Hehadplentyofpeculiarities。Hewasugly，awkward；helackedthewantonappetitesoftheaveragesensualman。Andthesepeculiaritieswithouthisgreatstrengthashiswarrantmighthavebroughthimintoridicule。Asitwas，whateverhispeculiarities，inasocietylikethatofPigeonCreek，themanwhocouldbeatallcompetitors，wrestlingorboxing，wasfreefrommolestation。ButLincolninstinctivelyhadanotheraiminlifethanmerefreedomtobehimself。Twocharacteristicsthatweresosignificantinhischildhoodcontinuedwithgrowingvitalityinhisyoungmanhood：hisplacidityandhisintensesenseofcomradeship。Thelatter，however，hadundergoneachange。Itwasnolongerthecomradeshipofthewildcreatures。Thatspurtofphysicalexpansion，theswiftrankgrowthtohistremendousstature，swepthimapparentlyacrossadimdividingline，outoftheworldofbirdsandbeastsandintotheworldofmen。Hetookthenewworldwiththesameunfailingbutalsounexcitablecuriositywithwhichhehadtakentheother，theworldofsquirrels，flowers，fawns。
Hereasthere，thedifferencefromhismother，deepthoughtheirsimilaritiesmayhavebeen，wassharplyevident。Hadhebeenwhollyatonewithherreligiously，thegiftoftellingspeechwhichhenowbegantodisplaymighthaveledhimintoacoursethatwouldhaverejoicedherheart，mighthavemadehimaboypreacher，andlater，agreatrevivalist。HisfatherandeldersisterwhileonPigeonCreekjoinedthelocalBaptistChurch。ButAbrahamdidnotfollowthem。Noristhereasingleanecdotelinkinghiminanywaywiththefervorsofcampmeeting。Onthecontrary，whatlittleisremembered，isofacoolaloofness。[4]Theinscrutabilityoftheforestwashis——whatitgavetothestealthy，cautiousmenwhoweretoointentonobserving，toosuspiciouslywatchful，togiveventtotheirfeelings。Therefore，inLincolntherewasalwaysadoublelife，outerandinner，theouterquietlycompanionable，theinner，solitary，mysterious。
ItwastheouterlifethatassumeditsfirstdefinitephaseintheyearsonPigeonCreek。Duringthoseyears，Lincolndiscoveredhisgiftofstory-telling。Healsodiscoveredhumor。Intheemploymentofbothtalents，heacceptedasamatterofcoursethetoneoftheyoungruffiansamongwhomhedwelt。Verysoonthispowerfulfellow，whocouldthrowanyoftheminawrestle，wonthecentralpositionamongthembyasurertitle，bythepowertodelight。Andanyonewhoknowshowpeasantschoolsofartarise——forthatmatter，allschoolsofartthatarevital——knowshowhedidit。Inthisconnection，hisfamousbiographers，NicolayandHay，revealacertainexternalitybyobjectingthatastoryattributedtohimisancient。Allstoriesareancient。Notthetale，butthetelling，astheproverbsays，isthething。Inlateryears，Lincolnwrotedowneverygoodstorythatheheard，andfiledit。[5]Whenitreappearedithadbecomehisown。Whocandoubtthatthisdeliberateassimilation，thetypicalartisticprocess，beganonPigeonCreek？Lincolnneverwouldhavecapturedashedidhisplowboyaudience，setthemroaringwithlaughterintheintervalsoflabor，hadhenotgiventhembacktheirowntalesdoneoverintonewformsbrilliantlybeyondtheirpowersofconception。Thatthesetalesweregross，evenribald，mighthavebeentakenforgranted，evenhadwenotpositiveevidenceofthefact。Otherwisenoneofthatuproariouslaughterwhichwemaybesuresoundedoftenacrossshimmeringharvestfieldswhilestalwartyoungpagans，everreadytopause，leaned，bellowing，onthehandlesoftheirscythes，AbeLincolnhavingjustthenfinishedastory。
ThoughthehumorofthesestorieswasFalstaffian，tosaytheleast，thoughLincolnwascockofthewalkamongtheplowboysofPigeonCreek，asignificantfactwithregardtohimherecomesintoview。Notananecdotesurvivesthatinanywaysuggestspersonallicentiousness。Scrupulousmenwhoinafter-timewereoffendedbyhiscoarsenessofspeech——formoreorlessoftheartistofPigeonCreekstucktohimalmosttotheend；hetalkedinfables，ofteningrossfables——thesemen，despitetheirannoyance，feltnoimpulsetoattributetohimpersonalhabitsinharmonywithhistales。Ontheotherhand，theywerepuzzledbytheirownimpression，neverwavering，thathewas“pureminded。“Thecluewhichtheydidnothavelayinthenatureofhisdoublelife。Thatpartofhimwhich，inourmodernjargon，wecallhis“reactions“obeyedacuriouslaw。
Theydweltinhisouterlifewithoutpenetratingtotheinner；