The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-06-18
agRAYAm LlNcoLN's KIND HEART.
The Gentlest, Purest. and Mobiles: Charac-
Ter in Erman History.

In concluding a series of papers on
Lincoln, JOHN f. Remsbu-g says: !n
youth, the meanest creature found ID
him friend and if need be defender.
He wrote ESSAYS and made speeches
AGAINST cruelty to animals, and sought
to impress upon his playmatcs' minds
the sacredncss Of life. The same ten
der regard for the weak and unfortu-
nate characterized his manhood. While
riding through a forest once with
party Of friends he saw a brood OF
Young birds on the ground which 8
Storm had blown from their nest. he
dismountcd from his horse, and after q
laborious search found the nest and
placed the birdlags snugly in their
little home. When he reached his
companions and was chided by them
for his delay. he said: Il could net
have slept tonight if had not gives
those birds to their mother
In the social relations of life he was
a most exemplary man. He was de-
voted husband. an indulging father, an
obliging neighbor. and . faithful friend;
Mrs. Col. Chapman, q lady who lived
for time in his family, pays this
tribute to his private life: He was all
that q husband. father, neighbor should
be, kind and afectionate 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 a loftier degree
than the cordial and unaffected manner
at Washington, in the midst Of wealth,
and spIendor, and refinement, IN
which he was accustomed to receive
and entertain the plain uncultured
friends OF other days.
a giant in stature and lion in
strength ard courage, he possessed the
eentleness Of 4 child and the tendeIM
ness OF q woman. The suferin S
even of a stranger, would fill his
witt, tears. and the death of
would oyerwhelm him. In hi If
wear his mother died, and for
his heart was desolate and he
be consoled. In his 50th year h saS
sister, lovely, fragile: flower,
blooming into woman1ood, droop
and died, and life seemed purposelessS
to him again. OF his four children,
two died while he was liying-Eddie,
a 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 Ball Bluff, were bl ws that
staggered him. At the death Of bis
good friend, BoWlin Greene, he was
chosen to deliver a 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
fxed-helpless and speeches.. The
only tribute he could pay was G tribute
of his tears.
When he turned for the last time
from the bedside Of the beautiful Ann
Rutledge, his betrothed it was with q
broken heart and q mind dethroned.
20: 7 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 time returned, but his wonted
gladness never; and down through all
those eventful years to that fatal Aprl!
night when his own sweet life-blood
slowly oozed away, beneath that spark
ing surface Of fejgned mirth drifted
the memory and the agonieS OF that
great grief.
At tie commenccmentof Of the Southern
conflict in pleading tones ne said: we
are not enemies. but friends" And at
its close, Notwithstanding all the cruel,
bitter anguish he had endured those
:osr long years of fratricidal strife:
N'ithInalice toward none with charity
cor ALL he died. and many brave
Confederate deplorcd n.
The deep damnation OF his taking 2z :Es
When Stonewall Jackson dr. ;SsS
touching tribute to his ~:
said: Let us forget his
his fresh-made grave" :ss
ness OF the night on a E'S
the peninsula ne bent S|3
trate form Of . dying sS3 |S
South, and, while the
down his furrowed E3S5
him with words of sym s$!
the dim rays of a lante 3$sI
from his lips message |$$
and sent it by a flag Of
enemies lines to be transn
| home. $
The narration of his many
kindness and mercy while at 29
ton would fill volume. He loves 81
rescue an erring soldier boy from
laws of death aud fill mothers eysS
with tears of JOY. He loved to dispel
the clouds of sorrow from q 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-
fdence and hope.
Glorious apostle of huma When
shall we look upon his like again? So
honest, so truthful, so just, SO charita-
bic, so loving. so merciful! Law was
his God, justice his creed, and liberty
his heaven. 1t he sinned, mercy
prompted him. In the presence of
such a religion how contemplate your
punv theo!ogians and their narrow
crecds appear!
Born in western wild, dying in q
Nations Capital, its honored chief, en-
shrincd in the hearts of an admiring
world, Abraham Lincoln stands to-day
the gentlest, purcst, noblest character
in human history. M;llenniums may