Show early reading f f I III education of oC Abraham LinI Lin- Lin T TIll I coin is a subject of Interest to er C every one from the scholar who studies the many Influences which left their imprint on his personality per per- t to the schoolboy who tries to work out an nn argument for not going to school because Lincoln did dill not hot writes Esther Cowles Cushman custodian Lincoln collection Brown university in the lie New cw York Times A J group of or books bools In the thc Lincoln collection n at t Drown Brown university at nt Providence II n. I. I which attracts much attention consists of copies just like those Lincoln used when I IlIe he lIe was a boy in Kentucky nn and In In- diana These books mostly In old calf calt or sheepskin bindings ln g make I a n row less than two feet long yet yeta n a thorough familiarity with is there would woul give a n boy hoy boyan an education edu edu- education cation not to be despised In commenting on only a n part of ot of ot these hooks the hooks the Bible Pilgrims Pilgrims Pil PH grims grim's Progress Aesop's Fables Weems' Weems Washington Robinson Crusoe Crusoe Crusoe Cru soe and The History of the United States States Dr William 1 E. E Barton says I If we could substitute a better life Ute of ot Washington and a modern history of or the United States it would be for the benefit of ot any American boy if he were shut up with these half halt dozen books and no others until until un un- un til he thoroughly mastered them The They were an almost Ideal selection Of the Murrays Murray's English Reader Header Lincoln himself said that it was the most useful book ever put Into the hands of or an nn American youth It is thought that Lincoln's first textbook the one he use used while attending attending attending at at- tending the schools In Kentucky Kentuck taught by Riney and Ca Ca- l ez Hazel was speller spelter This was much more t than an a aspen spelling spell ing book The title reads A New Guide to the English Tongue In Four Parts The Brown copy copi is the eighteenth edition pub published In 1703 1795 There Is a surprising amount o 0 material in this little book hook G G 0 bj tit h 4 inches with wit 19 pages First i is it the alphabet then arc are tables of the simplest words followed folton-ed by readIng read Ing lessons of the same words Th tables of words increase In difficulty dim culty up to eight s syllables and the reading lessons correspond These lessons ate are ext extremely cmel religious and moral in n tone The first simple sentence sentence sen sen- tence states No Xo man ma may put oft off the law of God GoLl A number of ol proverbs are quoted from the Bible Many a admonitions like the following following follow follow- ing are used Liberality should have such a n mixture of or Pru Prudence ence I as not to exceed the Ability of ot the Giver Gher and be e rightly suited to the Circumstances of the Receiver Part III of or this versatile book IIA la II laA A Practical English Grammar and andis andis andis is arranged h by question and an nn saver For example Q What Q What la Is Grammar A. A Grammar A.-Grammar Grammar Is the science sd ence ence of letters or the art of writing writ ing lag and speaking properly and syn syn- tactically following the grammar gram grain mar are sentences In prose and mill In Inverse inverse verse all of a n religion f nature and a number of ot select fables and finally A short Introduction to geography geography ge ge- In twelve pages There Is la plenty of subject matter for a pupil pu pu- pu- pu pil to use for or several years Pikes Pike's arithmetic an and that by Daboll Daboll Da- Da I boll were In common use at the time Lincoln was stud studying Herndon states t that at Lincoln used Pikes Pike's a casual reference has been found to his lily use of Neither book seems to have been used to toCOl COl copy the examples that the boy wrote In hl his famous cop copybook book Apparently Apparently Ap Ap- Ap the Lincoln family did not notown notown notown own an arithmetic an and he be had to copy what he lie wanted to keep for tor reference Dennis hunks Hanks the cousin who supplied so o much Information about Lincoln Lincoln's earl early years jears said he bought the pt paper er for him to make mato the copybook copybook copy copy- book leaves len of which are to be found in many collections of Lin- Lin The leaves dated date 18 1824 s sare are headed beaded Multiplication and aud Simple Interest Another is on compound multiplication and ami compound corn com pound division still another on on compound compound com com- pound interest and antl long division On more than one page e of this iris hook book Is a n averse averse verse of doggerel o erel Lincoln his liU hand hund and nn pen peo He lit will Mill be he gaud but d' d Cal Hod Hl know n si hen One of the most famous book books that Lincoln lead had Is Weems' Weems Life of ot Washington ton It Is thought that L I I t 4 As Lincoln Studied His Books Before Be Be- Before fore the Fireplace he may have hate had a copy In Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky before the fa family mil moved to Indiana when he lie was seven se years old at all e events in a speech In New Jersey in Lincoln said he got hold of It In the earliest days of his reading This is the book hook that tells the famous story about the tile cherry tree There is a strong moral tone running running run run- ning t throughout but there was much to kindle the imagination of ot ofa a n boy such as the lie account of ot the capture of Trenton Tradition sn says s that Aesop's Fables belonged belonge to Lincoln In ill Kentucky At nn any rate we are sure SUle he lie had itIn It ItIn Itin In his early years and probably could repeat repent most of it word for word The fhe copy COP In lu this collection Is with Instructive Applications and a n Print before herol each Fable Inthe In Inthe Inthe the frontispiece the scribe Is seen surrounded h by all the animals he hehns has hns written about and the little cuts a above ove each ench fable show much imagination Lincoln's first law In book he lie found In Indiana David Turnham for tor whom hom he worked was a prosperous farmer and anil a Justice of the peace and so had a copy of ot the Revised Laws of In Indiana lana published at Corydon Corydon Cory Cory- don Ind Imi In 1824 As Turnham needed the book often for reference he could not lend it and Lincoln had to visit his house to rend read It This he did spending his time when Turnham needed tI the e book hook In rending reading Scotts Scott's lessons and Sinbad Sin had bad the tho Sailor which he also 1150 found In the lie nuH |