''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 152President Lincoln replied: "Certainly, madam, you can sell all you wish.""But," she said, "you must give me a pass, or the soldiers will not let me."President Lincoln then wrote a few lines and gave them to her."Thank you, sir; God bless you!" she exclaimed as she departed joyfully.SPLIT RAILS BY THE YARD.It was in the spring of 1830 that "Abe" Lincoln, "wearing a jean jacket,shrunken buckskin trousers, a coonskin cap, and driving an ox-team,"became a citizen of Illinois. He was physically and mentally equipped forpioneer work. His first desire was to obtain a new and decent suit ofclothes, but, as he had no money, he was glad to arrange with Nancy Millerto make him a pair of trousers, he to split four hundred fence rails for eachyard of cloth--fourteen hundred rails in all. "Abe" got the clothes afterawhile.It was three miles from his father's cabin to her wood-lot, where he madethe forest ring with the sound of his ax. "Abe" had helped his father plowfifteen acres of land, and split enough rails to fence it, and he then helped toplow fifty acres for another settler.THE QUESTION OF LEGS.Whenever the people of Lincoln's neighborhood engaged in dispute;whenever a bet was to be decided; when they differed on points of religionor politics; when they wanted to get out of trouble, or desired adviceregarding anything on the earth, below it, above it, or under the sea, theywent to "Abe."Two fellows, after a hot dispute lasting some hours, over the problem as tohow long a man's legs should be in proportion to the size of his body,stamped into Lincoln's office one day and put the question to him.