At the expiration of nine months Abraham returned home. His sister married Aaron Grigsby soon after his return, and the event was celebrated in pioneer style in Lincoln’s cabin. Abraham composed for the occasion what he entitled “Adam and Eve’s Wedding Song,” two verses of which were,—

This song was sung at the wedding with much éclat. We may add, in this connection, that Abraham had become an almost indispensable appendage to festive occasions in all that region. He was the only person who could furnish any literary production for the amusement of either the old or young. He was surcharged with wit and humour, also, and it was only necessary to touch him, on such occasions, and he emitted both like electric sparks. He could recite pages of poetry and prose, and somehow he could adapt them to any exigency that might arise. In short, his talents and unusual acquisitions made him a favourite in all social gatherings.

One year after Sarah Lincoln was married she died, and was laid beside her mother on the knoll. This was a great sorrow to Abraham, who loved his sister tenderly; and, for a time, his spirits were considerably depressed.

Some time after he served Taylor, he went to live with the storekeeper Jones, at Gentryville, only one mile and a half from his home. He was now a giant in stature—six feet four inches tall—almost too tall to have about in log-cabins. Jones was an admirer of Abraham, and admitted him at once to his confidence.

“You can cut up pork, can’t you, Abe?” Jones asked.

“Yes; I can do anything about pork, from killing and dressing to eating it.” Jones bought dressed hogs, exchanging goods for them; also venison hams, corn, wheat, and corn-skins. Corn was ten cents a bushel, and wheat twenty-five cents.

“How about the store, Abe? Can you keep store?”

“I’ve never tried it,” answered Abraham. “I’m so stylish and graceful that I might attract customers possibly.” He was always jocose over his awkward and homely bearing, and so he replied to Jones in this facetious way.

“Well, I’ll give you a chance to display your attractions,” continued Jones. “There’s a great variety of work to be done in such a place as this—teaming, cutting up and curing pork, packing and unpacking goods, measuring corn and wheat, drawing, molasses and whiskey, and tending store generally.

Into this work Abraham was inducted at once, a new field of labour to him in some respects. He drove team, packed and unpacked goods, drew liquids in the cellar when required, exhibited and sold crockery, and other heavy goods, to customers. Nor did he fail to render good service to Mrs. Jones, who soon discovered how “handy” he was about the house.

Mr. Jones possessed several books which Abraham had not read, among them the Life of Franklin. He also took a newspaper, which Abraham read from beginning to end. He was quite a politician, too, a Jackson democrat, and he often discussed political questions with Abraham. In fact, he made a Jackson democrat of Abraham, and the latter continued in that faith, unshaken, until the Life of Henry Clay came into his hands, a few years later. Reading that Life of the famous “Harry of the West” rather shook his confidence in Jackson’s political creed. He was particularly taken with the discouraging surroundings of Clay in his boyhood and youth, when he was known as the “mill-boy of the slashes,” because those surroundings were so much like those of his own boyhood. Some of his friends believe that reading the