Fifteenyearspassedbeforeagainhewasafreemanfinancially。
Anewandpowerfulinfluencecameintohislifeduringthehalfidlenessofhisunsuccessfulstorekeeping。Itisworthrepeatinginhisownwords，orwhatseemstobethefairlyaccuraterecollectionofhiswords：“OnedayamanwhowasmigratingtotheWest，droveupinfrontofmystorewithawagonwhichcontainedhisfamilyandhouseholdplunder。HeaskedmeifIwouldbuyanoldbarrelforwhichhehadnoroominhiswagon，andwhichhesaidcontainednothingofspecialvalue。IdidnotwantitbuttoobligehimIboughtitandpaidhim，Ithink，ahalfadollarforit。WithoutfurtherexaminationIputitawayinthestoreandforgotallaboutitSometimeafter，inoverhaulingthings，Icameuponthebarrelandemptyingituponthefloortoseewhatitcontained，I
foundatthebottomoftherubbishacompleteeditionofBlackstone’sCommentaries。Ibegantoreadthosefamousworks，andIhadplentyoftime；forduringthelongsummerdayswhenthefarmerswerebusywiththeircrops，mycustomerswerefewandfarbetween。ThemoreIread，themoreintenselyinterestedIbecame。Neverinmywholelifewasmymindsothoroughlyabsorbed。IreaduntilIdevouredthem。“[7]
Themajestyofthelawatthebottomofabarreloftrashdiscoveredataventureandtakinginstantpossessionofthediscoverer’smind!LikethegeniusissuinggrandlyinthesmokecloudfromthevasedrawnupoutoftheseabythefisherintheArabiantale!Butthisgreatbookwasnottheonlymagiccasketdiscoveredbytheidlestore-keeper，thebrokensealsofwhichreleasedmightypresences。BothShakespeareandBurnswererevealedtohiminthisperiod。Neverafterdideitherforamomentceasetobehiscompanion。TheseliterarytreasureswerefoundatSpringfieldtwentymilesfromNewSalem，whitherLincolnwentonfootmanyatimetoborrowbooks。
Hissubsistence，afterthefailureofBerry&Lincoln，wasderivedfromthefriendlinessoftheCountySurveyorCalhoun，whowasaDemocrat，whileLincolncalledhimselfaWhig。