The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-11-25

the Normal and Industrial College
Abraham Lincoln His Theme-God's
Purposes Illustrated in a Mans Ca
reer-The Artist In His Character
Painting Himself Study.
Oh. A. Banks, in Charlotte Observer.)
Brilliant, discriminating, eloquent,
just as judge. God has been good
to the character of Abraham Lincoln
in raising it up such an enterpreter as
Henry Watterson.
1t was man small in stature-not
more than S feet 6-who stepped out
to face the eager audience of the young
ladies of the Greensboro State Normal
and Industrial College, including a
large infusion of townspeople, in their
audience hall last Saturday night.
But the slender figure was most
symmetrical one. 1t was crowned
with a shapely head. The face was as
white as marble, white moustache and
goatee emphasizing, perhaps, its pallid
appearance. But there was touch Of
the leonine in it. One eye burned
like furnace. The other had gone
out. But there is charm-a SPELL
in that single eye. Stepping with
youthful sprightliness to the front, the
fine head is turned to left, to center,
to right. The single eye takes in
the audience at a glance. By some
sort Of witchery, the six hundred faces
before him became one-in some way
like composite photograph-and the
eyes of this consolidated face of the
audience are caught and held in will
ling bondage by the eye of the speaker.
The first mention of Lincoln S name
-thrillingly led up to-elicited a
spontaneous, irresistible and hearty ap-
plause from more than 800 North
Carolina girls and the rest Of this
Southern audience. There was most
liberal amount of such expression as
the speaker progressed, notably, again
when he reached the story of the
Hampton Roads conference and Lin
coins offer to Stephens.
Watterson in his study of Lincoln is
a study himself. AS the statesman
and President develops and gradually
assumes heroic proportions under the
deft and dainty touch of the brilliant
word painter, artist himself becomes
subject for auditor. The great paint
ings Of old masters that hang on the
walls of art galleries are results-the
results of ceaseless toll unseen and un-
appreciated by him who looks upon
the picture in Watterson's portrait of
Lincoln we see the process leading up
to the finished work-the throwing in
of light and shadow, the harmonzing
of light colors and dark colors-ir
short the gradual bringing out from
under the chaotic blankness of the
canvas the central figure of an appall-
ing world -tragedy.-a man standing
out from an environment of fire and
blood. The artist works on a grand
scale; his easel the North American
continent; his canvas the soil Of the
Union. What scope9 Referring once
to our nation builders, the word
painter said: "And there were giants
in those days" As we study the
artist we add to his quotation: "And
there are STILL" Only master mind
could depict master Of men as Wat
terson does Lincoln.
An occasional reference to history,
extract from biography, or quoted war
report convinces the hearer that the
lecturer has spent limitless research
through printed pages and musty ar
chives in his study of his subject. All
this, together with a personal acquain-
tance, have given him wonderful in
sight into Lincoln, the man. Unhe-
roc size, but the thread that runs
throughout the whole lecture, and is
never to be entirely lost sight Of
which has an over mastering, unshaka-
> bic grasp and grip and hold upon the
innermost soul and being of the lectu.
rer is this conviction. Lincoln led by
. an Unseen Hand-Lincoln inspired
Of God. Rising up above prejudice
above partiality, above sectionalism
above mankind's ordinary, average
standards of judgment, the speaker
seems to have reached some supra
mundane point Of view, some Sinai
like eminence, where looking up he
catches glimpses of Gods purpose:
and plans, and looking down he sees
them executed by an uncouth mar
lifted from obscurity, stepping quietly
to the front to seize the reins Of the
t government, while the recognized
great Of the earth stand aside in mute
amusement to make way for the stran
ger, and then follow, content to be hi:
inferior. God the Nation Architect
Lincoln-the contractor, following
implicitly the divine plans and speci
fications. Slavery a defect in ths
structure of the republic. The defecl
must be repaired though the constitu-
ton stand in the way. In the tearing
down process and before the repair
work can be done, and the South i
delugeG with fire and blood and iron
hail, but this in itself an evidence 0
Gods love for does He not scourg'
every son whom He reCeiveth?
| "Thy will be done on earth as
is in Heaven"
The lecturer repeated these word
reverently and the sentence is th
keynote to his study of the life ant
) time of Lincoln
No attempt will be made here 10 re
, port the lecture in detail. No ade
l Quate idea O: lis attractivenesS, nor G
! the superb command Of language b
: the speaker, can be covered on pa pei