Abraham Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life, Volume 1 (of 2)Herndon, William Henry
History
Abraham Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life, Volume 1 (of 2)
Herndon, William Henry
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Sarah, the sister of Abraham Lincoln, though in some respects like her
brother, lacked his stature. She was thick-set, had dark-brown hair,
deep-gray eyes, and an even disposition. In contact with others she
was kind and considerate. Her nature was one of amiability, and God had
endowed her with that invincible combination--modesty and good sense.
Strange to say, Mr. Lincoln never said much about his sister in after
years, and we are really indebted to the Hankses--Dennis and John--for
the little we have learned about this rather unfortunate young woman.
She was married to Aaron Grigsby, in Spencer county, Indiana, in
the month of August, 1826, and died January 20, 1828. Her brother
accompanied her to school while they lived in Kentucky, but as he was
only seven, and as she had not yet finished her ninth year when their
father removed with them to Indiana, it is to be presumed that neither
made much progress in the matter of school education. Still it is
authoritatively stated that they attended two schools during this short
period. One of these was kept by Zachariah Riney, the other by Caleb
Hazel. It is difficult at this late day to learn much of the boy
Abraham's life during those seven years of residence in Kentucky. One
man, * who was a clerk in the principal store in the village where the
Lincolns purchased their family supplies, remembers him as a "small boy
who came sometimes to the store with his mother. He would take his seat
on a keg of nails, and I would give him a lump of sugar. He would sit
there and eat it like any other boy; but these little acts of kindness,"
observes my informant, in an enthusiastic statement made in 1865, "so
impressed his mind that I made a steadfast friend in a man whose
power and influence have since been felt throughout the world." A
school-mate** of Lincoln's at Hazel's school, speaking of the master,
says: "He perhaps could teach spelling and reading and indifferent
writing, and possibly could cipher to the rule of three; but he had no
other qualification of a teacher, unless we accept large size and bodily
strength. Abe was a mere spindle of a boy, had his due proportion of
harmless mischief, but as we lived in a country abounding in hazel
switches, in the virtue of which the master had great faith, Abe of
course received his due allowance."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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