befriended by his step-mother, 12;
his education, 12;
early reading, 12, 13;
early attempts at humorous writing, 13;
storytelling, 14;
youthful exploits, 14;
let out by his father, 15;
helps his father settle in Sangamon County, Ill., 16;
works for himself, 16;
his trip to New Orleans for Offut, 16, 17;