The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-09-21

Life Of His Youth. #
Mothers of rIendelssohn, Sheridan,
Humboldt, Carlyle, Goethe,
Byron and Dickens.
The world honors its great men, bit
too often forgets the silent ones WHO
made it's heroes great. Men are rendered
famous by the deeds of their lives, and
yet the character which made these
deeds possible was not wholly Of them
selves, says & writer in the Chicago
Tribune After dwelling at some length
upon the mothers Of Washington and Ma
poleon he continues:
Lincola's two mothars--for his step
mother contributed much to the fornla-
ton of his character---are Better known
than those Of almost any other great
American. Bit to his mother, Nancy
Hanks Lincoln, ne owed many OF the
traits which made him distinguished.
Mrs. Lincoln's life was a SAD one, sick
ness and a shiftle;s husband tending to
doubly; wreck her happiness. The mel
allcholy that afflicted her undoubtedly
had an influence upon the son and gave
him the tinge OF sadness that was notice.
able throughout his career. Kind and
morbidly sensitive to the sufferings OF
others, she gave these traits in a pro-
nounced degree TO her son. 1t was from
her that Lincoln obtained his ambition
and his love OF stldy. fer as a. girl sAe
was bright and Of a sociable disposition
and possessed Of AN education far beyond
her surroundings in life. DR.. Holland
says of her: She had much in her ma
ture that was truly heroic and nuch that
shrank from the rude life around her. A
great man never drew his infant life
from purer or more wonlsan!y bosom
than. her oWn.'
Three years after Mrs. Lincoln's mar
riage, in 1906, Lincoln was born. He
was her only living child and to him she
taught every accomplishment she pos
sessed, her husband not even being able
to read or write. Through all her train
ing ran the thread Of her religious belief.
A bove all she feared to see her boys grow
up. to be like his father, a shiftless, neer-
do-well. She died in 1918, after years OF
suffering from consumption, when her
son was 9 years old. There was no full
eral ceremony and young lincoln felt
the lack He wrote to the minister by
whom his mother haG been married and
three months after the burial funeral
sermon was preached over the grave,
Lincoln, his father and a few neighbors
being present
4.g Mrs. Johnston, q widow with three
children, was Lincoln's stepmOther, and
to her was due what happiness he knew
as child. She sympathized with the
lad and encouraged him in his studies
and ambitions Iincoln's youth was
greatly bettered by her Kindness and
care and he loved her deeply, for when
he left home his chief sorrow was ON
leaving her, and Of the first money he
ever earned he sent her a. share.
The music which Mendelssohn gave the
world was largely due to the influence Of
his mother She was Leah Salomon,
born in 1772, the daughter of a family Of
considerable social position in Berlin.
While not handsome she was attractive
in face and figure and possessed sound
Judgment and a kindly wit. For a girl
of that period she mad Unusual accom-
plishments, and painted, playedrand sang
with equal skill. She had a thorough
knowledge of English, French, Italian
and German, and read huently Latin and
Greek After ner marriage with Abra-
ham Mendelssohn she lived in Ham
burg, where three children were born TO
her, Felix being the second. From their
mother Felix and his sister Fanny inher-
tied their love Of music and it was by
her that they were FIRST taught. Though
of Jewish parentage the children were
brought UP as Protestant Christians.
This was partly due to an uncle who had
become Christian and had adopted the
name Of Bartholdy, which the musicians
father subsequently took and which Fe-
lix inherited.
The life Of Mrs. Mendelssohn was an
ideal one With a devoted husband,
children who idolized her, and money
and time to indulge her musical and ar
tistic tastes, she found nothing to mar
her happiness. OF her her husband
said: t'The best and noblest OF mothers,
whose whole life is devotion, charity, and
love-" Her death was as free from pain as
her life During the preparations for
celebrating Christmas in 1912 she was
suddenly taken i'll. She was carried to
her bed and at once fell asleep. The next
morning sine WIS dead.
In strong contrast to the life Of Leah
Mend delssohn is that Of the mother Of
Beethoven Living in extreme poverty
with dissipated husband and suffering
from consumption, from which she finally
[ died, there was little to make her life
sendurable She was the daughter of a
cook and was Maria Ragdalena Laym,
the widoW OF a. valet, When she married
johann Won Beethoven, the father OF the
musician Music was an instinct with
the Beethovens, but the most that Johann
had made Of his opportu unities was TO se-a
cure 4 place as tenor singer. The salary
was small and most Of it she spent for
LIQUOR, and the household furniture and
even FAMILY heirIpoms were paWned or,
sold to enable him TO satisfy his appetite
With such sur dings and with such q
husband 1t is not strange that Beetho ven,s
mo otller transmitted to him a.anel lancholy
and morbid disposition. That she loved
him well and cared for 4 him deeply is
shown BY his freq uently expressed love
fors sher. She did everyt Ing in her power
to aid his happiness, though in his she
was thwarted BY her husband. who deter