“Let them laugh and take it out in laughing, so long as the thing works well,” said Abraham, rather enjoying the singular exhibition because it attracted attention.

They stopped only at Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez, after leaving Salt Creek, during the whole distance to New Orleans, where they arrived without another drawback. Offutt disposed of his goods readily, and made a very profitable trip of it. At the same time he obtained such an insight into Abraham’s character and abilities that he resolved to make the best use of him possible in future.

“Inhuman,” exclaimed Abraham, one day, when they saw a gang of slaves chained together, and a merciless driver cracking his whip about their heads. “A nation that tolerates such inhumanity will have to pay for it some day.”

“They are used to it,” replied Offutt, “and mind no more about it than cattle.”

“What if they don’t?” retorted Abraham. “You can’t make cattle of men without being inhuman. I tell you the nation that does it will be cursed.”

“Not in our day,” remarked Offutt.

“In somebody’s day, though,” responded Abraham, promptly.

That Abraham’s visits to New Orleans served to increase his hostility to slavery there can be no doubt, especially his visit in 1831. For John Hanks said, thirty years afterwards, recalling the incidents of that memorable trip:—

“There it was we saw negroes chained, maltreated, whipped, and scourged. Lincoln saw it, and his heart bled. It made him sad, he looked bad, felt bad, was thoughtful and abstracted. I can say, knowing it, that it was on this trip that he formed his opinions of slavery. It ran its iron into him then and there,—May 1831. I have heard him say so, often and often.”

Providence was leading Abraham in a way that he knew not, disciplining him for the day when he would be forced to grapple with the system of American slavery, to overthrow it. All such incidents as these become more interesting and important in their providential connection with his future public career.

In June, Offutt, with his men, was ready to return, and he engaged passage for all on a steamer up the Mississippi to St. Louis. On the way up the river Offutt surprised Abraham by saying,—

“Abe, I think you can sell goods for me; how would you like it?”

“What kind of goods?” Abraham asked.

“Store goods, such as country stores keep,” Offutt answered. “How would you like to run my store at New Salem?”

“I should like it well enough, provided I could do it.”

“You can do it well enough; I have no fear of that. If you’ll say the word, I will put you in charge of my store at New Salem.”

“I’ll say the word, then,” continued Abraham, “if we can agree on the terms.”

They did agree upon the terms, and, before they parted company at St. Louis it was arranged to transform Abraham into a “storekeeper.” Offutt had so exalted an idea of Abraham’s tact and ability that he was prepared to commit almost any trust to his keeping. Abraham was to return home, visit his parents, and then repair to New Salem to be installed over a country store.