Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-23
Favorite Poem of President Lin
coin.

We are informed by the intimate friends
of Mr.. Lincoln who visited the Presiden-
tial mansion during his administration,
that he frequently read TO them favorite
passages from Shakespear, thereby show
ing genuine appreciation of the great poet.
The artist, Mr.. Carpenter, was an inmate
of the White House for several months,
engaged in painting the Emancipation
Proclamation scene In 1864 On one occA-
sion after reading 20 him some selections,
he laid the book aside and in = sad strain ,
with his eyes half closed repeated to him
the following poem, the fret and last stan
zas of which had sad and mournful ful-
flment in his own sudden death. This
poem was written in ITS, by Alexander
Knox of Edinburg, Scotland
q. uhy should the spirit of mortais hs proud
Lake = swim hestinE meteor, fact dying cloud,
A fash Of the lightning. a bfrak q tbs save,
lie passsth from life 20 his rsst in the grave
The leave. of the oak and the wilbow shar faIe.
BE scattered around and together b laid.
And the Young and the old and the low and ths high
Shall m0hldsr 70 dust and together shall lie.
The infant mother attended and loved.
The mother that Infants affection who proved
The husband that m-thsr aud infsa; who hlsssei.
Zach. all. are awsy 10 their d~ellings 4 reai.
The hand of the king the so.pire hath borne;
The brow Of the priest that the mitre hath worn
The eve af the ssgr Asd the heart ~ the hraVe,
Are hidden and ioss In the depths Of the grave.
The peasant whass lot vas to and 10 rap:
The harisaIsn whn climbed with his gaisup tn" steep
The hrEgar Who wandered In search - his trrad,
Have faded away ike tho grass that We tread
10 the multitude goes. like the havrr Or the u-ei
That withsrs avay tn 1T othsrs snecs"'l
So the multitude CONES even th'sss Nc t~ho'd,
To repeat sve.y tslc that rs oficu t~cn Told.
yar 80 are tho ssm. aur Gathers have been.
We .~e the same sights our fathers have ss"u--
We drnk tie same stream and visS the ssrs~ snn
And run the same eours- our fathers have r7n
The thouxhts we are thinking thsr. vouid ildus
Frotn the death We shrinking "uF fa'h'Fs wnnld
shrink:
To H.. lifs ~ ,re elfrztru hsy ai.o u,s1d eilaz
Bat IL speed. for - 81. uks hri On the sing.
Thev Iov.H tut the story w- esnrof uufll:
They ssfu-si but the heart n the hruzhiy j. sold
They Ers,cd bat ne wall irun' their sluu'l@r vil
cums
They joyoi. bot tho nsus or ,leis lsinss. :. dunh
They died svs dir,i ~ 'hlnc, that tsrp uov.
ah.i walk On jhe turf that lt-s On thsir iruw.
Ald n,.ks In their dweiinSs n transient si'-i-,
Meet ths thing. that th mt u ct pilgrimage
road.
Yea h1f- ard desIrnd ney rle1snrr snd Tsin.
We uuEts together iu suushiu~ and r.
hnd tho -tn- sad the tear t~ s1stg sud the drz~.
stnt fllow rarh Jti,sF. like sufse uIpu surge.
'Tis the vink II an eye ~. The dpuEt ~ hrrath
Fron he ho.sornsuf health 70 ihs pn,vaf-- ofd",l-
PROM the sild-d saiun o. the bier and the shrtud
o. why should the .pirit ~ mnr'als 10 rr'uha
The above poem, so rich IN sentiment
and beauty. which he delighted u reFeai
30 frequently unveils msnv - the 'uvs.
teries of the marvellous life It Mr.. Lin
coin. j. q.
Washington City. Feb. ! 's2