and
Weems's "Life of Washington." Some of these were borrowed, among them
the "Life of Washington," of which Abraham afterward became the happy
owner. The story of how he became its owner has often been told.

The book had been loaned to him by a neighbor, a well-to-do farmer
named Crawford. After reading from it late into the night by the light
of pine knots, Abraham carried it to his bedroom in the loft. He placed
it in a crack between the logs over his bed of dry leaves, so that he
could reach to it as soon as the first streaks of dawn penetrated
through the chinks in the log cabin. Unfortunately, it rained heavily
during the night, and when he took down the precious volume in the
morning, he found it badly damaged, all soddened and stained by the
rain. He was much distressed, and hurried to the owner of the book as
soon as possible to explain the mishap.

"I'm real sorry, Mr. Crawford," he said, in concluding his explanation,
"and want to fix it up with you somehow, if you can tell me any way,
for I ain't got the money to pay for it with."

"Well," said Mr. Crawford, "being as it's you, Abe, I won't be hard on
you. Come over and shuck corn three days, and the book's yours."

The boy was delighted with the result of what at first had seemed a
great misfortune. Verily, his sorrow was turned into joy. What! Shuck
corn only three days and become owner of the book that told all about
his greatest hero! What an unexpected piece of good fortune!

Lincoln's reading had revealed to him a world beyond his home in the
wilderness. Slowly it dawned upon him that one day he might find his
place in that great world, and he resolved to prepare himself with all
his might for whatever the future might hold.

"I don't intend to delve, grub, shuck corn, split rails, and the like
always," he told Mrs. Crawford after he had finished reading the "Life
of Washington." "I'm going to fit myself for a profession."

"Why, what do you want to be now?" asked Mrs. Crawford, in surprise.
"Oh, I'll be president," said the boy, with a smile.

"You'd make a pretty president, with all your tricks and jokes, now
wouldn't you?" said Mrs. Crawford.

"Oh, I'll study and get ready," was the reply, "and then maybe the
chance will come."

If the life of George Washington, who had all the advantages of culture
and training that his time afforded, was an inspiration to Lincoln, the
poor hard-working backwoods boy, what should the life of Lincoln be