The herald., 1893-06-04
AYSS2Yzsg5A 80 2: : 54A4VTAoRd
u EIfE!55~>>DT5o

$~eN1 " x~S
can Statesmen series, biography inter
estinR to all, both young and old, that o.
the illustrious Abraham Lincoln, By
John T. Morse, jr., editor OF the seriet
and author OF John Quincy AdamB
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin franklin
etc, etc. 1t is only 80 years since Abra
ham Lincoln became OF much note In
the world, yet in that brief tins he haf
been the subject Of more varied discus.
sion than has been expended upon any
other historical character, cave, per.
haps, Napoleon; and the kind OF dis.
cussion which has been called forth by
Lincoln is not really to be likened ia
that which has taken place con.
cerning Napoleon or concerning any other
person whomsoeyer. The great men
of the various erag and nations are com
prehensible, at least upon broad lines.
The traits to which each owes his pc
cHliar power can be pretty well agreed
upon the capacity OF each can be toler-
ably well expressed in formula; each
can be intelligibly described in fairly
distint phraseB; and whether this be In
the spirit of admiration or of condem-
nation will, in all cases which admit OF
doubt, be largely question of the per-
sonal sympsthies of the observer. But
Lincoln stands apart in striking eoli-
tude-an enigma to all men. The world
eagerly asks OF each person who endeav-
ors to write or speak OF him: What
illumination have you for us? Have
you solved the mystery? Can you
explain this man? The task has been
eaeayed many times; it will be
esaayed many times more; ii never has
been and probably 1t never will be en-
tirely achieved, each biographer, each
writer or speaker, makes his little con-
tribution to the study, and must pe con-
tent TO regard IL merely az a contribu-
ton. Lincoln WAS like Shakespeare, in
that he seemed to run through the
whole gamut of human nature. From
the superstition Of the ignorant back
woodeman to that profoundest faith
which 10 the surest MEASURE OF mans
greatness. Lincoln passed along the
whole distance. In his early days he
struck his roots deep down into the COM
mon soil OF the earth, and in his latest
years his head lowered and shown
among the stars. Yet his greatest, his
most distinctive and most abiding trait
was his humaneness of nature !;
he was the expression of his
people; ut some periods of
his life and in some ways it may be
that he expressed them in their uglier
form, but generally he displayed them
in their nobleat and most beautiful de-
velopments, yet, for worse or better, one
is alwaya conscious of being in close
touch with him as fellow man. People
often call him the greatest man who ever
lived; but in fact, he was not properly
to be compared with any other. One
may set up pole and mark notches
upon 1T, and liable them with the names
OF Julius Cesar, William OF Orange,
Cromwell, Napoleon, even Washington,
and may measure these men against
each other, and dispute and discuss their
respective places. But Lincoln can not
be brought to this pole; he can not be
entered in any such competition. This
Is not necessarily because he
was greater than any of
these men; for, before this could
be asserted, the question would have to
be settled; how is greatness to be esti-
nnatad2- Ono oan hs.~5by Cuuv0ivv SA,s.t
in any sge of the world or any combina-
tion of circumstances a capacity and
temperament like that of Caesar or
Napoleon would not force itself into
prominence and control. On the other
hand, it is easy to suppose that, If pre-
cisely such o great moral question and
peculiar crisis as gave to Lincoln his op-
portunity, had not arisen contempo-
raneously with his years Of vigor, he
might never have got further away from
obacurity than doeh the ordinary mem
ber of congress. He WAS the most indi-
vidual m9A who ever lived let uB be
content with this fact. Let us take him
simply as Abraham Lincoln, singular
and solitary, as we all see that he Was !;
let ua be thankful il we can make q
niche big enough for him among the
worlds heroes, without worrying our
selves about the proportions which it
may bear to other inches; and there let
him remain forever, lonely, "a in his
strange lifetime, impressive, mysterious,
unmeasured and unsolved. Such q
spirit Dir. Morse shows in his striking
biography OF Lincoln. He shows him ae
he was, as far RS it is possible for the
author to see him.
The sketch of his gradual rise from his
early life to a leader in his neighbor.
hood, in his state, and finally in the
nation, are told in true, patriotic, un'
biased spirit; and the great political
movements, the history OF the civil war
and the trials of the administration, art
no less truthfully and vividly described
Mr.. Morse has digested the enormouI
mass OF printed material about Lincoln
in such a manner that he gives us
compact, well-rounded biography, which
is not too long for the busy man OF ou
day to read, nor too brief for the schola
to consider the best Life of Lincoln VI
have, or are likely to have.
NV
Harper Brothers. new publication b.
| Brander Matthews, is entitled The Stor,
of Story, and other stories. The ini
tial story tells in q graceful and sym
pathetic manner the history of a shor
story, its creation, acceptance, pubica
tion and the part it played in the live
of some of its readers. The others are
A Canoe and Pastel, Two Letters TIL
New Member of the Climb, Etelka Tai
meyr, q tale of three cities. All shoV
artistic perception aud possess favo
OF satirio humor.
#+%
Another interesting book of short stol
les is one published by Houghton, Nil
fin & Co., by Mre. Margaret Delsnd
entitled Mr.. Tommy Dove, and othe
stories. Mr.. Tommy Dove is one of tn
distinct and in wsy most charming {
Mrs. Deland's characters. His gentle
meas and shyness, hia kindness and ger
uine goodness, win the heart of tn
reader as we'll as Miss Temples, and it
81 4