William G. Greene, an old-time friend of Lincoln, was a student at
Illinois College, and one summer brought home with him, on a vacation,
Richard Yates (afterwards Governor of Illinois) and some other boys,
and, in order to entertain them, took them up to see Lincoln.
He found him in his usual position and at his usual occupation--flat on
his back, on a cellar door, reading a newspaper. This was the manner in
which a President of the United States and a Governor of Illinois became
acquainted with each other.
Greene says Lincoln repeated the whole of Burns, and a large quantity of
Shakespeare for the entertainment of the college boys, and, in return,
was invited to dine with them on bread and milk. How he managed to upset
his bowl of milk is not a matter of history, but the fact is that he
did so, as is the further fact that Greene’s mother, who loved
Lincoln, tried to smooth over the accident and relieve the young man’s
embarrassment.
“PULLED FODDER” FOR A BOOK.
Once “Abe” borrowed Weems’ “Life of Washington” from Joseph Crawford, a
neighbor. “Abe” devoured it; read it and re-read it, and when asleep put
it by him between the logs of the wall. One night a rain storm wet it
through and ruined it.
“I’ve no money,” said “Abe,” when reporting the disaster to Crawford,
“but I’ll work it out.”
“All right,” was Crawford’s response; “you pull fodder for three days,
an’ the book is your’n.”
“Abe” pulled the fodder, but he never forgave Crawford for putting so
much work upon him. He never lost an opportunity to crack a joke at his
expense, and the name “Blue-nose Crawford” “Abe” applied to him stuck to
him throughout his life.