“I have a notion to study English grammar,” he said to Mr. Graham, the schoolmaster.
“That is the best thing you can do, if you expect to enter political life,” said the teacher in reply.
“Where do you think I can find a grammar?” asked Lincoln.{70}
It must be remembered that educational books, and indeed books of any kind, were scarce in those days.
“I think you will find one at Vaner’s.”
“I will go at once and see,” said Lincoln.
He set out at once, though Vaner’s was six miles distant, but such a walk did not trouble the young man at all. I am sure it will strike some of my young readers who dislike grammar, as odd that he should be willing to take so long a walk with such an object in view; but they too might do the same if they were as earnestly bent2 upon self-improvement as our hero. It is enough to say that he succeeded in obtaining the coveted3 book, and began at once to study it. Sometimes he was able to go out of doors and lie under a shade-tree; at other times he stretched his long, ungainly form on the counter and pored intently over the little book. I don’t know whether the obscure little text-book is still in existence; if it were, it would be a valuable memorial of this transition period in the young man’s mental growth.
The time came for a change in young Lincoln’s mode of life. Mr. Offutt’s business declined,{71} and the store was closed. He was once more out of employment. Now it happened about this time that the peace of this region was disturbed by a series of Indian difficulties. Black Hawk4, a chief of the Sacs, was the instigator5 and Indian leader. He was a man of commanding presence and superior abilities. In defiance6 of a warning given him by General Atkinson, commanding the United States troops at Rock Island, he left his reservation, and announced his intention of ascending7 the Rock River to the territory of the Winnebagoes. The force under General Atkinson being small, he issued a call for volunteers. One company was raised in New Salem and the vicinity, and Lincoln enlisted8. Though without military experience, he was elected to the post of Captain by a large majority of the company, and accepted, This was a tribute to his popularity among his friends and neighbors.
Though the Black Hawk campaign was in no way remarkable9, and involved very little fighting, it is noteworthy, as Dr. Holland remarks, that two men afterward10 Presidents of the United States were engaged in it. These were Zachary Taylor and Abraham Lincoln. I do not propose{72} to enter into a detailed11 account of this campaign and of Lincoln’s part in it; I prefer to quote Mr. Lincoln’s own account of it, years afterward, when a member of the House of Representatives at Washington. It was during the political campaign when General Cass was the Democratic candidate, and was intended to ridicule12 the claims of his friends, that he had rendered distinguished13 military service to the republic.
“By the way, Mr. Speaker,” said Mr. Lincoln, “do you know I am a military hero? Yes, sir, in the days of the Black Hawk war, I fought, bled, and came away. Speaking of General Cass’ career reminds me of my own. I was not at Sillman’s Defeat, but I was about as near it as Cass to Hull’s surrender; and, like him, I saw the place soon afterward. It is quite certain I did not break my sword, for I had none to break; but I bent my musket14 pretty badly on one occasion. If General Cass went in advance of me in picking whortleberries, I guess I surpassed him in charges upon the wild onions. If he saw any live, fighting Indian, it was more than I did; but I had a good many bloody15 struggles with the mosquitoes, and although I never fainted from{73} loss of blood, I can truly say I was often very hungry.”
When Mr. Lincoln himself became a candidate for the Presidency16, an attempt was made to make capital for him out of this military episode, but fortunately he possessed17 more substantial claims than this.
Though there was little fighting to be done, there was an occasion that tested the young Captain’s courage and resolution. As the incident is characteristic of Lincoln, and shows his love of justice and humanity, I will transcribe18, as better than any paraphrase19 of my own, the account given by Mr. Lamon in his Life of Lincoln:
“One day, during these many marches and counter-marches, an old Indian found his way into the camp, weary, hungry, and helpless. He professed20 to be a friend of the whites; and, although it was an exceedingly perilous21 experiment for one of his color, he ventured to throw himself upon the mercy of the soldiers. But the men first murmured, and then broke out into fierce cries for his blood.
“ ‘We have come out to fight the Indians,’{74} said they, ‘and by G—we intend to do it!’
“The poor Indian, now in the extremity22 of his distress23 and trouble, did what he ought to have done before: he threw down before his assailants a soiled and crumpled24 paper which he implored25 them to read before his life was taken. It was a letter of character and safe conduct from Gen. Cass, pronouncing him a faithful man, who had done good service in the cause for which this army was enlisted. But it was too late; the men refused to read it, or thought it a forgery26, and were rushing with fury upon the defenceless old savage27, when Capt. Lincoln bounded between them and their appointed victim.
“ ‘Men,’ said he, and his voice for a moment stilled the agitation28 around him, ‘this must not be done; he must not be shot and killed by us.”
“ ‘But,’ said some of them, ‘the Indian is a spy.’
“Lincoln knew that his own life was now in only less danger than that of the poor creature that cowered29 behind him. During the whole of this scene Capt. Lincoln seemed to rise to an unusual height of stature30. The towering form, the passion and resolution in his face, the physical power and terrible will exhibited in every motion{75} of his body, every gesture of his arm, produced an effect upon the furious mob as unexpected perhaps to him as to any one else. They paused, listened, fell back, and then sullenly31 obeyed what seemed to be the voice of reason as well as authority. But there were still some murmurs32 of disappointed rage and half-suppressed exclamations33, which looked toward vengeance34 of some kind. At length one of the men, a little bolder than the rest, but evidently feeling that he spoke35 for the whole, cried out:
“ ‘This is cowardly on your part, Lincoln!’
“Whereupon the tall Captain’s figure stretched a few inches higher again. He looked down upon these varlets who would have murdered a defenceless old Indian and now quailed36 before his single hand, with lofty contempt. The oldest of his acquaintances, even Bill Green, who saw him grapple Jack37 Armstrong and defy the bullies38 at his back, never saw him so much aroused before.
“ ‘If any man thinks I am a coward, let him test it,’ said he.
“ ‘Lincoln,’ responded a new voice, ‘you are stronger and heavier than we are.’{76}
“ ‘This you can guard against; choose your weapons,’ returned the rigid39 Captain.
“Whatever may be said of Mr. Lincoln’s choice of means for the preservation40 of military discipline, it was certainly very effectual in this case. There was no more disaffection in his camp, and the word ‘coward’ was never coupled with his name again. Mr. Lincoln understood his men better than those who would be disposed to criticise41 his conduct. He has often declared himself that his life and character were both at stake, and would probably have been lost had he not at that supremely42 critical moment forgotten the officer and asserted the man. To have ordered the offenders43 under arrest would have created a powerful mutiny; to have tried and punished them would have been impossible. They could scarcely be called soldiers; they were merely armed citizens, with a nominal44 military organization. They were but recently enlisted, and their term of service was about to expire. Had he preferred charges against them, and offered to submit their differences to a court of any sort, it would have been regarded as an act of personal pusillanimity45, and his efficiency would have been gone forever.”{77}
Then, as afterward, Lincoln proved to be the man for the emergency. This humble46 captain of volunteers was selected by Providence47 to guide and direct his countrymen in the greatest and most bloody civil contest that was ever waged, and at all times of doubt, danger, and perplexity he manifested the same calm courage, the same firm resolution, and the same humanity, which made him at the age of twenty-three the intrepid48 champion of a friendless old Indian.{78}
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1
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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instigator
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| n.煽动者 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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presidency
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| n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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transcribe
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| v.抄写，誉写；改编(乐曲)；复制，转录 | |
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paraphrase
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| vt.将…释义，改写；n.释义，意义 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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40
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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41
criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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44
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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45
pusillanimity
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| n.无气力，胆怯 | |
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46
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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47
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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48
intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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