Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/98

 in the shade of a big tree, or, at night, sit by a bright fire in some smith's shop. But in each place it was read, read, work, work, to get hold of all the hard things these books taught.

The next work which would earn sums was that done with chain and rule. Lin-coln knew how to tell the length and breadth of the land with these tools. It is said that he took a grape vine for a chain, and with it he could tell folks just what they would like to know. The price paid for this work was a great help.

In 1833, An-drew Jack-son, the Pres-i-dent, who was a strong friend of young Lin-coln, made him Post-mas-ter of New Sa-lem, his home town. The work was not hard, for folks did not write much in those days. The mail all went in the good man's hat, and he took it to the right homes on his way to work with chain and rule.

Chan-ces came for good deeds. All through his life this man was glad to do kind things. Poor folks went to him for help. He could set them right. The law was a good thing to know, and, as that work went on, the young man found that he was more and more glad to know it, and he was soon at the Bar.

Lin-coln knew how to talk. It was a great gift and one of his strong points. From a child, he would please his friends in this way when they said "Speech! Speech!"

As time went on men saw that Lin-coln had great, good sense, and felt that he could win a cause and help them, so they sent him where he could plan laws that would be good for all. It was in 1846 that he took his seat in Con-gress. From the first he gave his voice and vote to help the slave.

When Mr. Lin-coln's term in Con-gress came to an end