Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-07-10
BE-. Lincoln and the Five Points
Sunday School.

Rev. Edward Eggleston writes as fol
lows 70 the n. Y. Independent:
tsAmong q number of incidents that
| have noated to me, when travelling
through Central Illinois, there is one
altogether too good to be lost. I be-
Iieve it to be perfectly authentic:
ia respected toWnsman, an old ae-
duaintance of Mr.. lincoln, was the
narrator of the story to my informant,
and himself a participant. According
to that habit of familiarity so prevalent
in the West, (by means of which man
is made TO pro1ong his boyhood through
ont his life), this gentleman is known
among old friends by the name of tJim,
as Mr.. Lincoln was always called ABE
For the sake of my story, shall have
to call Mr.. -tJim,' as any one OF
his fellow citizens would in telling it.
tsThis gentleman relates that, soon
after Mr.. Lincoln's Cooper Institute
speech, he saw a notice in the n. 7.
Tribune that Hon. A, lincoln, of lille
nois. had delivered an address to the
sunday School at the Five Points,
which was very well received by both
teachers and pupils. Knowing that
Mr.. Lincoln was not professor of re-
IipioD. it struck him that il was good
sTIbiect for banter; and so, seizing the
paper, he started for tOld Abe'B' Office.
bursting into the room impUlsively, he
was startled to find q stranger in COM
ysrsation with Mr.. Lincoln, and turned
to retrace his steps, when the latter
called ont: sJim, what do you want p
Nothing yes, you do; come back,
After some entreaty, Jim approached
Mr.. Lincoln, and remarked, with a
twinkle in his eve: Well, Abe, I see
vousye been making speeCht to Sunday
School children. What's the matter q
sSft down, Jim, and III tell you all
a A hat s1saf h
feet on the stove, and began
tssVhen Sunday morning came, did
not know exactly what to do. Wash.
burne asked whore I was going. told
him had no where 70 go and he pro-
posed to take me down to the Five
Points Sunday school, 20 show me
something worth seeing was very
much interested by what saw. Pres
entity Mr.. Pease came up and spoke to
Washburne, who introduced me. Mr..
Pease wanted us to speak. Washburne
spoke, and then was urged Co speak.
I told them did not know anything
about talking to Sunday Schools, but
Mr.. Pease said that there were many of
them friendless and homeless, and that
a few words would do them good
Washburne said must talk. And 50 I
rose to speak !; but tell you, Jim, I
didn't know what to say. 1 couldn't
talk about Christ and religion, for
niem bered that Mr.. Pease had said that
thew were homeless and friendless, and
T Thought of the time when l had been
pinched by terrible poverty. And so I
told them that had been poor, that I
remembered when my toes stuck out
through my broken shoes in winter ;
when nv arms were out at the elbows /;
when I shivered with the cold. And l
told them there was only one rule
That was, always do the very best you
can. I told them that I had always
tried to do the best 1 could; and that If
they would follow that rule, they would
get along somehow. That was about
what said. And when I got through,
Mr.. Pease said il was just the thing
thew needed. And when the school was
dismissed, all the teachers came up and
shook hands with me, and thanked me
for it: though did not know that / was
saving anything of any account. But
tue next morning 1 saw my remarks
noticed in the papers,
ssJust here Mr.. Lincoln put his hand
in his pocket, and remarked that he
never heard anything that touched him
as had the songs which those children
sang, with that he drew forth a little
hook. remarking that they had given
him one of the books from which they
sang tDid YOU ever hear any poetry
like this, Jim?' And he began to read
a piece, with all the earnestness
of his great, earnest SOUL In bhe mr.
die of the second verse, his friend Jzm
felt Q. choking in his throat and q tick
ling In his noses at the boeinning of
the third verse he saw that the stranger
from the East was weeping, and his
own tears fell fast. Turning toward
Lincoln. who was reading straight on, he
saw the great binding tears in his eyes
so that he could not possibly see the
page. He was repeating that little song
from memoryf How often he had read
it, or how long its sweet and simple ac-
cents continued to reYerberate through
his soul, no one can know. How much
influence may that little child's song
have had in bringing him to that trust
full attitude toward God which was SO
characteristic of him during the weary
closing years Of his life /"