hes, and they only
come down a little below his knees. Queer-lookin' he'd 'a' been to a
weddin'!

"He felt orful bad at not bein' invited, and made some poetry about 'em.
When I feel poetic I talk prose, and give people as good as they send. I
don't write no poetry.

"You are welcome to stay here, elder. You needn't go to the Linkens'. I
have a prophet's chamber in my house--though you ain't a prophet--and
you can always sleep there, and your Indian boy can lay down in the
kitchen; and I can cook, elder--now you know that--and I won't ask ye to
cobble; your time is too valuable for that."

Jasper, who was not greatly influenced by Aunt Indiana's unfavorable
views of her poor neighbor, went to see Thomas Lincoln. Waubeno went
with him. Here the young Indian met with a hearty greeting from both Mr.
and Mrs. Lincoln.

"I am glad that you have come again," said poor Mrs. Lincoln to Jasper.
"You comforted me and encouraged me when you were here last. I want to
talk with you. Abe has all grown up, and wants to make a new start in
life; and I wish to see him started right. There's so much in gettin'
started right; a right start is all the way, sometimes. We don't travel
twice over the same years. I want you to talk with him. You have seen
this world, and we haven't, but you kind o' brought the world to us when
you were here last. Elder, you don't know how much good you are doin'."

"Where is Abraham?" asked Jasper.

"He's gone to the store for the evenin'. He's been keepin' store for
Jones, in Gentryville, and he spends his evenin's there. There ain't
many places to go to around here, and Abe he's turned the store into a
kind of debatin' club. He speaks pieces there. There's goin' to be a
debate there to-night. He's great on debatin'. I do hope you'll go. The
subject of the debate to-night is, 'Which has the greater cause for
complaint, the negro or the Indian?'"

"I'm goin' over to the store to-night myself, elder," said Thomas
Lincoln. "You must go along with me and hear Abraham talk, and then come
back and spend the night here. The old woman has been hopin' that you
would come. It pleased her mightily, what you said good about Abraham
when you was here last. She sets her eyes by Abraham, and he does by
her. Abraham and I don't get along none too well. The fact is, he all
runs to books, and is kind o' queer. He takes after his mother's
folks--they all had houses in the air, and lived in 'em. Abe might make
somethin'