colours, and Abraham was in his element. The pieces he had committed to memory as a pastime now served him a good purpose, and, more than ever, the people extolled him. Old Mr. Gentry said, "Abe will make a great man sure as he lives." One of the enthusiastic women declared, "He will be President of the United States yet."

In the discussions Abraham was logical and witty, and everybody was on the alert to hear him speak. Among the questions discussed were, "Which is the stronger, wind or water?" and "Which has the most right to complain, the negro or the Indian?" Abraham had picked up much information concerning wind and water, so that he was not at all limited for materials in the discussion. On the other question he had very definite views of his own, and not a little information collected from here and there. He hated Indians out of respect to his ancestors, if for no other reason; still, he considered them an abused race. But he spoke for the negro in that debate, and made his first public plea for the enslaved, at that time, on the free soil of Indiana.

That Abraham did not improve in his personal appearance, as he did in knowledge, is evident from a remark of Miss Roby, when he went to live with Mr. Gentry. She said, "Abe was then a long, thin, leggy, gawky boy, dried up and shrivelled." He appeared to be much older than he was. Caring little or nothing for dress, he continued to wear apparel of the genuine pioneer pattern, which made his homeliness more homely. A remark of Dennis, on one occasion, was quite expressive: "Abe has too much legs to be handsome;" and it was true.

Still, he was the centre of attraction in all circles. Men, women, and children loved to hear him talk.

They would gather about him to listen, whether in house or field. He continued to improve, too, in this regard. Nat Grigsby says:

"When he appeared in company the boys would gather and cluster around him to hear him talk. He was figurative in his speeches, talks, and conversations. He argued much from analogy, and explained things hard for us to understand by stories, maxims, tales, and figures. He would almost always point his lesson or idea by some story that was plain and near us, that we might instantly see the force and bearing of what he said."

Later, Nat Grigsby and his brother were married at the same time, and brought their wives home to their father's cabin. They had a grand reception for pioneer life, but, in consequence of some pique, did not invite Abraham, who felt the slight keenly. In his chagrin, he wrote a piece of poetry, which he called "The Chronicles of Reuben (Reuben was the name of one of the Grigsby brothers), and dropped it in the road where he was quite sure it would fall into their hands. It was a very sarcastic production, and caused quite a sensation, not only in the family, but also in the neighbourhood. It was a thoughtless act of Abraham, which he regretted afterwards, and the whole affair was subsequently settled on a lasting basis. Nat Grigsby wrote, after Abraham was distinguished in public life :

"Lincoln did write what is called the 'Chronicles of Reuben'-a satire on the Grigsbys and Josiah Crawford, -not the schoolmaster, but the man who lent Lincoln 'The Life of Washington.' The satire was good, sharp, cutting; it hurt us then, but it is all over now. There is no family in the land who, after this, loved Abe so well, and who now look upon him as so great a man.

We all voted for him,-all that could,-children and grandchildren, first, last, and always."

Dennis Hanks, who ought to know more about Abraham, from fourteen to eighteen years of age, than any of his companions, has so characteristically described his way of learning and making progress that we quote his description here:

"He learned by sight, scent, and hearing. He heard all that was said, and talked over and over the questions heard; wore them slick, greasy, and threadbare. He went to political and other speeches and gatherings; he would hear all sides and opinions, talk them over and discuss them, agreeing or disagreeing. Abe, as I said before, was originally a Democrat after the order of Jackson, so was his father, so we all were. He preached, made speeches, read for us, explained to us, etc. . . . Abe was a cheerful boy, a witty boy, was humorous always; sometimes would get sad, not very often. . . . He would frequently make political and other speeches to the boys; he was calm, logical, and clear always. He attended trials, went to court always, read the Revised Statutes of Indiana, dated 1827, heard law speeches, and listened to law trials, etc. He was always reading, scribbling, writing, ciphering, writing poetry, and the like. . . . In Gentryville, about one mile west of Thomas Lincoln's farm, Lincoln would go and tell his jokes and stories, and was so odd, original, humorous, and witty, that all the people in town would gather around him. He would keep them there till midnight. Abe was a good talker, a good reader, and was a kind of newsboy."

In consequence of the prevalence of the milk disease from time to time, the Lincolns discussed the subject of removal to Illinois. John Hanks had gone thither, and sent back favourable reports of the country. John

returned to Kentucky after residing with the Lincolns four years, as we have said before, and afterwards removed to Illinois. It was natural, therefore, when the question of escaping from the dreaded milk-disease was raised, to turn towards that State. The next chapter will furnish an account of the removal.

B

XIV.

OFF TO ILLINOIS.

EFORE the 1st of January, 1830, Mr. Lincoln

decided to remove to Illinois. Dennis Hanks and Levi Hall, who had married Mrs. Lincoln's daughters, concluded to remove also, with their families. Dennis had made a flying visit thither, after he had recovered from a severe attack of the milk-disease, and returned with marvellous stories about the country. He went to visit "Uncle John Hanks," who was settled four miles from Decatur, in Macon County. On this account Mr. Lincoln decided to go directly to "Uncle John's."

He sold his farm to the senior Gentry, and his corn and hogs to David Turnham. He received ten cents a bushel for his corn, and sold the hogs for a "song." He took with him to Illinois "some stock-cattle, one horse, one bureau, one table, one clothes-chest, one set of chairs, working utensils, clothing, etc." The goods belonging to the three families were loaded upon Mr. Lincoln's wagon, an "ironed" wagon, which was the first one he ever owned. It was drawn by four yoke of oxen, two of them Lincoln's and the other two Hanks's; and Abraham drove the team. There were thirteen persons in all who went-men, children.

women, and

Abraham was twenty-one years of age on the twelfth day of February, two or three days before they started upon their journey.