Who is Abby Lewis from The Glory Field and what is their importance?

Abby Lewis is born in 1885 and is six months younger than his cousin Elijah Lewis. Abby is the only child of Yero Lewis and Lois (Quincy) Lewis. He is the grandson of Moses and Saran Lewis and the nephew of Lem and Richard Lewis. As a teenager, Abby is much more free-wheeling than Elijah and he loves to listen to Ragtime music. One day, Abby tells Elijah that they and other young blacks are part of a new breed and are free to determine their own futures. According to Abby Lewis, the new breed of blacks must "make new moves and new music" (96). Abby marries his teenage sweetheart Mary (Hardin) Lewis. Abby Lewis is the father of Robert Smalls Lewis, whom everyone calls Planter.