“Of course it is,” replied Mr. Wood. “Rum is well enough in its place, but there’s no reason in men making such beasts of themselves as many do about here.”

“I shouldn’t care if the whole of it was at the bottom of the Ohio River, where most of my father’s whiskey went,” continued Abraham. “It does a great sight more evil than good any day.”

“Good! It would puzzle most any one to tell what good whiskey does,” responded Mr. Wood. “The evil it does is known to everybody; we can see that everywhere. It adds very much to the hardships of life in this part of the country.”

Abraham became so enthusiastic over the temperance paper, and the cause which it represented, that he wrote a long composition on the subject of “Temperance,” and submitted it to Mr. Wood’s examination.

“Did you write all this yourself, Abe?” remarked Mr. Wood, before reading it, but noticing its length.

“Every word of it; and I want you to read it over, and tell me what you think about it.”

“I will read it to-night without fail,” and Mr. Wood did read it. His opinion of it is learned from the fact that he remarked to a Baptist minister, who called at his house,—

“I have here a composition on Temperance, written by Abe Lincoln, and I think it is a wonderful production for such a boy to write. I want you should read it, and see if you do not agree with me.”

“I should be glad to read it, here and now,” replied the minister. “I’m glad that Abe is writing on that subject.” And he applied himself to reading the composition at once.

“I agree with you entirely,” said the minister, completing the reading; “it is a remarkable production for such a boy.”

“I would like to see it printed in this temperance paper,” continued Mr. Wood, holding the paper up.

“It is worthy of a place in it,” added the minister.

“They publish articles that are not half as good,” responded Mr. Wood. “You can get this composition to the editor; it is right in your way.”

“Yes, I can take it there, and should be glad to do it.”

“Well, you take it, and I’ll make it right with Abe.”

“He won’t have any objection, if he is like most boys,” remarked the minister. “He’ll be a little proud to appear in print.”

The minister took the article along with him, and, subsequently, it appeared in the columns of the paper. Mr. Wood read it over again in print, and remarked: “It excels anything there is in the paper.” Abraham was both gratified and encouraged by the publication of his article. The paper was lent to the families in the neighbourhood, after they heard that Abraham was a writer for its columns, and the universal verdict was, “a remarkable composition for a boy.”

“Can’t you write on politics, Abe?” said Mr. Wood to him one day.

“Yes, sir; I have written some pieces on that subject.”

“Well, I mean an article to be printed in some political paper.”

“I can try,” continued Abraham, elated with the idea of writing for a political paper. “What shall I write about?”