Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-30
AeRAHAM llNcoLws KIND tgAar.
The GentIest. Purest, aud Nobiest Charac
tor In Amman History. w

youth, the meanest creature found in
him friend and il need be defender.
He wrote essays and made speeches
against cruelty to animals and sought
to impress upon his playmates' minds
the sacredness of life. The same ten
der regard for the weak and unfortu-
nate characterized his manhood. While
riding through forest once with n
party of friends he saw brood of
young birds on the ground which a
storm had blown from their nest. He
dismounted from his horse, and after a.
laborious search found the nest and
placed the birdlings snugly in their
little home. When he reached his
companions and was chided by them
for his delay he said: IL could not
have slept tonight if had not given
those birds to their mother"
In the social relations of life he was
g most exemplary man. He was de-
voted husband an INDUCING father, an
obliging neighbor. and faithful friend
Mrs. Col. Chapman, lady who lived
for time in his family, pays this
tribute to his private life: He was all
that husband. father, neighbor should
be, kind and affectionate to his wife and
child. and pleasant to all around him.
Never did hear him utter an unkind
word" "His devotion to his wife and
children" says George w. Julian, "was
as abiding and unbounded as his love
of country"
The strong attachment always mani
tested by him for his friends has often
been remarked. Rich and poor, great
and humble, all were equally dear to
him and alike the recipients of his re-
gard and love. The Prince he treated
like man, the humblest man he
treated like Prince. Nothing in his
career exhibits the greatness and noble
ness of his character in loftier degree
than the cordial and unaffected manner
at Washington, in the midst of wealth,
and splendor, and refinement, in
which he was accustomed to receive
and entertain the plain uncultured
friends Of other days.
A giant IN stature and n lion in
strength and courage, he possessed the
gentleness of child and the tender
ness of a woman. The sufTerings.
even of a stranger, would fill his eyes
with tears, and the death of a friend
would ovcrwhelm him. In his 10th
year his mother died, and for a time
his heart was desolate and he could not
be consoled. In his 50th year his only
sister, a lovely, fragile flower just
blooming into womanhood, dropped
and died, and life seemed purposeless
TO him again. OF his four children.
two died while he was living-Eddie,
n fair-haired babe, and his beloved
Willie. When death took these his sor-
row was unutterable.
The ultimate death of his Young
friend, the gallant Col. Ellsworth, at
Alexandria, and the death of his life
long friend, the lamented Edwin +.
Baker, at Balls Bluff, were blows that
staggered him. At the death of his
good friend, Bowlin Greene, he was
chosen to deliver funeral address.
When the hour arrived and he stepped
forward to perform the sacred task. his
eyes fell upon the coffin of his dead
friend and for time he stood trans
tixed-helpless and speeches.. The
only tribute he could pay was a tribute
of his tears.
When he turned for the last time
from the bedside of the beautiful Ann
Rutledge, his betrothed, it was with a
broken heart and II mind dethroned.
20! l can never be reconciled to have
the snow. the rain. and the storm beat
upon her grave" was the pitiful bur-
den of his plant for weeks. Reason
after n time returned. but his wonted
gladness never; and down through all
those eventful years to that fatal April
night when his own sweet lfe-blood
slowly oozed away, beneath that spark
ling surface of feigned mirth drifted
the memory and the agonies of that
great grief.
AT the commencement of the Southern
conflict in pleading tones he said: Two
are not enemies. but friends" And at
its close, Notwithstanding all the cruel,
bitter anguish he had endured those
four long years of fratricidal strife:
with malice toward none. with charity
for ALL" he died, and many brave
Confederate deplored -, d,
The deep damnation Of his taking OFT.
When Stonewall jackson died he paid
touching tribute to his gallantry and
said: LET us forget his errors over
his fresh-made grave" In the dark
ness of the night on bloody field Of
the peninsula he bent beside the pros
trate form OF dying soldier OF the
South, and. while the hot tears rolled
down his furrowed cheeks, soothed
him with words of sympathy, and by
the dim rays Of lantern took down
from his lips message to his mother.
and sent it by flag Of truce into the
enemies lines to be transmitted to his
home. ~ se
The narration of his many deeds OF
kindness and mercy while at Washing
ton would fill volume. He loved to
rescue an erring soldier boy from the
jaws of death and fill mothers eyes
with tears of JOY. He loved to dispelE
the clouds of sorrow from wife's sad
heart and warm it with the sunshine of
happiness. He loved to take the child
of poverty upon his knee and plant
within its little breast the seeds of con-
fidcnce and hope.
Glorious apostle of humanity! When
shall we look upon his like again? So
honest, so truthful, so just, so charita-
ble so loving, so mercifull Law was
his God, justice his creed, and liberty
his heaven. 1t he sinned. mercy
prompted him. In the presence of
such religion how contemplate your