He would leave the schoolhouse, come back,
and knock at the door. Another scholar would greet "the stranger," lead
him around the room, and introduce him.
One day it was Abe's turn to do the introducing. He opened the door to
find his best friend, Nat Grigsby, waiting outside. Nat bowed low, from
the waist. Abe bowed. His buckskin trousers, already too short, slipped
up still farther, showing several inches of his bare leg. He looked so
solemn that some of the girls giggled. The schoolmaster frowned and
pounded on his desk. The giggling stopped.
"Master Crawford," said Abe, "this here is Mr. Grigsby. His pa just
moved to these parts. He figures on coming to your school."
Andrew Crawford rose and bowed. "Welcome," he said. "Mr. Lincoln,
introduce Mr. Grigsby to the other scholars."
[Illustration]
The children sat on two long benches made of split logs. Abe led Nat
down the length of the front bench. Each girl rose and made a curtsy.
Nat bowed. Each boy rose and bowed. Nat returned the bow. Abe kept
saying funny things under his breath that the schoolmaster could not
hear. But the children heard, and they could hardly keep from laughing
out loud.
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