James Baldwin

“ Just how Abraham Lincoln stood in his classes I do not know; but I must believe that he studied hard and did everything as well as he could. In the arithmetic which he used, he wrote these lines:
"Abraham Lincoln, His hand and pen, He will be good, But God knows when." In a few weeks, Azel Dorsey's school came to a close; and Abraham Lincoln was again as busy as ever about his father's farm. After that he attended school only two or three short terms. If all his school-days were put together they would not make a twelve-month. ”

“ He laid the book in a crevice between two of the logs of the cabin, so that he might begin reading again as soon as it was daylight.But in the night a storm came up. The rain was blown in, and the book was wet through and through.In the morning, when Abraham awoke, he saw what had happened. He dried the leaves as well as he could, and then finished reading the book.As soon as he had eaten his breakfast, he hurried to carry the book to its owner. He explained how the accident had happened."Mr. Crawford," he said, "I am willing to pay you for the book. I have no money ”