hook his finger in the faces of his congregation. He pounded with
one fist on the palm of his other hand.

"Brethern and sisters," said Abe, "there ain't no chore too big for the
Lord, no chore too small. The Good Book says He knows when a sparrow
falls. Yet He had time to turn this great big wilderness into this here
land where we have our homes. Just think, folks, this Pigeon Creek had
no one but Indians living here a few years back. And today we got cabins
with smoke coming out of the chimneys. We got crops agrowing. We got a
meeting house where we can come together and praise the Lord--"

Abe paused.

"Amen!" said Tom.

"Amen!" said the others.

"Don't forget," Abe went on, "all of this was the Lord's doing. Let us
praise Him for His goodness."

He reached down, plucked a fistful of grass, and mopped his forehead. In
much the same way had the preacher used his bandanna handkerchief. The
Lincoln family rose, sang "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow," and
church was over.

The young folks drifted away. Tom stretched out on the grass for his
Sunday afternoon nap.

"Abe tells me that new Mr. Swaney was at church," Sarah said.

Tom opened his eyes. Before he had a chance to go back to sleep, she
spoke again.

"He's fixing to keep a school next winter."

"So I hear," said Tom cautiously.

"He charges seventy-five cents for each scholar. Some schoolmasters
charge a dollar."

"Sounds like a lot of money."

"Several of the neighbors are fixing to send their young ones," Sarah
went on. "Mr. Swaney doesn't ask for cash money. He'll take skins or
farm truck. We can manage that, I reckon."

Tom yawned. "Plumb foolishness, if you ask me. But Johnny and Mathilda
are your young ones. If you want to send them--"

"I want Sally and Abe to go, too," Sarah interrupted. "Abe most of all.
He is the one school will do the most good. He's the one who wants it
most."

Tom sat up. "I can spare the younger ones, but I need Abe. With us
poorer than Job's turkey, you ought to know that."

Sarah listened patiently. "I ain't talking about right now. Mr. Swaney
won't start his school till winter. Farm work will be slack then."

"I can hire Abe out to split rails, even in cold weather," Tom reminded
her. "Maybe I can get some odd jobs as a carpenter, and Abe can help
me."

"Abe ain't no great hand at carpentry."

"He can learn. Why, he's fourteen, Sairy. The idea, a big, strapping boy
like that going to school. I t