one-room
house. She looked very white under the dark bearskin covering, but when
she heard Dennis she raised her head. "It's all right, Denny," she said.
"You can see him now."

Dennis tiptoed over to the bed. A small bundle, wrapped in a homespun
shawl, rested in the curve of Nancy's arm. When she pulled back the
shawl, Dennis could not think of anything to say. The baby was so
wrinkled and so red. It looked just like a cherry after the juice had
been squeezed out.

Nancy touched one of the tiny hands with the tip of her finger. "See his
wee red fists and the way he throws them around!" she said.

"What's his name?" Dennis asked at last.

"We're calling him after his grandpappy. Abraham Lincoln!"

"That great big name for that scrawny little mite?"

Nancy sounded hurt. "Give him a chance to grow, will you?"

Then she saw that Dennis was only teasing. "You wait!" she went on. "It
won't be long before Abe will be running around in buckskin breeches and
a coonskin cap."

"Well, maybe--"

The door opened, and Tom Lincoln, the baby's father, came in. With him
was Aunt Betsy Sparrow. She kissed Nancy and carried the baby over to a
stool by the fireplace. Making little cooing noises under her breath,
she dressed him in a white shirt and a yellow flannel petticoat. Sally
Lincoln, two years old, who did not know quite what to make of the new
brother, came over and stood beside her. Dennis drew up another stool
and watched.

Aunt Betsy looked across at him and smiled. Dennis, an orphan, lived
with her and she knew that he was often lonely. There weren't many
people living in Kentucky in the year 1809, and Dennis had no boys to
play with.

"I reckon you're mighty tickled to have a new cousin," she said.

"I--I guess so," said Dennis slowly.

"Want to hold him?"

Dennis was not quite sure whether he did or not. Before he could answer,
Aunt Betsy laid the baby in his arms. Sally edged closer. She started to
put out her hand, but pulled it back. Abraham was so small that she was
afraid to touch him.

"Don't you fret, Sally," said Dennis. "Cousin Nancy said that he is
going to grow. And when he does, do you know what I'm going to do? I'm
going to teach him to swim."

[Illustration]

Looking down into the tiny red face, Dennis felt a sudden warm glow in
his heart. "Yes, and we can go fishing down at the creek. When I go to
the mill to get the corn ground, he can come along. He can ride behind
me on the horse, a