humble. Great talents are marked by humility. And so young Lincoln did not stand so high in his own estimation as he did in the estimation of others. This was the case with Sir Humphrey Davy, Nathaniel Bowditch, Arkwright, Franklin, Washington, and many others. From their youth they were devoid of that vain self-confidence which many shallow-brained people possess.

Instead of becoming a blacksmith, however, Abraham became a merchant. Mr. Herndon, with whom he boarded, was running a grocery with one Berry, and he sold out his interest to Lincoln. Soon afterwards William Green bought out Radford, and immediately sold his stock of groceries to Lincoln for a bonus of one hundred and fifty dollars, taking Lincoln’s note. The name of the firm was “Lincoln & Berry.” Berry turned out to be an intemperate, worthless fellow, embarrassed the business, cheated his partner, “cleared out,” and left Lincoln with all the debts to pay. The settlement left him penniless, without a copper to pay his note to Green. “All right,” said Green; “don’t trouble yourself about me. When you are able to pay it you can; but if you don’t it’s all the same.”

Abraham facetiously called it “the national debt,” and declared that he “should never rest until it was paid.” And he did not. Green removed to Tennessee before the note was paid, and scarcely expected that his friend would ever be able to redeem it. But, in 1840, after Abraham had entered the legal profession, the last dollar was paid.

Being through with his store Abraham was again without employment. To add to his disappointment, Mr. Herndon, with whom he boarded, removed from town, obliging him to take up his quarters at the village “tavern”—a log house with four rooms. While waiting for some opening, he devoted himself to mental improvement with more earnestness than ever. He read Rollin’s “Ancient History,” Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” and similar works, borrowed of William Green, Minter Graham, Bowlin Greene, and other parties. Copies of the works of the poets Burns and Shakespeare were lent him, and Kirkham’s Grammar was reviewed, also. He was so won by Burns and Shakespeare that he committed many of their best productions to memory; and, through life, these poets were his favourite reading.

He wrote a careful synopsis of all the books he read, in order to treasure the contents in his memory. This habit was of inestimable value to him. To it is to be traced, in part at least, that clearness of expression, and that fund of illustrations and facts, for which the public addresses of his ripe manhood were distinguished.

Citizens of New Salem claim, also, that he began to study law at this time. There is no reliable evidence, however, that he began the study of law, with the expectation of ever entering the profession, at that time. He purchased an old copy of Blackstone, or some other law book, at an auction in Springfield; and there is no doubt that he studied it as thoroughly as he did other works, but with no settled determination to become a lawyer.

Mr. Henry says of him, at this time, “He used to read law, barefooted, seated in the shade of a tree, and would grind around with the shade, just opposite Berry’s grocery store, a few feet south of the door. He occasionally varied the attitude by lying flat on his back, and putting his feet up the tree.” Another says that “he studied, also, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Astronomy, etc. He had no regular teacher, but perhaps received more assistance from Minter Graham than from any other person.”

Mr. Ellis, of whom we have spoken, opened a store in New Salem, and boarded at the “tavern” when Abraham did. He says of him:—

“He used to assist me in the store on busy days, but he always disliked to wait on the ladies; he preferred trading with the men and boys, as he used to say. I also remember that he used to sleep in the store, on the counter, when they had too much company at the tavern.

“I well remember how he was dressed; he wore flax and tow linen pantaloons,—I thought about five inches too short in the legs,—and frequently he had but one suspender, no vest or coat. He wore a calico shirt, such as he had in the Black Hawk war: coarse brogans, tan colour; blue yarn socks, and straw hat, old style, and without a band.