The Life of Abraham Lincoln, from His Birth to His Inauguration as PresidentLamon, Ward Hill
History
The Life of Abraham Lincoln, from His Birth to His Inauguration as President
Lamon, Ward Hill
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
There lived in the neighborhood of Gentryville a Mrs. Elizabeth
Crawford, wife to the now celebrated Josiah with the sour temper and the
blue nose. Abe was very fond of her, and inclined to "let himself
out" in her company. She fortunately possessed a rare memory, and Mr.
Herndon's rich collection of manuscripts was made richer still by her
contributions. We have from her a great mass of valuable, and sometimes
extremely amusing, information. Among it is the following graphic,
although rude, account of the Pigeon Creek people in general:--
"You wish me to tell you how the people used to go to meeting,--how far
they went. At that time we thought it nothing to go eight or ten miles.
The old ladies did not stop for the want of a shawl, or cloak, or
riding-dress, or two horses, in the winter-time; but they would put on
their husbands' old overcoats, and wrap up their little ones, and take
one or two of them up on their beasts, and their husbands would walk,
and they would go to church, and stay in the neighborhood until the next
day, and then go home. The old men would start out of their fields from
their work, or out of the woods from hunting, with their guns on their
shoulders, and go to church. Some of them dressed in deer-skin pants and
moccasins, hunting-shirts with a rope or leather strap around them. They
would come in laughing, shake hands all around, sit down and talk about
their game they had killed, or some other work they had done, and smoke
their pipes together with the old ladies. If in warm weather, they would
kindle up a little fire out in the meeting-house yard, to light
their pipes. If in winter-time, they would hold church in some of the
neighbors' houses. At such times they were always treated with the
utmost of kindness: a bottle of whiskey, a pitcher of water, sugar and
glass, were set out, or a basket of apples, or turnips, or some pies and
cakes. Apples were scarce them times. Sometimes potatoes were used as a
treat. (I must tell you that the first treat I ever received in old Mr.
Linkern's house, that was our President's father's house, was a plate
of potatoes, washed and pared very nicely, and handed round. It was
something new to me, for I never had seen a raw potato eaten before. I
looked to see how they made use of them. They took off a potato, and ate
them like apples.) Thus they spent the time till time for preaching to
commence, then they would all take their seats: the preacher would take
his stand, draw his coat, open his shirt-collar, commence service by
singing and prayer; take his text and preach till the sweat would roll
off in great drops. Shaking hands and singing then ended the service.
The people seemed to enjoy religion more in them days than they do now.
They were glad to see each other, and enjoyed themselves better than
they do now."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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