in Illinois.
there were only two log cabins
there. and a few Indian nuts. The
father set up young saplings as a
framework. and Mrs. Dukes
mother covered them with hand
woven linen sheets. under which
shelter they lived until the log
home could be completed.
Father took the tops from the
covered wagons, and made play
houses Of them for the children"
she says. Our nearest neighbor.
aside from the two families al
ready at Champaign, was nine
miles away"
The school Mrs. Dukes attended
Was q LOG affair r-ifl, r,orror. mara