She had on Sarah's shawl. Her hair was
combed in two neat pigtails. Her face had a clean, scrubbed look. Her
eyes were sparkling. She was taking Betsy and Mathilda to call on one of
the neighbors.

"Good-by, Mamma," she called.

Sarah stood in the doorway, waving to the girls. Then she saw Abe, his
arms piled high with wood. "Come in," she said. "Sally has had her bath.
Now I've got a tub of good hot water and a gourd full of soap waiting
for you. Skedaddle out of those old clothes and throw them in the fire."

"I ain't got any others." Abe looked terrified.

"I don't aim to pluck your feathers without giving you some new ones."
Sarah laughed. "I sat up late last night, cutting down a pair of Mr.
Johnston's old pants. I got a shirt, too, laid out here on the bed."

Slowly Abe started taking off his shirt. He looked fearfully at the tub
of hot water.

"There's no call to be scared," said Sarah. "That tub won't bite. Now
I'm going down to the spring. By the time I get back, I want you to have
yourself scrubbed all over."

Abe stuck one toe into the water. He said, "Ouch!" and drew it out. He
then tried again, and put in his whole foot. He put in his other foot.
He sat down in the tub. By the time Sarah returned he was standing
before the fire, dressed in the cut-down trousers and shirt of the late
Mr. Johnston.

Sarah seemed pleased. "You look like a different boy," she said. "Those
trousers are a mite too big, but you'll soon grow into them."

Abe was surprised how good it felt to be clean again. "Thank you, ma'am.
Now I'd better get in some more wood."

"We have plenty of wood," said Sarah. "You see that stool? You sit down
and let me get at your hair. It looks like a heap of underbrush."

Abe watched anxiously when she opened the top drawer of the bureau and
took out a haw comb and a pair of scissors. I'll stand for it this time,
he thought, because she's been so good to us. But if she pulls too
hard--

Mrs. Lincoln _did_ pull. But when Abe said "Ouch!" she patted his
shoulder and waited a moment. He closed his eyes and screwed up his
face, but he said nothing more. Perhaps she couldn't help pulling, he
decided. Lock after lock she snipped off. He began to wonder if he was
going to have any hair left by the time she got through.

"I've been watching you, Abe. You're a right smart boy," she said. "Had
much schooling?"

"I've just been to school by littles."

"Have you a mind to go again?"

"There a