The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-18

IN biography which the late ISAAC N.
ARNOLD lived to complete. though not to pub
Dish. and which 10 now issued by Jansen Nc
Uiurg 4 Co., the career and the character Of
Abraham Lincoln are for the first time flttinGly
portrayed. The authors own experience and
abilities were vouchers for his competence his
sympsthies were Of the requisite breadth and
,livSifnoss. his intellect lacked neither Grasp
nor penetration. and his literary training was
adequate to the task. Aside from these gem
oral qualifications he had enjoyed special
opportunities for acquiring an intimate
knowledge OF his subject, having from his
entrance into Congress- 1T tho outbreak Of the
rebellion become one Of Mr.. Lincoln's closest
friends and most trusted advisers. or these
advantages he had awaited himself to n con-
siderable extent In his History Of Abraham
Lincoln and the Overthrow Of Slavery" which
was published some eightccn years ago. But
that work was lcss n study Of Lfncoln's per-
sonality than OF the great national drama in
whose flnai scenes he was the most important
and impressive figure. Tho author. It seems.
was always dissatisfied with the dclineatlon OF
the great war President in that book. and the
present volume IL the outcome Of many years
Of labor directed to tho acquisition OF fresh
materials and to the production OF more com.
plete and life-lke portrait.
We have never seen memoir rcplote with
personal aneciote. nor can we easily conceive
OF one In which such recollections would be
moro relevant to a biogrnpher's purpose. For
the interesting or amusing incidents which
fixed themselves upon tho memory OF those
who cnme in contact with Lincoln In the vn-
rious phases Of his life caught their striking
and distinctive quality from the deeply marked
originality Of the man. and from the native wit
and humor which in him were irrepressible
No doubt q man like Lincoln is credited with
many sayings that no never uttered ana many
abnormal experiences to which he was In fact
stranger. and even before his tragic
death there were indications that
mnss OF myths and legends was gather
ing about the strong lines and sharp
angles OF his individuality. or later years the
process OF accordion has gone on more rapidly.
and what may be called the Lincoln tradition
needed just such careful sitting as II has hero
received Dir. Arnold WINS mt much pains to
distinguish the authentic from the apocryphHl
"Reminiscences. and though he sometimes al
ludcs TO current stories that lack the proper
amount OF authority. 1t is never without a
caveat After all deductions have been made.
there Is left u surprising store Of curious and
luminaiive anecdotes by some selections from
which We may give n foretaste OF the pleasure
which awaits the readers OF the book. and
bring out some OF Lincoln's salient traits and
the landmarks Of his earlier life.
There Ia no man In American history who at
nrst sight seems to have owed more to native
ability and less to the fostering of cireum-
stances than Abraham Lincoln. And yet, IL
Froebel's theory OF education DO we'll founded.
the apparently hard and narrow conditions OF
his early life not i'll suited to develop that
kind OF practical intellectual ability which finds
. feld 10 craftsmanship. States have seldom
sought or found their counsellors among col
lege professors. and all our elaborate appa-
ratus OF instruction Is adjusted to tho aptitudcs
Of average capacity. But no matter whore
you pu: n mind of tho frat order. whether
In the backwoods or in the best-nppointed
university it will always divorge from
beaten paths and clcave out new road for
itself. So that. perhaps. to q biographer who
should view Lincoln whole. no tuition
would seem so III for him rs that which his
robust restless. and Unsuitable intellect. with
its astonishing power OF absorption and assim-
ilRtion contrived to give itself He could bare
~ read. write. and cipher as far as the rule
OF three" when he had reached the age at
which a clever man may graduate with
hOnors at an English university. And yet
We opine that no observing person. talk
Ing with the Illinois backwoodsman at
that time. would have been reminded Of
the words suggested to Tcnnyson by his
acquaintance with Senior Wranglcrs and Dou-
BILE Frsts-' knowledge comes. but wisdom
fingers" OF the knowledge to be gained from
books Lincoln hal indeed, at that date hut a
very scantv stock: yet If not already wise. he
had the tito deeds of wisdom. for he had ac-
Quired the faculty Of independent Judgment.
of patient. searching. judicial Investigation.
He had tho regnaht faculty OF MIND, and. al
though tho bounds within which it played we're
as yet narrow. they were widening with every
man he met, with every book newspaper he
borrowed. III we look at the essential qualities
needed to distance com petitors in the race for
national distinction and Il foremost place in
history 1t is u blunder To apply such depreca-
tory adlectives as disqualified or overweghted
"a Lincoln with his magnificent vitality. his
unconquerabie will. his leonine hunger after
knowledge. and his supremo gift Of transmit
Ing the dross OF information into the gold Of
wisdom word upon this point Is scarcely
impairment. for tho story of Lincoln's early
life will be read with little profit by those who
see in Its rudeness and severity anything to
pity or regret. and who forget that the environ
ment was perhaps ind IS pensablo to mould the
sinews OF the man.
Lincoln's foreiathers had beon backwoods-
mon and Indian fighters for several genera
tions. His grandfather came to Kentucky soon
after Daniel Boone and his father pushed on
to Indiana when that Territory in turn WAS the
frontier. Faithful to tho instinct that had kept
his proSenitors on tho front wave OF emigra-
ton Lincoln. himself. at 81, found Indiana too
crowded and went still further westward into
the heart of Illinois. At that time. as we have
said. he could read. write. and cipher. having
had in all Just twelve months schooling He
never went to school afterward. But the
few volumes to be found In his fathers
log house and the neighboring cabins
he almost know by heart. His mother
in-iaw recounts that wherever he came
across passage that struck him. he would
write 1t down on boards II. rs usually happen
cd. he had no paper until it had been indelibly
inscribed upon his memory 1t is significant
fact that. among the half dozen books that
during his youth gave direction to his sympa-
thios and aspirations. and that endowed him
with his surprising mastery OF terse. idiomatio
English. were the Bible Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress" Weemss Life OF Washington
and the poems of Robert Burns. There Is