Thus boys who are destined to become men of genius and power are wont to work their way up higher by dint of perseverance. undertake. They know no such They do what they word as fail. Suc cess is their motto and rule of life. So it was with Abraham. Hitherto we have seen that he mastered every book put into his hand, and his subsequent career we shall find to be equally distinguished in this respect. As he acquired the art of writing with the smallest facilities, so he made all those acquisitions that will appear in subsequent pages with the poorest advantages. His pursuit of knowledge was under difficulties indeed! 66 XII. THE LETTER AND VISITOR. NOW, Abe, you must write a letter for me to Parson Elkins," said his father, some eight or nine months after Mrs. Lincoln died, when Abraham had become a very good penman. "What shall I write?" he inquired. "Write about the death of your mother. He knows nothin' about it yet; and I want to ask him to visit us, and preach a funeral sermon." "When shall he come ?" “When he can, I s'pose. He'll take his own time for it; though I hope he 'll come soon." "Perhaps he 's dead," added Abraham. "What makes you think so? ? "" "He's likely to die as mother, ain't he? and he may be dead when we don't know it, the same as she's dead when he don't know it." "Well, there's somethin' in that," answered his father, smiling at the aforesaid reason. “Come, now, there's some paper all ready for it, and I'll tell you what to write." Abraham made ready to pen the letter, and his father proceeded to dictate the same. He directed him to write about the death of Mrs. Lincoln, when it occurred, and under what circumstances, and to invite him to visit them, and preach a funeral sermon. He also gave a description of their new home, and their journey thither, and wrote of their future prospects. Nor did he fail to mention that he had not regretted for a moment the exchange he made of a Slave State for a Free State. "Now read it over," said Mr. Lincoln. “Of course; I want to hear it all. I may think of somethin' else by that time." Abraham commenced to read it, while his father sat the very picture of satisfaction. There was genuine happiness to him in having his son prepared to write a letter. Never before had there been a member of his family who could perform this feat. It was a memorable event to him. "See how much it is wuth to be able to write," said he, as Abraham finished reading the letter. "It's wuth ten times as much as it cost to be able to write only that one letter." "It ain't much work to learn to write," said Abraham; "I'd work as hard again for it before I'd give it up." "You'd have to give it up, if you was knocked about as I was when a boy." "I know that." |