When the votes were counted, Lincoln was found to be
eighth on the list--an excellent showing when we remember that he
was a newcomer in the county, and that he ran as a Whig, which
was the unpopular party. In his own home town of New Salem only
three votes had been cast against him. Flattering as all this
was, the fact remained that he was defeated, and the result of
the election brought him face to face with a very serious
question. He was without means and without employment. Offut had
failed and had gone away. What was he to do next? He thought of
putting his strong muscles to account by learning the blacksmith
trade; thought also of trying to become a lawyer, but feared he
could not succeed at that without a better education. It was the
same problem that has confronted millions of young Americans
before and since. In his case there was no question which he
would rather be--the only question was what success he might
reasonably hope for if he tried to study law.
Before his mind was fully made up, chance served to postpone, and
in the end greatly to increase his difficulty. Offut's successors
in business, two brothers named Herndon, had become discouraged,
and they offered to sell out to Lincoln and an acquaintance of
his named William F. Berry, on credit, taking their promissory
notes in payment. Lincoln and Berry could not foresee that the
town of New Salem had already lived through its best days, and
was destined to dwindle and grow smaller until it almost
disappeared from the face of the earth.
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