Lincoln's First Dollar

One evening in tho Executive Ohamber thero vvere present a nutnber of gentlemen, 'among them Mr. Sewnrd. A point in tho Konveisation suggested the thought. Mr. Lincoln said, "Seward, you never heard, did you, how I eurued my örst dollar ?" " No," said Mr. Seward. Well, replied he, " I was about eighteen years of age. I belonged, you know, to what they cali dowu South the "scrubs;" people who do not owa land and slaves down thero are nobody. " But we had succeeded in raising ehiefly by my labor, sufficient produce, as I thought to justify me in takirig it down tho river to sell. " After much er-iuagion I got the consent of my inother to go, aud con8tructed a littlo flat boat large enough to take the barrel or two of tuinas we had guthered, with niyself and little bundie, down lo New Orleans. A atearner was eo'ning down the rivcr. We have, you know, no wharves on tho western straains ; the custom was, if passcngers wero at the landings, for them to go out in a boat the steamer stopping aud taking thum on board. " I was contemplating my new flat boat and wondering whether I could mak9 it stronger or improve it in any particular, when two men came down to the shore in a carruige with trunk?, and looking at the different boats singled out mine, and asked, 'who owns this ?'' I answered somewhat modestly, 'I do.' " " 'Wil] jou,' said oneof them, 'take us and our trunks to the steamer ?' ' Certainly,' said I. I was very glad to havo the ehauce of earning something. I supposed that each would gire me two or three bitB. Th trunks were put on my flat boat, the passengers seated themselved on the trunks, and I skulled them to the steauiboat. " They got on board and I lilted up their heavy trunks, and put them on thu deck. The steamer was about to put on steam, when I called out that they had forgotten to pay me. Each of them took from his pocket a silver half dollar, and threw ifWn the floor of the boat. I could gcarcely believe my eyes as I picked up the money. Gentlemen, you may think it was a littlo thing, and in these days it eeems like a írifie, but it was a most important incident in my life. I could scarcelj credit that I, n poor boy, had earned a dollar in less than a day ; that by honcst work I had earned a dollar. This world seemed fairer before me. I was a moro hopcful bting from that timo.