Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/99

 he went back to Spring-field, where he had made a home, and took up his law work once more. There was a great deal to do, for folks had trust in him though they could not pay him much. Fees might be small, but they were not the best thing in the world. The best was to wish to do what was right and just to all men.

At last the time came when men met to plan for a good, true, wise man for the chief seat in the land. A-bra-ham Lin-coln's name came up. The poor boy from the back woods was the one folks said they must have. They made him tell what he thought of things then. Some of the words he said are these; "I know there is a God, and that he hates in-jus-tice and sla-ver-y; I see the storm com-ing, and I know that His hand is in it. If he has a place and work for me—and I think he has—I be-lieve I am read-y. I am noth-ing, but truth is ev-er-y-thing. I know I am right, be-cause I know lib-er-ty is right. God teach-es it."

There were three more men whose names were brought up for the same post that Lin-coln's was, but he had the most votes. There were hard thoughts, at first, in some places, but, as time went on, it was found, that though there were dark days, the ver-y best had been done for the whole land.

The time came for Lin-coln to leave Spring-field and start for Wash-ing-ton. He made his last speech at home, and told how sad it made him to leave. He said

"To you, dear friends, I owe all that I have, all that I am. To-day I leave you."

Lin-coln felt that the task that he would meet, as head of the land, was a hard one, more so than that which fell to the first great Chief, George Wash-ing-ton. But he knew