The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

22

THE LIFE, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND

upon one occasion, to take home with him. During a
severe storm he improved his leisure by reading his book.
One night he laid it down carefully, as he thought, and
the next morning he found it soaked through! The wind
had changed, the storm had beaten in through a crack in
the logs, and the appearance of the book was ruined.
How could he face the owner under such circumstances?
He had no money to offer as a return, but he took the
book, went directly to Mr. Crawford, showed him the
irreparable injury, and frankly and honestly offered to
work for him until he should be satisfied. Mr. Crawford
accepted the offer, and gave Abraham the book for his
own, in return for three days' steady labor in "pulling
fodder." This, and Weems's Life of Washington, were
among the boy's favorite books, and the story that we have
just told is so nearly parallel to the famous "hatchet" incident in the early days of the Father of his Country, that
it is easy to believe that the frequent perusal of it impressed upon his mind, more effectually than any solemn,exhortation could have done, the precept that "honesty
is the best policy," and thus assisted to develop that
character of which integrity was so prominent a trait
in after years. Among the other volumes which Mr.
Lincoln was accustomed to refer to, as having been
eagerly read in his youthful days, were a Life of Henry
Clay, Esop's Fables, and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
It is quite probable that the quaint phraseology of these
last two volumes, and their direct and forcible illustrations, may have impressed upon the productions of Mr.
Lincoln's pen that style which is one of their most peculiar and favorite characteristics.
When nineteen years old, Abraham Lincoln, moved,
perhaps, equally by the desire to earn an honest livelihood in the shape of "ten dollars a month and found,"
and by curiosity to see more of the world, made a trip
down th(e Mississippi to New Orleans, upon a fiat-boat.
He went in company with the son of the owner of the
boat, who intrusted a valuable cargo to their care. The
trip was quite an eventful and exciting one, for on the