Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/129

 Some years on, Sol-o-mon took up land near what is now Wor-ces-tor, cut down trees, and built a log house. He wed a fine, bright, young girl by the name of Hill. A son, strong, and with good looks, was born to this pair, and then the fa-ther died. The brave, young moth-er did all she could for her child. When the young man, who took the name of A-bram, was but half a score and nine years old he met E-li-za Bal-lou whom he wed.

When the war of 1812, 'twixt the U-ni-ted States and Great Brit-ain, broke out, E-li-za's broth-er, James, took a post with the troops. When his term was out, in 1814, he knew much of the wilds of O-hi-o. From that tract the A-mer-i-can rifle men drove out Te-cum-seh and his chiefs, and Proc-tor and his red coats. Then young James Bal-lou got his moth-er and more kin to go out to O-hi-o. So the young pair, James and E-li-za Gar-field, took up their new home in that state. A son came to bless their home in 1831. He was the last born of sev-er-al A-mer-i-can boys who made their way from log huts to the White House. Ere the babe, James A-bram Gar-field, was two years old, a great fire broke out in the woods near his home. His fa-ther fought it to save his crop of wheat and when, at last, he put it down, though he was so strong and his frame so large, still a chill came on him and he died. This sad loss was a great blow, but the young wife took up the farm work where it had been left, and sold off part of the land to pay for the rest on which there was a debt. Her own sheep gave wool for clothes, and food came in the fields near her home.

James had been taught to read and write by his moth-er. She, too, could tell him tales of the good and great man of