“Abe’s” school teacher, Crawford, endeavored to teach his pupils some of
the manners of the “polite society” of Indiana--1823 or so. This was a
part of his system:
One of the pupils would retire, and then come in as a stranger, and
another pupil would have to introduce him to all the members of the
school n what was considered “good manners.”
As “Abe” wore a linsey-woolsey shirt, buckskin breeches which were too
short and very tight, and low shoes, and was tall and awkward, he no
doubt created considerable merriment when his turn came. He was growing
at a fearful rate; he was fifteen years of age, and two years later
attained his full height of six feet four inches.