Little Abe | Page 3

spirit,
and conducted himself like a stranger in a strange land, in which case
there might be a suggestion of that name. Perhaps it was a piece of
parental forethought, for knowing well that they could never confer
riches upon him, or place him in a position to make them himself, they
determined to do that for him, which everyone must say is far better,
they would see to it that he had a good name among men, and so they
called him Abraham. This ancient and venerable name, however, soon
underwent a transformation, and appeared in the undignified form of
"Abe." The alteration at least exhibited a mark of economy, even if it
involved the sacrifice of good taste; there certainly was a saving of time
in saying "Abe" instead of "Abraham," which is very important when
things have to be done in a hurry; and then it may be that to some ears
it would sound more musical and familiar than the full-length
designation. Howbeit, there always seemed a strange contrariness
between Abe and his name. When he was a baby they called him by the
antiquated name of "Abraham." As he grew older and bigger, they
shortened his name to "Abe," and when he was a full-grown man, and
father of a family, he was commonly known as "Little Abe." The name
and the bearer seemed to have started to run a circle in contrary
directions, till they met exactly at the opposite point in old age, when
for the first time there was seen the fitness between the man and his
name, and he was respectfully called "Abraham Lockwood."

[1] Since the above was written, this little cottage has been removed to
afford room for a larger building.
CHAPTER II.
Early Incidents.
Nothing particular is reported of his early life in that little home; there

are no accounts of any hair-breadth escapes from being run over by
cart-wheels, or of his being nearly burnt to death while playing with the
kitchen fire, or of his straying away from home and taking to the
adjacent woods, and the whole neighbourhood being out in quest of
him, or that he even, during this interesting period of his history, either
fell headlong into a coal-pit, or wandered out of his depth in the canal
near by; there is, however, every probability, considering his lively
disposition, that his mother had her time pretty well occupied in
keeping him within bounds.
On reaching the notable age of six years, a very important change came
over the even course of his young life. His parents sent him to work in
a coal-pit; people in these days will scarcely credit such a thing, but it
is nevertheless true; nor was this an extraordinary case, for children of
poor parents were commonly sent to work in the pits at that early age,
when Abe was a child. The work which they did was not difficult;
perhaps it might be the opening or shutting of a door in one of the drifts;
but whatever it was our hearts revolt at the idea of sending a child of
such tender years into a coal mine, and thanks to the advance of
civilization, and an improved legislation on these things, such an
enormity would not now be permitted.
In some dark corner of that deep mine poor little Abe was found day by
day doing the work assigned to him, and earning a trifle of wages
which helped to keep bread in the little home at Lockwood Scarr. He
went out early in the morning, and came home late at night, with the
men who wrought in the same pit, his little hands and feet often
benumbed with cold and wet, and he so tired with his toils that many a
time his poor mother has had to lift him out of bed of a morning, and
put his little grimy suit of clothes on him, and send him off with the rest
almost before the child was awake. Many a time he was so weary on
coming out of the pit that he has not been able to drag himself along
home, and some kind collier seeing his tears has lifted him on his
shoulder and carried him, while he has slept there as soundly as if on a
bed of down.
Some few years passed on, during which time Abe continued to work

in the coal pit with but little change, except that as he grew older and
stronger he was put to other work, and earned a better wage. His
parents, however, were not satisfied that their son should live and die a
collier, they thought him capable of something else; besides that, there
were always the dangers associated with that calling in which so