Here seven negroes attempted the life of the future liberator of the race, and it is not improbable that some of them have lived to be emancipated by his proclamation. Night had fallen, and the two tired voyagers had lain down on their hard bed for sleep. Hearing a noise on shore, Abraham shouted:

"Who's there?"

The noise continuing, and no voice replying, he sprang to his feet, and saw seven negroes, evidently bent on plunder.

Abraham guessed the errand at once, and seizing a hand-spike, rushed towards them, and knocked one into the water the moment he touched the boat. The second, third and fourth who leaped on board were served in the same rough way. Seeing that they were not likely to make headway in their thieving enterprise, the remainder turned to flee. Abraham and his companion growing excited and warm with their work, leaped on shore, and followed them. Both were too swift on foot for the negroes, and all of them received a severe pounding. They returned to their boat just as the others escaped from the water, but the latter fled into the darkness as fast as their legs could carry them. Abraham and his fellow in the fight were both injured, but not disabled. Not being armed, and unwilling to wait until the negroes had received reinforcements, they cut adrift, and floated down a mile or two, tied up to the bank again, and watched and waited for the morning.

The trip was brought at length to a successful end. The cargo, or load," as they called it, was all disposed of for money, the boat itself sold for lumber, and the

young men retraced the passage, partly, at least, on shore and on foot, occupying several weeks in the difficult and tedious journey.

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Lincoln Splits Several Hundred Rails for a Pair of Pants-How He Looked, as Described by a Companion.

A gentleman by the name of George Cluse, who used to work with Abraham Lincoln during his first years in Illinois, says that at that time he was the roughest looking person he ever saw. He was tall, angular and ungainly, wore trousers made of flax and tow, cut tight at the ankle and out at both knees. He was known to be

very poor, but he was a welcome guest in every house in the neighborhood. Mr. Cluse speaks of splitting rails with Abraham, and reveals some very interesting facts concerning wages. Money was a commodity never reckoned upon. Lincoln split rails to get clothing, and he made a bargain with Mrs. Nancy Miller to split four hundred rails for every yard of brown jeans, dyed with white walnut bark, that would be necessary to make him a pair of trousers, In these days Lincoln used to walk five, six and seven miles to work.

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Lincoln's Story of a Girl in New Salem. Among the numerous delegations which thronged Washington during the early part of the war, was one from New York, which urged very strenously the sending of a fleet to the Southern cities-Charleston, Mobile and Savannah—with the object of drawing off the rebel

army from Washington. Mr. Lincoln said the object. reminded him of the case of a girl in New Salem, who was greatly troubled with a 'singing" in her head. Various remedies were suggested by the neighbors, but nothing tried afforded any relief. At last a man came along -"a common sense sort of a man," inclining his head toward the gentlemen complimentarily-"who was asked to prescribe for the difficulty. After due inquiry and

examination, he said the cure was very simple.

'What is it?' was the question.

'Make a plaster of psalm-tunes, and apply to her feet, and draw the “singing" down," was the rejoinder.”

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Mrs. Brown's Story of Young Abe-How a Man Slept With the President of the

United States.

Rev. A. Hale, of Springfield, Ill., is responsible for the following interesting story:

Mr. Hale, in May, 1861, (after Lincoln's election to the Presidency) went out about seven miles from his home to visit a sick lady, and found there a Mrs. Brown who had come in as a neighbor. Mr. Lincoln's name having been mentioned, Mrs. Brown said:

"Well, I remember Mr. Linken. He worked with my old man thirty-four year ago, and made a crap. We lived on the same farm where we live now, and the next winter they hauled the crap all the way to Galena, and sold it for two dollars and a half a bushel. there were no public houses, and travelers were obliged to stay at any house along the road that could take them

At that time

in. One evening a right smart looking man rode up to the fence, and asked my old man if he could get to stay over night.

"Well,' said Mr. Brown, "we can feed your crittur, and give you something to eat, but we can't lodge you unless you can sleep on the same bed with the hired man.'

"The man hesitated, and asked:

"Where is he?'

him.'

'Well,' said Mr. Brown, you can come and see

"So the man got down from his crittur, and Mr. Brown took him around to where, in the shade of the house, Mr. Linken lay his full length on the ground, with an open book before him.

"There,' said Mr. Brown, pointing at him, 'he is.' "The stranger looked at him a minute, and said:

" "Well, I think he'll do.' and he staid and slept with the President of the United States."

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When and Where Lincoln Obtained the Name of "Honest Abe."

During the year that Lincoln was in Denton Offcutt's store, that gentleman, whose business was somewhat widely and unwisely spread about the country, ceased to prosper in his finances, and finally failed. The store was shut up, the mill was closed, and Abraham Lincoln was out of business. The year had been one of great advance, in many respects. He had made new and valuable acquaintances, read many books, mastered the grammar of his own tongue, won multitudes of friends,