from the Bible. In the sequel it will appear that this one book must have been the source of that honesty, noble ambition, adherence to right, and dependence upon Providence, which signalized his public career.

Three incidents of his life in the White House show his familiarity with the Bible. At one time he was very much annoyed by men who complained of prominent officials. To one of these parties, he said, one day, “Go home, my friend, and read attentively the tenth verse of the thirteenth chapter of Proverbs.” That verse is, “Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.” General Fremont, whom he had relieved of his command, consented to run against him for the Presidency, after Lincoln’s renomination for the office. A small following of disappointed politicians and military aspirants rallied around Fremont. About the time the latter withdrew his name,—satisfied that his candidacy would make more enemies than friends,—Mr. Lincoln said to a public man, who introduced the subject, “Look here; hear this;” and he proceeded to read the following from the First Book of Samuel, “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him, and he became captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.”

At one time Henry Ward Beecher criticised his administration sharply in the Independent, of which he was the editor-in-chief. Several editorials of this character were published in that journal, and some one cut them out and forwarded them to Mr. Lincoln. One day he took them out of the envelope and read them all through, when he flung them upon the floor, exclaiming, “Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?” The criticisms were based on falsehoods, and were therefore unjust and cruel; hence his apt quotation from the Bible.

It has been said by one of Abraham Lincoln’s biographers that his father had no interest in his education. The facts already cited prove such a conclusion to be basely false. A father and mother whose poverty compelled them to live upon “hoe-cake” must have had a decided interest in the education of their children to try to scrape together a few dollars for their tuition at school, and then send them four miles on foot daily to enjoy the coveted boon! If that be indifference to culture, then the more we have of it the better. That Thomas Lincoln and his pious wife cherished a strong desire for the education of their children, there can be no doubt; that they saw in their son, Abraham, early evidence of remarkable mental powers is certain; but that they expected he would ever become distinguished as a public man is not true; for there was no prospect whatever that he would lift the incubus of want and obscurity, and step out into the world of renown. Such an anticipation could not possibly have been indulged by them.

It was the autumn of 1816. Indiana had been admitted as a free State into the Union, and immigration thither had already set in as a consequence. The excitement over freedom in indiana had reached Kentucky, as we have said already, and Thomas Lincoln and wife became interested parties. They discussed the question of removing thither, and finally decided in the affirmative, provided their farm could be sold.

“As soon as the fall work is through,” was Mr. Lincoln’s decision.

“If you can sell,” added Mrs. L., with a significant emphasis upon the if. “It’s a hard place to sell anything here. Perhaps we shall have to stay a while longer.”

“There’ll be somebody to buy,” added Mr. L., with a confident air.

“Heard anything from the man Gallaher told about?” “Not a word; but there’s time enough yet.” Neighbour Gallaher had met a person who desired to purchase a small farm like Lincoln’s, and he had told him of Lincoln’s desire to sell in October, “after the fall work was through.” The man’s name was Colby; and Mr. Lincoln really expected the would-be purchaser would make his appearance. His wife had little faith in the enterprise, although she really desired to remove to Indiana. The difficulty of selling a farm at such a time and in such a place appeared far greater to her than to her husband.

“We must go soon or not at all this year,” added Mrs. L. “Winter will overtake us in the wilderness before we are ready for it.”