The Life of Abraham Lincoln | Page 4

is well to be on our guard at the outset against the fascinations of
any theory of heredity. Every thoughtful observer knows something of
the seductions of this subject either from experience or from
observation. In every subject of research there is danger of claiming too
much in order to magnify the theory. This is emphatically true of this
theory. Its devotees note the hits but not the misses. "It took five
generations of cultured clergymen to produce an Emerson."
Undoubtedly; but what of the sixth and seventh generations? "Darwin's
greatness came from his father and grandfather." Very true; but are
there no more Darwins?

If Abraham Lincoln got his remarkable character from parents or
grandparents, from whom did he get his physical stature? His father
was a little above medium height, being five feet ten and one-half
inches. His mother was a little less than medium height, being five feet
five inches. Their son was a giant, being no less than six feet four
inches. It is not safe to account too closely for his physical, mental, or
moral greatness by his descent. The fact is that there are too many
unexplored remainders in the factors of heredity to make it possible to
apply the laws definitely.
The writer will therefore give a brief account of the Lincoln family
simply as a matter of interest, and not as a means of proving or
explaining any natural law.
The future president was descended from people of the middle class.
There was nothing either in his family or his surroundings to attract the
attention even of the closest observer, or to indicate any material
difference between him and scores of other boys in the same general
locality.
Lincoln is an old English name, and in 1638 a family of the name
settled in Hingham, Mass., near Boston. Many years later we find the
ancestors of the president living in Berks County, Pa. It is possible that
this family came direct from England; but it is probable that they came
from Hingham. Both in Hingham and in Berks County there is a
frequent recurrence of certain scriptural names, such as Abraham,
Mordecai, and Thomas, which seems to be more than a coincidence.
From Berks County certain of the family, who, by the way, were
Quakers, moved to Rockingham County, Va. In 1769 Daniel Boone,
the adventurous pioneer, opened up what is now the state of Kentucky,
but was then a part of Virginia.
About twelve years later, in 1781, Abraham Lincoln, great-grandfather
of the president, emigrated from Virginia into Kentucky. People have
asked, in a puzzled manner, why did he leave the beautiful Shenandoah
valley? One answer may be given: The Ohio valley also is beautiful.
During the major portion of the year, from the budding of the leaves in

April until they pass away in the blaze of their autumn glory, the entire
region is simply bewitching. No hills curve more gracefully, no
atmosphere is more soft, no watercourses are more enticing. Into this
region came the Virginian family, consisting, besides the parents, of
three sons and two daughters.
A year or two later the head of the family was murdered by a skulking
Indian, who proceeded to kidnap the youngest son, Thomas. The oldest
son, Mordecai, quickly obtained a gun and killed the Indian, thus
avenging his father and rescuing his little brother.
This boy Thomas was father of the president. He has been called by
some writers shiftless and densely ignorant. But he seems to have been
more a creature of circumstances. There were no schools, and he,
consequently, did not go to school. There was no steady employment,
and consequently he had no steady employment. It is difficult to see
how he could have done better. He could shoot and keep the family
supplied with wild game. He did odd jobs as opportunity opened and
"just growed."
But he had force enough to learn to read and write after his marriage.
He had the roving disposition which is, and always has been, a trait of
pioneers. But this must be interpreted by the fact that he was optimistic
rather than pessimistic. He removed to Indiana because, to him, Indiana
was the most glorious place in the whole world. He later removed to
Illinois because that was more glorious yet.
He certainly showed good taste in the selection of his wives, and what
is equally to the purpose, was able to persuade them to share his
humble lot. He had an unfailing stock of good nature, was expert in
telling a humorous story, was perfectly at home in the woods, a fair
carpenter and a good farmer; and in short was as agreeable a
companion as one would find in a day's journey. He would not have
been at home in