The cabin was furnished by Mr. Lincoln and Abraham, and we will give some account of the way of doing it.

“Bring me the auger, Abe,” said his father, “and that measure, too; we must have a bedstead now.”

“I can bore the holes,” answered Abraham, at the same time bringing the auger and measure.

“No, you can’t. It’s tough work to bore two-inch holes into such logs as these. But you can go and find me a stick for a post, and two others to lay on it.”

“That all?”

“Yes, that’s all. I’ll just make it in that corner, and then I shall have but two holes to bore, and one post to set up. It’s not more than an hour’s work.”

By making the bedstead in the corner, the work was but small. He measured off eight feet on one side, and bored one hole, then four and a half feet on the end, and bored another hole. Then, setting up the post in its place, two sticks from each auger hole would meet on the post, thus making the framework of the bed. This was soon done.

“Now for the bed-cord, Abe,” said his father, jocosely. “We must have something to lay the bed on.”

“I thought you laid on slabs,” answered Abraham, not exactly comprehending the drift of his father’s remark.

“We haven’t any other bed-cord, so pass me some of those yonder.” The slabs used to lay over the bedframe were like those on the roof.

“How many shall I bring?” and he began to pass the slabs.

“About six, I think, will do it.”

They were soon brought, and the bed was complete.

“Now a sackful of straw on that will make a fine bed.” Dry leaves, hay, and husks were sometimes used for this purpose. Few had feathers in that region.

“You must keep on with your cabinet-making,” said Mrs. Lincoln. “We need a table as much as a bed.”

“Of course. That comes next,” replied her husband. “The legs for it are all ready.”

“Where are they?” inquired Abraham.

“Out there,” pointing to a small pile of limbs, sticks, and slabs. Abraham went after them, while his father sawed off a puncheon of the required length for the table. A puncheon was made by splitting a log eighteen inches, more or less, in diameter, the flat side laid uppermost. Puncheons were used in this way to make tables, stools, and floors.

By the time Abraham had brought the sticks for the legs of the table, his father had the table part all ready, and was proceeding to bore the holes for the legs.

“Now you may bring some more of those sticks in the pile,—the shortest of them I shall want next.”

“What for?”

“Oh, we must have some chairs now; we’ve sat on the ground long enough. I want the sticks for legs.”